A wide stretch of sand backed by the Santa Monica Mountains, with reliable swells that draw surfers year-round and plenty of room to spread out even on busy weekends.

Known as Surf City USA, with a mile-long municipal pier, consistent breaks for surfers of every level, and a laid-back boardwalk scene along Pacific Coast Highway.

Tucked between rocky headlands, with tidepools to explore at low tide, calmer coves for swimming, and an arts-town backdrop of galleries and cafes just steps from the sand.

Wide, flat sand with a view of the historic Hotel del Coronado, gentle waves that make it a favorite for families, and a naturally sparkly shoreline from mica flecks in the sand.

A cove beach named for its sea-carved rock arch, with tidepools, a seasonal monarch butterfly grove just inland, and easy access to Santa Cruz's boardwalk a few miles down the coast.

Dominated by Haystack Rock, a 235-foot sea stack rising straight out of the sand, with tidepools at its base and a walkable small town just behind the dunes.

A rugged, driftwood-strewn shoreline in Olympic National Park with towering sea stacks and cold, wild surf — a beach for tide-pooling and long walks, not swimming.

A National Seashore beach backed by grassy dunes and a tidal marsh, with clean Atlantic surf and one of the Cape's most scenic approaches on foot from the parking area.

Open Atlantic swell and a wide sandy shoreline about three miles from Nantucket town, popular with locals for its bodysurfing waves and quieter, less commercial feel.

A classic Long Island beach with six and a half miles of shoreline, a landmark water tower, boardwalk, and a large outdoor amphitheater that hosts concerts through the summer.

The Hamptons' most reliable surf break, watched over by the Montauk Point Lighthouse down the coast, with a laid-back surf-shack crowd that's a world away from the rest of the Hamptons.

A mile-long boardwalk of arcades, ice cream stands, and Thrasher's fries anchors this Delaware classic, with wide, lifeguarded sand that stays family-friendly end to end.

Three miles of boardwalk backed by ten miles of open beach, with amusement piers on one end and quieter, uncrowded sand the farther north you walk.

The northernmost stretch of the Outer Banks, reachable only by four-wheel-drive beyond the paved road, where wild colonial Spanish mustangs still roam the dunes.

A funky, unpretentious barrier island beach just outside Charleston, with a dependable surf break at the Washout and a fishing pier at the county park end.

Savannah's beach town, with a historic lighthouse at the north end, a low-key pier and pavilion at the south end, and warm, gentle water most of the year.

Warm, clear water backed by the pastel Art Deco skyline of Ocean Drive, with lifeguard stands, beach clubs, and some of the liveliest nightlife of any beach on this list.

Fine quartz sand that stays cool underfoot even in summer, sloping gently into calm Gulf water — consistently rated among the best family beaches in the country.

A lively Gulf-front strip with a fishing pier, a nightly sunset celebration at Pier 60, and calm, shallow water that makes it an easy family favorite.

Sugar-white sand within the Gulf Islands National Seashore, with dunes protected from development and water clear enough for snorkeling near the jetties.

Broad, quartz-white sand along Alabama's short but scenic coastline, with warm, calm water and a slower pace than its bigger Florida neighbors.

Texas's biggest Gulf beach town, with wide sand for driving on designated stretches, warm surf, and a resort strip that gets lively in spring and summer.

An easy day trip from Houston, with a historic seawall, lifeguarded family sand, and calm, brownish Gulf water that's better for wading than for clarity.

The beach that put Hawaii surfing on the map, with gentle, forgiving waves for beginners, Diamond Head crater as a backdrop, and a reef that keeps the water calm most of the year.

A quiet, residential-neighborhood beach on Oahu's windward side, with powder-soft sand, turquoise water, and two small offshore islets (the Mokulua) as a paddling destination.

A sheltered, sunny south-shore beach on Kauai split into a calm swimming lagoon and a livelier surf side, with a good chance of spotting Hawaiian monk seals resting on the sand.

Freshwater Lake Michigan surf below towering sand dunes — some over 400 feet tall — with water clear enough to rival a coastline and a hike back up the dune to burn it off.