Roque Bluffs State Park Beach
Roque Bluffs, ME
A cobblestone beach on Machias Bay that Down East locals treat as their own, backed by spruce woods and a freshwater pond you can swim in as an alternative to the ocean. The water runs cold even in August, but that keeps the crowds thin and the air smelling like salt and pine.
The cobblestones are easier on bare feet than they look, but water shoes help if you plan on wading in.
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.