Best Beaches & Coastal in the USA
14 beaches & coastal • Updated September 2026
The best beaches & coastal in the USA for a family day out. We have rounded up 14 beaches & coastal, from Clearwater Beach to family favorites across Florida, ranked by what actually matters with kids: age suitability, ticket value and how easy they are to get to. Compare the top five below, then browse every beaches & coastal by state. Need a different angle? Try our other things to do in the USA.
Editorial oversight by James Morgan. AI-assisted, human-edited. Our editorial standards
All beaches & coastal
14 beaches & coastal across the USA
Beaches
Clearwater Beach
Clearwater, Florida
Sink your toes into sugar-white sand beside the calm emerald Gulf at one of America's favorite beaches.
Beaches
Cocoa Beach
Cocoa Beach, Florida
Wide Atlantic sands and easygoing surf make this classic Space Coast beach a relaxed day out for families of every age.
Beaches
Padre Island National Seashore
Corpus Christi, Texas
Sixty-six miles of wild Gulf coastline and one of the country's last intact coastal prairies.
Beaches
Rockaway Beach & Boardwalk
Queens, New York
Miles of Atlantic shoreline that hold New York City's only legal surfing beaches.
Beaches
Siesta Key Beach
Sarasota, Florida
Powdery quartz-crystal sand and calm turquoise water on a beach repeatedly ranked the best in the country.
Beaches
Amelia Island
Amelia Island, Florida
Thirteen miles of quartz-sand beach and a historic downtown make this Northeast Florida barrier island an easy family escape.
Beaches
Bahia Honda State Park
Big Pine Key, Florida
Snorkel straight off the sand at one of the Florida Keys' most celebrated beaches, framed by an old railroad bridge.
Beaches
Mount Dora
Mount Dora, Florida
A New England-style "Festival City" of antique shops and seaplane tours on Lake Dora.
Beaches
New Smyrna Beach
New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Seventeen miles of award-winning Florida coastline backed by a walkable arts district.
Beaches
Cedar Key
Cedar Key, Florida
Slow down in an Old Florida island town of seafood, art galleries, and quiet nature trails.
Beaches
Jensen Beach
Jensen Beach, Florida
A warm-water Treasure Coast beach with free rolling beach wheelchairs and sensory-friendly family events, set on one of the Northern Hemisphere's most biodiverse lagoons.
Beaches
Micanopy
Micanopy, Florida
Browse antique shops and lakeside charm in Florida's oldest inland town.
Beaches
Pelham Bay Park, Orchard Beach
The Bronx, New York
The Bronx's only public beach, a 1930s "Riviera of New York" with a sweeping promenade.
Beaches
Ponte Vedra Beach
Ponte Vedra, Florida
White-sand beaches and championship golf define this refined St. Johns County resort town.
More about beaches & coastal in the USA
the USA has 14 beaches & coastal we would happily take our own kids to. Amelia Island is the one most families start with. Thirteen miles of quartz-sand beach and a historic downtown make this Northeast Florida barrier island an easy family escape. Bahia Honda State Park is the other name that comes up again and again. Snorkel straight off the sand at one of the Florida Keys' most celebrated beaches, framed by an old railroad bridge. Cedar Key rounds out the pick of the bunch. Slow down in an Old Florida island town of seafood, art galleries, and quiet nature trails. Also worth your time: Clearwater Beach, Cocoa Beach, Padre Island National Seashore and Rockaway Beach & Boardwalk.
Published prices run from $8 at Bahia Honda State Park up to $10 at Pelham Bay Park, Orchard Beach. 2 of the 14 listed here quote a starting price. The others vary by season or by what you add on, so check before you travel.
The beaches & coastal on this page are spread across Florida (11), New York (2) and Texas (1), so it is easy to pair two into one trip.