This article was originally published in 2024 and most recently updated on June 17, 2026, with current information. Sophie Friedman and Lucy Kehoe contributed to the reporting of this story.
With nearly 100,000 miles of shoreline stretching across the USA, there are probably quite a few beaches you’ve yet to visit. After all, certain coastal stretches get the fame, but the underrated (and thus less crowded) locations are often more worth your time. Before you hit the sands at a same-old spot, consider one of these beach getaway destinations across the country.
Gulf State Park, Alabama
Alabama is possibly the most underrated state when it comes to beaches. The Alabama Gulf Coast has more than 30 miles of beachfront, and Gulf State Park has 3.5 miles of soft white sand and clear waters reserved for relaxation and fishing. It also is home to Alabama’s only public pier in the Gulf of Mexico.
There are several different park entry points along the coast. The recently renovated Gulf State Park Pavilion provides access to three miles of beach, as well as restrooms and parking. If you’re looking for an off-grid coastal experience, consider Branyon Beach Access with its tall sand dunes on either side of a small boardwalk.
Freshwater adventures abound in the area. Head to the 900-acre Lake Shelby for some paddleboarding, swimming, or kayaking. Plus, the beach is surrounded by the accessible wilderness of the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail system, with 28 miles of paved trails in the 6,150-acre park.
Where to stay: The Lodge at Gulf State Park, a Hilton Hotel
Access to nature is the number one priority at the Lodge at Gulf State Park, a Hilton Hotel. Guests can borrow complimentary bikes to explore the surrounding miles of hiking and biking trails and then visit the nearby Gulf State Park Nature Center to learn about local flora and fauna. Rooms are stylish, modern, and bright. The property has an ocean-gazing infinity pool and three restaurants serving local seafood and craft cocktails.
Seal Beach, California
Walk along Seal Beach’s pier at sunset for a picturesque end to your day.
Photo by Lisha Riabinina/Unsplash
California’s Pacific waters draw plenty of tourists each summer, aiming to ride the waves of Huntington Beach—dubbed Surf City USA—or tour places like L.A.’s Santa Monica pier. But you can find lots of good beaches sandwiched in between the two destinations, including Seal Beach. This stretch of sand in the O.C. was named after seals that once basked on its shores, though nowadays you’ll more likely see people surfing, kitesurfing, or windsurfing. After exploring the beach town’s 1.5 miles of coast, head to its 1,865-foot pier, the second-longest wooden pier in California and a popular sunset spot.
Where to stay: Fairmont Breakers Long Beach
Twenty minutes west of Seal Beach is the Fairmont Breakers Long Beach. Once a glamorous coastal escape used by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Cary Grant during Hollywood’s Golden Age, the hotel underwent a multimillion-dollar refurbishment by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in 2025. Now the 185 guest rooms and 22 suites are decorated in soothing neutral colors, with historic details such as plaster molding retained.
Grayton Beach State Park, Florida
There’s plenty of beach to go around in Florida. Among the most popular sandy stretches are South Beach in Miami, with its art deco buildings, and the white sands of Clearwater Beach near Tampa. Yet Grayton Beach State Park remains an overlooked seaside getaway, located in the northwest of the state, hugging the Gulf of Mexico.
The nearly 2,000-acre park has emerald green waters and dramatic sand dunes. Grayton Beach is a particularly notable destination for road-trip enthusiasts; its location along the 24-mile Scenic Highway 30A makes it a prime stop en route to exploring the new urbanism architecture and restaurants in Florida’s Walton County.
Where to stay: WaterColor Inn & Resort
If you’d rather not camp at one of Grayton Beach’s 59 campsites, drive five minutes from the park to the WaterColor Inn on Santa Rosa Beach. The property has 60 beachfront rooms and sits between a dune-backed beach and one of Walton County’s dune lakes.
Lanikai, O’ahu, Hawai’i
The Mokulua Islands are protected bird sanctuaries.
Photo by Miguel Manzo/Unsplash
You can escape the crowds in Hawai‘i by visiting during the spring or fall and renting a car to explore less-crowded beaches and local hangouts. Take, for example, the shorelines around Lanikai on O‘ahu’s eastern coast. Here, residential beaches and stretches beloved by windsurfers offer quieter alternatives for seclusion-seeking visitors.
If you’re thinking of hitting up Lanikai Beach, consider instead laying your towel on Kailua Beach, less than half a mile north. Stretching for 2.5 miles, this blush-pink sandy spot is typically less crowded—but just as beautiful. Although it sits on the island’s windward side, an offshore reef creates a sheltered lagoon in the bay, creating great swimming conditions.
