Grand Isle Beach
Grand Isle, LA
Louisiana's only inhabited barrier island, and a longtime fishing and camping destination for locals who have been coming for generations. The state park here has some of the best public beach access on the Louisiana coast, with a fishing pier that draws as many people as the sand does.
The state park charges a modest entry fee and has some of the only maintained public facilities on the island.
More Gulf Coast beaches
Siesta Key Beach
Siesta Key, FL · Gulf Coast
Fine quartz sand that stays cool underfoot even in summer, sloping gently into calm Gulf water, and consistently rated among the best family beaches in the country.
Clearwater Beach
Clearwater, FL · Gulf Coast
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.
Pensacola Beach
Pensacola Beach, FL · Gulf Coast
Sugar-white sand within the Gulf Islands National Seashore, with dunes protected from development and water clear enough for snorkeling near the jetties.