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The best beaches on the US East Coast
East Coast beaches have thousands of miles of wide, sandy shorelines that seem to stretch on forever, along with intriguing detours to fuel your itinerary.
Growing up within day-tripping distance of the Jersey Shore, the Atlantic will always feel like home to me. While the West Coast has all the drama (and California sunshine), the East Coast has thousands of miles of sandy shoreline with wide and long beaches that seem to stretch on forever. Throw in loads of maritime history, from rock-perched Revolutionary Era lighthouses to charmingly kitschy Americana boardwalks, and you’ve got plenty of intriguing detours to fuel your itinerary.
While some areas are overdeveloped and not all beaches are free to access, you’ll find many remote areas and tranquil islands as you work your way down the eastern seaboard.
Here are some of the best beaches on the East Coast, from Maine to Florida.
1. Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Best beach for New England nostalgia
Just south of Portland, Maine, this seven-mile stretch of beach is a classic crowd-pleaser. On a wide plain of golden sand, the showstopper is the Old Orchard Beach Pier, a busy boardwalk that looks like a quaint New England street levitating over the ocean. With easy access to fried-dough delicacies, classic summer pier food and a beachside amusement park, it's even been called Maine’s closest thing to the Jersey Shore.
Local tip: In summer, you can check the Seaside Pavillion schedule for outdoor concerts.
2. Race Point Beach, Provincetown, Massachusetts
Best beach for wild dunes
At the tip of Cape Cod, Provincetown may be known for its lively summers, but Race Point Beach is a vast and wild landscape of dunes and seemingly endless shoreline. Part of the protected Cape Cod National Seashore, this beach is worth visiting to immerse yourself in nature and enjoy a joy ride through dunes on your way to watch a magnificent sunset.
Local tip: Where there are dunes, there’s usually wind. You’ll need a light jacket even on the hottest days, especially if you’re staying for golden hour.
3. Cooper’s Beach, New York
Best beach for soft fine sands
The beaches of the Hamptons have long lured New Yorkers east to break up the summer heat with ocean vistas, fresh seafood and a shimmering social scene. Long Island has more than a thousand miles of coastline, but Cooper’s Beach on the South Fork is known to have the softest sands to soothe achy block-walking feet.
Local tip: You don’t need a car to make the drive from Manhattan to Southampton. Do as many locals do and catch the jitney, local terminology for the Hamptons bus.
4. Sandy Hook, New Jersey
Best beach for skyline views
It’s not often you can enjoy a view of the Manhattan skyline with your toes in the sand. But across the Hudson, Sandy Hook is a nature lover’s delight, hidden away at the top of the Jersey Shore. Part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, this beach is clean and free of development. It is also home to the oldest operating lighthouse in the US, which dates back to the 18th century and is an important nesting site for horseshoe crabs, one of the most ancient species on the planet circa the Cambrian explosion.
Detour: Travel all the way down the shore, and you will eventually reach Cape May, another historic beach town with a beautiful lighthouse that also offers beachfront sunsets, a rare find on the East Coast. 
5. Assateague Island, Maryland
Best beach for wild horses
Just when you think it can’t get more dreamy than the pristine natural beaches of Assateague Island, cue the wild horses. The origin story of this equestrian population that calls this barrier island home varies depending on who you ask, but however they arrived, they’re a beautiful and rare sight to see. The island is a part of the National Seashore, and while visitors are allowed to swim anywhere on the island, there is a Day Use Beach Area where you’ll find bathrooms and lifeguards.
Local tip: These horses are truly wild, which means they are not used to interacting with humans. Treat them like you would any other animal and appreciate them from a safe distance.
6. Kill Devil Hills, Outer Banks, North Carolina
Best beach for peace and quiet
The Outer Banks are a vast swath of barrier islands that stretch from the Virginia border all the way to Ocracoke Island. You will find many wide empty beaches if you go exploring, but Kill Devil Hills is a wonderfully mellow town for undeveloped beach town vibes and a great home base for exploring the area’s more remote and secluded beaches.
Detour: Every traveler passing through North Carolina should pay pilgrimage to Kitty Hawk, the famous location where the dream of air travel was first achieved. 
7. Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island, Georgia
Best beach for photographers
Georgia's Jekyll Island was a retreat for the most successful tycoons of the Gilded Age, and today, you can see many of their historic homes while you roam beautiful sandy beaches. However, nature puts on its own display of wealth at Driftwood Beach. Filled with skeleton-like tree trunks, which are the result of erosion, the driftwood trees have been twisted and smoothed down over the ages, creating a dramatic and poetic scene for visitors to walk through.
Planning tip: Driftwood Beach is beautiful to see but not the best for swimming. For more space to spread out, head to South Dunes Beach.
8. Crandon Beach, Florida
Best beach for an urban-adjacent paradise
No state can beat Florida when it comes to beaches. Sticking to the Atlantic Coast, you’ll need to continue south of South Beach, Miami, to find this palm-tree-laden retreat. This public beach is the perfect place to find a break from the city and enjoy a large beach surrounded by nature. There are plenty of palm trees where beachgoers can string up hammocks and slacklines; plus, the clear and shallow waters are great for kayakers and paddleboarders.
Detour: Keep on driving and spend half a day exploring walking trails and the stairs up to Key Biscayne’s historic lighthouse in Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.