Join guided snorkeling and kayak tours to the nearby Mokulua Islands with the locally owned Kailua Beach Adventures. The two isles, located about a mile off the coast, form a protected seabird sanctuary. With a permit, visitors can land on the larger northern island and explore the shoreline.
Where to stay: Waimanalo Beach Cottages
Well-heeled accommodation is scarce on O‘ahu’s east coast, but a handful of intimate local guesthouses offer a laid-back, homely alternative to the wider selection of hotels and resorts closer to Honolulu.
A 20-minute drive down the coast from Kailua Beach, Waimanalo Beach Cottages sit on the edge of another scenic white-sand shoreline, Waimanalo Beach. The clapboard studio cottages are basic but have direct access to the beach.—Lucy Kehoe
Assateague Island, Maryland
Wild horses inhabit the protected beaches, pine forests, and salt marshes of Assateague Island.
Photo by Stephen Bonk/Shutterstock
Instead of spending the weekend shoulder to shoulder with crowds in Ocean City, travel to Assateague Island State Park and you can spend it among wild horses. The protected barrier island of the Atlantic coast of Maryland and Virginia is home to about 150 of them.
Although local folklore suggests that the horses are survivors of a 17th-century shipwreck, the more commonly accepted origin story of these unexpected island inhabitants is that the animals’ domesticated ancestors were brought over during the 17th century by mainland owners trying to avoid livestock taxation laws. Over time, their descendants reverted back to their wild state.
While you can often spot horses grazing along the beaches and dunes, park officials advise staying at least 40 feet away from the animals and warn against attempting to pet or feed them.
Besides hanging along the shoreline of this 37-mile-long island, visitors can further explore Assateague’s secluded coves and marshes via canoe or kayak, and enjoy beach walks and bird-watching. It’s important to remember that the ocean waters on this barrier island can be intense, so be aware of rip currents.
Where to stay: Assateague Island
Unless you’re are willing to camp by the coast at one of 342 designated campsites, accommodation options in the state park are limited.
Luckily, Hilton Ocean City Oceanfront Suites is a 15-minute drive from the Assateague Island Visitor Center in Maryland. It offers spacious guest rooms a five-block walk from the city’s 2.9-mile boardwalk. Alternatively, check in at the quaint bed-and-breakfast the Inn on Ocean nearby. Its granny-chic interiors are filled with antiques and the warm, friendly service includes daily homemade pastries for guests returning from windswept walks.
Yellow Bay at Flathead Lake, Montana
Whether you’re sitting on pebbles or sand, it’s still a beach in our book. With 185 miles of shoreline, Flathead Lake dwarfs every other lake west of the Mississippi in the contiguous U.S. Yellow Bay, on its eastern shore, is known for its wide gravel beach where locals like to fish for lake trout, water ski, swim, boat, and camp. Campgrounds and rental cabins are scattered along the shore, and in the summer, roadside stands sell fresh cherries, plums, and other fruit. Nearby towns include Bigfork, Whitefish, and Polson.
Where to stay: Many Springs Resort
Book a room at the 12-room vacation-rental-style Many Springs Resort. The rooms have simple pine furniture, a king or two queens, kitchens, and balconies for enjoying sunset over the lake.
Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
The beach breaks at Wrightsville are great for beginner surfers.
Photo by Caroline Chambers/Shutterstock
With warm waters and a temperate climate, the Carolinas have a reputation for having some of the best beaches on the East Coast. Crowds are often torn between going to North Carolina for some fun at the Outer Banks or heading south to Myrtle Beach and the attractions along its 60 miles of coastline. Split the difference and head instead to Wrightsville Beach in southeast North Carolina.
This laid-back summer destination vibrates with the energy of young surfers hailing from nearby colleges, and it has plenty of scenic views on its four-mile stretch. Go sailing, swimming, or try your hand at stand-up paddleboarding on the Atlantic. Wrightsville Kayak Company provides rentals of paddleboards and kayaks from $40 for two hours and will drop off all equipment, including life vests and trail maps, at your location for no additional charge.
Where to stay: Trailborn Surf & Sound
The Blockade Runner Beach Resort, a local favorite since 1964, reopened in January 2025 after a major facelift and took on a new name: the Trailborn Surf & Sound.
Start the day with a yoga class, surf lesson, or scuba experience before stretching out on one of the hotel’s beach loungers (two per room) beneath an umbrella. Visitors can also rent kayaks, paddleboards, and Hobie sailboats to explore the surrounding waters of the Intracoastal Waterway and the Sound.
After an Italian-inspired dinner at the hotel’s La Duna Paradiso, relax around the bonfire and close out the night with s’mores.
