Joseph Whidbey State Park
Oak Harbor, WA
Joseph Whidbey State Park sits on the Strait of Juan de Fuca on Whidbey Island's west shore, a day-use-only park with one of the widest, sandiest beaches on the island and views clear to Victoria and the San Juans. It stays open seasonally, April through October, which keeps it a little less known than the island's year-round parks.
Genuinely one of the better sandy beaches on Whidbey, underrated mainly because the seasonal closure keeps it out of the every-park lists.
How we score beachesCheck the season before planning a visit; the park closes for the winter, unlike most of Whidbey's other beach parks.
A Discover Pass is required; day use hours run 8am to dusk in season.
Open April 1 through October 31 only, closed the rest of the year.
More Pacific Coast beaches
Zuma Beach
Malibu, CA · Pacific Coast
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.
Huntington City Beach
Huntington Beach, CA · Pacific Coast
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.
Main Beach
Laguna Beach, CA · Pacific Coast
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.