Carova Beach
Corolla, NC
No pavement, no traffic lights, and a small band of wild colonial Spanish mustangs that wander right up onto the sand. You need four wheel drive to get here, which is exactly why it has stayed this untouched while the rest of the Outer Banks filled in with rental houses.
Air down your tires before driving onto the sand, and check a tide chart, since high tide narrows the drivable beach considerably.
More Atlantic Coast beaches
Coast Guard Beach
Eastham, MA · Atlantic Coast
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.
Surfside Beach
Nantucket, MA · Atlantic Coast
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.
Jones Beach State Park
Wantagh, NY · Atlantic Coast
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.