15 Best Beaches In The USA You Must Visit!

Traveling all over America means I can confidently say I have seen some of the best beaches in the USA.

If I had to pick the best beach in the USA, I would say Dry Tortugas National Park, it is just too good and super unique and rural!

With over 80,000 miles of coastline, I am always on the hunt for new spots, but here are some of my favorites so far that I think you should check out!

Pathway down to the white sand and crystal blue water at Trunk Bay beach. The pathway is arched over with green plants.

Best Beaches in the USA

Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

Only accessible by boat or seaplane, Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida is one of the most beautiful beach destinations in the United States. Surrounded by pristine blue green water filled with coral reefs and marine life, there are seven islands where you can lounge on the beach or go camping.

The roadtrip from Miami to the Keys is the perfect excuse to take the next hop 70 miles west of Key West to visit this slice of paradise. I recently visited and the arrival by seaplane is such an experience!

a girl in red swimsuit posing in front of dry Tortugas Natonal Park

Pfeiffer Beach, California

Jumping to the other side of the country is Pfeiffer Beach, by far one of the best beaches on the West Coast USA. Located on the gorgeous drive through Big Sur along the historic Pacific Coast Highway, Pfeiffer Beach has one of the most photographed rock arches. My favorite thing about this beach is the purple sand caused by manganese garnet rocks.

This is a no swimming beach, but perfect if you want to admire nature for a bit. Between the cliffs of Big Sur, the rock arch, crashing waves and the purple sand, there are plenty of photo opportunities.

The Keyhole Arch at Pfieffer Beach, one of the best beaches in the USA. At sunset, sunlight passes through the arch creating an orange glow.

Ruby Beach Washington

Often considered the most beautiful beach in Washington, Ruby Beach has everything you need for the perfect stay on the shore beach day. Named because of the reddish granules that gather on the shore making it look like red sand! The tide pools on Ruby Beach are filled with urchins, starfish, limpets, anemones, and crabs!

You can swim at Ruby Beach, but the water in Washington is cold all year long! I go for the tidepools, red sand, cool rock formations, and swirling driftwood on the shore.

View looking down to Ruby Beach showing the haze of the marine layer, rock formations, drift wood, and green coastline before the sand.

Trunk Bay, St John USVI

When I think of the ultimate beach day, I think of Trunk Bay in St John. The white sand beach stretches for a quarter mile and the water on a calm day is crystal clear and a blue that you can only find in the Caribbean.

I love to do the self-guided underwater snorkeling trail that has underwater information about the coral formations and marine life. This beach also has a snack bar, showers, bathrooms, and lifeguards. It really is the perfect beach day destination.

This is home to some of the clearest water in the USA!

View looking down to Trunk Bay with the green trees on the right, a white sand beach, and vibrant blue water.

Honokalani Beach, Maui

Honokalani Beach in Maui is one of the prettiest beaches in the USA because of the black sand! We have already talked about some of my favorite white sand beaches, but the black sand beach is a whole different vibe. This beach is located on the famed Road to Hana.

The beach is held as sacred for the Hawaiian people and the contrast of the bright colors of Hawaii along the black sand makes the experience surreal. The whole of Waianapanapa State Park has lava caves, stone arches, and blow holes. There is so much to see!

This spot tops of our list of the best beaches in the Caribbean!

The black sand beach of Honokalani Beach in Maui with an ocean wave receding and green trees surrounding the beach.

Siesta Key Florida

Being a lifelong Floridian, I can confidently say that Siesta Key is one of the best beaches in Florida. Siesta Key is actually an island that is connected to Sarasota by a short bridge. I feel like I don’t have to say much because look at that picture! But I am going to say a couple things because I love it.

Here you can spend all day lounging in the white sand, swimming in the turquoise waters, looking for shells and shark teeth or even parasailing. The island has so much to do and it is one of my top recommendations for beach getaways in the USA. My tip is to go during the off season! Less crowds and Florida has great weather a lot longer than other places in the country.

Cayo Icacos, Puerto Rico

Cayo Icacos Beach is special because the island of Cayo Icacos is uninhabited. Because of this, you pack it in and pack it out. Located just a mile and a half off Puerto Rico’s east coast this beach takes some work to get to, but it is so worth it!

Of course, the white sand and turquoise waters that are paramount to the Caribbean are reason enough to go, but being somewhere where no one lives in (what feels like) the middle of the ocean is such a cool experience. If you are looking for peace and quiet, come here! And it is a 15 minute water taxi ride from Fajardo!