Related: The Best Beaches in North Carolina
Harris Beach State Park, Oregon
Beaches in the Pacific Northwest are less about catching some rays on golden sands and instead about experiencing the dramatic landscapes that make the region so well-loved by nature enthusiasts. Case in point: sea stacks, the tree-topped remnants of headlands that have eroded over time and now dot the coastline.
While Oregon‘s most famous is the 235-foot, wave-caressed Haystack Rock, you can head 80 miles south to enjoy magnificent formations with fewer crowds at Harris Beach State Park. The miles-long beach within the park has plenty of rocky outcroppings for tidal pool enthusiasts to investigate (home to hermit crabs, sea stars, gooseneck barnacles, and colorful anemones), and you can see the largest island off the Oregon Coast, Bird Island, from the shore. Wildlife watching is a worthwhile activity: You might spot gray whales in the waves when they migrate in the spring and fall.
For a fantastic sunset view, walk along the nearby South Beach.
Where to stay: Tu Tu’ Tun Lodge
Perched inland on the banks of Oregon’s Rogue River, the adults-only Tu Tu’ Tun Lodge is a 45-minute drive from Harris Beach State Park and just a few miles from Siskiyou National Forest. Guests can sleep within a smartly furnished main lodge, opt for a private cottage, or bed down in one of 12 glass-walled cabins that have private patios, outdoor soaking tubs, and wrap-around views of the river and forest beyond.
Luquillo, Puerto Rico
Lifeguard house at Luquillo Balneario in the morning.
Photo by Tony Buttons/Shutterstock
Hugged year-round by warm waters, Puerto Rico’s main island has plenty of sandy stretches vying for the title of “best beach”. Sure, you can ride the waves out west at Indicators, a well-known surf break down the coast from Domes Beach in Rincón, or hit the popular Flamenco Beach in Culebra. But if your ideal beach day is a quiet stay by calm waters with some quality local food, consider driving about 30 miles east of San Juan to the area around Playa de Luquillo.
This beach in Puerto Rico’s northeast is one of several surrounding the small town of Luquillo, known for its palm-lined coast. When you get hungry, stop by the Kioskos de Luquillo—a strip of around 60 restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops in town where you you can try dishes such as alcapurrias and mofongo.
It can be tempting to go beach-hopping all week, but a 15-minute drive from here takes you to El Yunque National Forest, making Luquillo a convenient stopover option on your way to Puerto Rico’s mountains.
Where to stay: Rainforest Inn Bed & Breakfast
Journey to the Rainforest Inn in El Yunque National Forest for an ecoluxury experience, complete with locally sourced vegetarian breakfasts and freshwater collected by cisterns. Each of the property’s villas features spacious terraces and vistas of the surrounding rainforest, while the coquís singsong-y croak offers the perfect lullaby at night.
La Push, Washington
La Push’s three beaches are all located within Washington State’s Olympic National Park.
Photo by Brianna Parks/Unsplash
What Washington’s cloud-cast coastline lacks in palm trees and year-round sunshine, it more than makes up for with striking seascapes and powerful Pacific swells. The small town of La Push, in the upper northwest corner of the state, has three beaches—First Beach, Second Beach, and Third Beach—all with cinematic vistas.
First Beach, closest to town, is the only one accessible by road. Sign up for a lesson with La Push Surf Adventures and you’ll be hitting the (cold) waves along this crescent-shaped shoreline. Reaching Second and Third requires a walk along forested trails winding through old-growth evergreens.
Wide and sandy Second Beach has towering tree-covered sea stacks. Third Beach, accessed via a 1.4 mile hike from the road, feels even more remote. Often deserted, it has a 100-foot waterfall cascading straight into the Pacific surf at its southern end. Visit in the early morning, when the fog drifts through the trees and hangs heavy over the shoreline, and you’ll get a sense of why author Stephanie Meyer chose this hauntingly beautiful region as the setting for her vampire series, Twilight.
Note that La Push sits within a national park and the Quileute Reservation, so you will need an Olympic National Park Pass to access beaches and trails. Make the most of your pass by visiting one of the country’s largest remaining stretches of temperate rainforest. An hour’s drive inland, the Hoh Rain Forest encompasses 24 square miles of moss-cloaked spruce and hemlock, home to tree frogs, red foxes, and kooky-looking banana slugs.
Where to stay: Quileute Oceanside Resort
The Quileute Oceanside Resort on La Push’s First Beach is run by the local Quileute Tribe. Accommodation options include oceanfront cabins, motel units, and camper cabins. Book an oceanfront cabin for a morning view of surfers catching the swell.—Lucy Kehoe
