Lonely Planet USA Exclusive April 2026 / The 8 Best Beaches in The USA /

From sea to shining sea, the USA features coasts and lakes that are littered with glorious stretches of sand. As well as the superstars grabbing the limelight (hello, Venice Beach), you’ll find tucked-away, small-town gems that are the perfect location for a relaxing time with friends.

The latest edition of Lonely Planet Best Beaches does a deep dive on 100 of the world’s most incredible shores, and the US is proudly represented with some heavy hitters.

Whether you’re in search of busy beaches where the party never stops, shallow waters and golden sands ideal for the whole family, or planning a road trip along serene and romantic stretches of shore, this roundup of the best beaches in the USA will show you the perfect option.

Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island at sunset. Crystal Bolin Photography/Getty Images

1. Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island, Georgia

Best for eerie photo opportunities

The spider-like branches of gnarled oaks draping the golden sands of Jekyll Island off the coast of Georgia are eerily haunting. The trees pull you in for a closer look, whispering of mysteries from centuries past. It’s easy to see why the producers of The Walking Dead filmed scenes for its 7th and 10th seasons here.

With that said, the location is far from morbid. Kids can safely explore tide pools and climb onto sun-bleached tree trunks without fear of a zombie attack. Instead, you can expect a steady stream of brides and grooms smiling for wedding shots among the branches at sunset, making the most of the brightly colored backdrop.

Once part of a maritime forest, the trees fell as the beach eroded and their roots were exposed to sun and salt. Some trees are more than 500 years old, while others have collapsed more recently due to storms and the relentless encroachment of the Atlantic.

An ocean outflow lake forms in white sand at Grayton Beach, FL. Alan LeStourgeon/Shutterstock

2. Grayton Beach, Florida

Best for kayaking in rare dune lakes

The sugar-white sands of Grayton Beach billow like delicate frosting, their ephemeral beauty ever-shifting thanks to winds and waves along the Florida panhandle.

They’re a striking contrast to the clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico lapping the shore.

But this 1-mile strip of pristine sand, part of Grayton Beach State Park, is more than just another pretty Florida beach. The beach’s dunes protect three coastal dune lakes, which are a rare natural phenomenon found in only four countries in the world.

A 4.5-mile multi-use trail winds through the woods and along the 100-acre Western Lake, the largest of the park’s coastal dune lakes. Its dazzling blue waters are open for kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding.

Detour: Keep an eye out for the Dog Wall (aka The New Dogs of Grayton), created by artistic locals – a mural featuring portraits of their four-legged friends.

A colorful lifeguard tower on South Beach in Miami, Florida. Cavan-Images/Shutterstock

3. South Beach, Florida

Best for glitz and glamour

A sparkling confection of sunshine, style and beautiful people, South Beach embodies the good life. Just east of downtown Miami in South Florida, SoBe dazzles like a kaleidoscope paused.

Aquamarine waters lap luxurious white sands while the tidy greenery of Lummus Park and the Promenade unfurls to the west. Candy-colored lifeguard towers line the sand, hinting at the vivid facades of Miami’s Art Deco Historic District.

Caribbean flourishes and soaring palm trees add more aesthetic oomph while neon and nightclubs, in contrast to the more laid-back but still vibrant North Beach, bring late-night sizzle.

A skatepark in Venice Beach, Los Angeles. NorthSky Films/Shutterstock

4. Venice Beach, Los Angeles, California

Best for people watching

Cheap sunglasses are for sale in every direction on the Venice Beach Boardwalk, a 2-mile strip of creativity hugged by weed dispensaries, T-shirt shops and French-fry joints in southern Los Angeles – and that’s just the view on the inland side.

On the ocean side, palm trees frame the sandy beach and the Pacific, with views interrupted by bodybuilders pumping iron at Muscle Beach, basketball players shooting hoops on busy courts and skateboarders gliding skyward at the shiny skateboard park.

Take a seat to watch the action. Jugglers, gymnasts and artists all vie for attention – and a few bucks – along the way.

A sunset glow across El Matador Beach. Jiujiuer/Shutterstock

5. El Matador State Beach, Malibu, California

Best for secluded beauty

A “pocket beach” in western Malibu, El Matador may be tiny, but it packs an oversized visual punch. One of three small beaches that make up Robert H Meyer Memorial State Beach – the other two are El Pescador and La Piedra – El Matador hugs the base of craggy bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean beside the Pacific Coast Highway.

A dirt path drops down the rugged cliffside to a set of stairs that descend to the soft sands of the beach, where the real visual feast begins. A cluster of rocks and sea stacks extends from the cliffs edging the cove into the sea.

The largest formations hide arches and caves, which are prime candidates for exploring and photography – as are the tide pools filled with sea life. The setting sun illuminates the rocks with a golden glow, casting shadows and revealing new treasures. On a quiet afternoon, the effect borders on the sublime.

The sunset viewed through Keyhole Arch on Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur. Christer Dabu/Shutterstock

6. Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur, California

Best for sunset photo opps

For several weeks in late December, coinciding with the winter solstice, the setting sun pierces Keyhole Arch with a luminous golden light. Sitting on a sliver of coastline along the rugged Big Sur coast in California, it’s a spectacular ode to nature’s otherworldly gifts. And the spectacle becomes sublime when a wave crashes within the arch, its spray aglow with the ethereal light.

After rainstorms, the crescent-shaped beach may turn purple in spots due to the manganese garnet washed down from the coastline’s crumbly bluffs. Due to dangerous waves, Pfeiffer Beach isn’t recommended for swimming, and it can get windy – but walking, beachcombing and admiring the sunset are superb ways to pass the time.

Local tip: The Ambrosia burgers are great, and so is the view at Nepenthe, an oceanfront restaurant perched high on a cliff between Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge and Castro Canyon on Highway 1.

A horseback riding group by Haystack Rock on Cannon Beach, Oregon. Adam Hester/Getty Images

7. Cannon Beach, Oregon

Best for wildlife spotting

Haystack Rock is a mood. A volcanic remnant formed by 17 million years of uplift and erosion, it rises 235ft above Cannon Beach. A basalt monolith, it would have been a familiar sight to the Clatsop and Chinook tribespeople and the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which wintered near here in 1805 and 1806. Today, Haystack Rock and the beach are popular destinations for beachgoers seeking wildlife and amazing sunset views.

Within the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge on the Northern Oregon Coast, Haystack Rock is a haven for tufted puffins, seals and sea lions. At low tide, beachcombers can walk to its base and explore its tide pools, home to sea stars and anemones. Gray whales and humpback whales migrate along the coast in winter and again in spring.

Local tip: Held in June, the Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest is truly a temporary delight – all the entries are washed away by high tide after existing for a mere five hours.

Lake Tahoe’s pristine waters tempt at Sand Harbor. Getty Images

8. Sand Harbor, Lake Tahoe, Nevada

On a spring day, when the crowds are light and the snow still tops the Sierra Nevada mountains, Sand Harbor and its lakefront boulders evoke a land that time forgot. Crystal blue waters. Ancient white sand beaches. Jefferson pines that soar overhead. There’s an ageless tranquility here – at least until summer, when beach umbrellas and stand-up paddleboards disrupt the spell as the crowds roll in.

Lake Tahoe, which straddles the California/Nevada state line, is the largest alpine lake in the country and the second-deepest. The water is so clear that sometimes you can see objects as far as 70ft below the surface.

Detour: If you feel the need for bright lights and late nights, take a trip to nearby Reno.