Aerial view of the turquoise Caribbean waters and white sand beach of Cayo Icacos in Puerto Rico.

Magens Bay Beach, St Thomas USVI

Magens Bay Beach in the US Virgin Islands is such a delight. The colors here feel like they are turned up. Between the turquoise water, the vibrant green of the trees, and the stunning hues of pink, orange, and yellow from the exotic flowers, the landscape is a feast for your eyes.

Magens Bay is great for swimming, kayaking, and paddle boarding! There are also nature trails through the native mangrove trees! This beach is a must!

Perfect white sand and blue water at Magens Bay Beach makes this one of the best beaches in the USA.

Cannon Beach, Oregon

Cannon Beach in Oregon is one my favorite beach towns in the USA. Listed on NatGeo’s 100 most beautiful places in the world in 2013, Cannon Beach offers Haystack Rock that towers over the shoreline at 235 feet and waterfalls that cascade into the sand.

Beaches in the PNW are special because instead of being surrounded by palm trees, the shoreline is surrounded by evergreens like Douglas Firs and Red cedars. The smells are different, the lighting is different, the water color can be a dark blue to gray.

The surrounding town is filled with hotels and restaurants, art galleries, and so much more. It’s a must visit if you are on the West Coast!

Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island Georgia

Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island in Georgia is honestly hard to describe. Normally when you see driftwood on the shore, it’s the size of a log you might put in your fireplace. On Driftwood Beach, whole petrified trees are scattered about the shoreline. The experience is otherworldly.

This is a favorite spot for photographers and scientists alike! The weathered trees are left behind from years of erosion. There are lots of rocks as a breakwater and the water can be muddy, so I wouldn’t recommend this beach for swimming. Driftwood Bech is definitely perfect for a day trip in the winter. The petrified trees against a dreary day is quite the image!

Driftwood Beach at sunset has a purple sky and huge swirling pieces of driftwood on the shore.

South Padre Island Beach, Texas

South Padre Island Beach is one of the nicest beaches in America because it is so clean! Hidden away in South Texas, this beach is one I feel confident recommending. The shoreline is full of great restaurants where you can carry your food down to the beach.

The water in the summer is warm, but the beach can get busy. Late Sping and early Fall are great times to go that beat the crowds while the weather is still great. Perfect sand for sandcastles and the warm water is easy to rinse off in!

The pier at South Padre Island Beach in Texas extending out into the water. The water is blue green with rolling waves and many people are enjoying the beach.

Carova Beach, North Carolina

Carova Beach is one of the best beaches on the East Coast USA in my opinion because there are wild horses! I love seeing horses in the wild, just living their life. They are such majestic creatures and galloping along the backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean. Wow.

The twelves miles of shoreline is tranquil and feels very much off the beaten path. Speaking of, the town has no paved roads and can only be accessed via a four wheel drive.

Coronado Beach, San Diego California

Fluffy sand and tide pools are just some of the reasons I love Coronado Beach in San Diego. Overlooking the Coronado Bridge, the shoreline sparkles with gold flecked sand. Huge perk is this beach is dog friendly!

Marilyn Monroe’s Some Like It Hot was filmed in the historic Hotel del Coronado (pictured below). If you can swing it, a stay here is so luxurious!

Diver’s Cove, Laguna Beach, California

Laguna Beach is actually a city and my favorite beach in Laguna Beach is called Divers Cove. All along the coastline in Laguna Beach, there are rough and uneven hills that overlook the Pacific Ocean. Because of these hills, the beaches curl around the ocean in such a way that creates protected coves ideal for diving and snorkeling!

Divers Cove in particular has a small little beachy inlet where people will snorkel for a bit and then lay in the warm Southern California sunshine.

View overlooking Divers Cove in Laguna Beach, whee the beaches hug the coastline to create great underwater viewing.

Waimea Bay Beach Park, Oahu

When it come to Oahu, everyone thinks of Waikiki Beach. However, a personal favorite is Waimea Bay Beach Park and it just so happens to be one of the more famous USA beaches!

The North Shore of Oahu is very popular from November through February because it is the perfect spot for big-wave surfing. The swells become awe-inspiring giants that draw the pro riders and Waimea plays host to some of the state’s top surfing competitions! You can spread out on the sand and watch the surfers anytime of the year!