Surfside Beach
Nantucket, MA
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.
A shuttle bus runs out from town in season if you'd rather skip the parking search altogether.
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.
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.
Ditch Plains Beach
Montauk, NY · Atlantic Coast
The Hamptons' most reliable surf break, watched over by the Montauk Point Lighthouse down the coast, with a laid-back surf-shack crowd that's a world away from the rest of the Hamptons.