Corolla Beach
Corolla, NC
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.
Wild colonial mustangs and no pavement north of the four wheel drive line keep this one genuinely wild, the tradeoff is needing the right vehicle to get there at all.
How we score beachesA standard car will not make it past the paved road. You need a permitted four wheel drive vehicle to continue north.
Dogs are allowed on Corolla's beaches year-round as long as they stay on a leash.
Outer Banks summers run hot and humid with water in the upper 70s by August, right in the middle of Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June through November. Fall brings cooler, clearer days and thinner crowds, a trade plenty of regulars are happy to make.
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.