Where To Visit The Best Beaches In The Northeast

The miles of shoreline up and down the Northeast are a study in geological variety. Some parts are flat and uniform, extending for miles in a level plain as they disappear into the ocean, while others are jagged and rugged, with cliffs and rocks that create a sense of drama. Along those shores, either by the Atlantic or inland by bays, rivers, and lakes, travelers will find beaches of all sorts. There are tiny wisps of beach that, if you blink, you might miss them, while others are extended strips of sand, unrolling as far as the eye can see. 

The Northeast is blessed with so many beaches, in fact, that a single list can hardly do them justice, but some of these beaches occupy a truly special place, hovering above the rest, either for their facilities and tourist-friendly amenities or for quite the opposite. Regular beachgoers in the Northeast will likely have their personal favorites, ones that they swear are beyond compare, but for anyone looking for alternatives, the list below, which extends to states as far south as Maryland, is a wise place to start.

The number of beaches here is mind-boggling, with large parts of the cape falling within the confines of Cape Cod National Seashore, a breathtaking national park to visit. One of the most fascinating is Head of Meadow Beach. Here, the shipwreck of "Frances" is visible, generally at low tide. A boat that fell foul of the weather during a howling gale in 1872, Frances is just one of many ships that have run aground in the waters here, hitting sand bars that hide under the shallows offshore up and down the coast. 

Some records suggest the earliest shipwreck dates to the 1620s, and thousands of boats have succumbed to the conditions after that. A lovely stretch of waterfront is Marconi Beach, named for the inventor Guglielmo Marconi, who, in a facility close by in 1903, succeeded in initiating wireless communication between the United States and England for the very first time. The sand is backed by sandy cliffs that rise up for 40 feet, and many have heaths with rare plants such as broom crowberry.

At the southern end of the Garden State, this popular summer seaside destination is one seemingly endless strip of sand that stretches as far as the eye can see. However, for ease of navigation, the waterfront is broken up into different sections, each designated with its own beach name (which typically refers to the streets that cross the waterfront Beach Avenue), hence spots like Congress Street, Madison, and Brooklyn. There is certainly an array of atmospheres from beach to beach, with some quieter (like Baltimore) and others more lively (such as Decatur and Jackson). 

For many visitors, swimming and sunbathing are the main draws, with lifeguards posted at points all along the shore. You can also play beach volleyball, head out on a kayak, or try surfing and fishing. For a little bit of patriotic pride, visitors can witness a flag-raising ceremony each evening during the summer at Sunset Beach, which is dedicated to fallen U.S. soldiers.

There are more than two miles of beach at this park, with sections of boardwalk allowing visitors the chance to enjoy peaceful walks near the water. The swimming is excellent, and given the location of the beach, the sunsets are also memorable, especially if combined with an evening walk, from the jetty at one end of the beach to the jetty at the other end. While the sand varies in its graininess from one section to the next, the greatest variety might be in its color. 

Along the western part of the coastline, there are tiny pieces of garnet in the sand, and this can sometimes give the sand a deep pink hue. Some parts of the beach also have specks of black magnetite in them, making this part of Connecticut's shore a visual delight. Since this is a magnetic mineral, some kids like to come to the shore armed with a magnet to try to pick up tiny pieces of it from the sand.

Set on an estate that is run by a conservation non-profit, the beguiling Crane Beach is a marvel for beach lovers in the Northeast. It's a popular spot for visitors in and out of state, with more than 300,000 arrivals here each year. Wandering along the shore, travelers will encounter beautifully wild environments, with large divisions of sand, rolling dunes, and sections of forest along the 1,200 acres of beach. 

While humans populate the beach in sizeable numbers, it's also an important realm for avian life, especially the piping plover, a small, rotund bird with gray, white, and brown shading. The seabird almost vanished in the 19th century due to rampant hunting. Slowly recovering their numbers, the birds now use the beach as a nesting site. You might see them while walking along the trails that weave along the sand dunes or through the pine forest at Castle Neck.

Visitors to the Garden State who like to take long strolls on the beach should head to this barrier island. Forming a skinny vertical line between the Atlantic and Barnegat Bay, the park runs north-south for 10 miles, more than enough waterfront for even the most athletic beach walker. This is where to find a fascinating range of habitats, with wild dunes, wetlands anchored by fresh water, forests, and marshes formed by the motion of the tide. 

The park is a key environment for bird life and has a large colony of ospreys, making it one of the best birdwatching destinations in America. Visitors might also spot peregrine falcons, shorebirds, and wading birds. Flora also flourishes at this destination, and more than 400 species of plant live on site. This is a beautifully picturesque part of the coast, and for walkers who make it all the way to the bottom end of the park, by Barnegat Inlet, the reward will be views of the Barnegat Lighthouse.

This is the state's most famous beach getaway, clearly evident from the frenetic action that takes over each summer. The hub of all the entertainment here is the boardwalk, which was built more than a century ago. Up until the early 1900s, hotels placed wooden boards for guests to access the property, moving them out of the sand at high tide. In 1910, a more comprehensive structure was built, a promenade that didn't require daily upkeep and vigilance. Ever since, the boardwalks of Ocean City, Maryland have proved to be the glue that holds together this teeming summer escape. 

A number of businesses along the boardwalk have endured, such as Fisher's Popcorn, which has been in existence for more than eight decades, and Trimper's Rides, an old-fashioned amusement park that is a nostalgic throwback to the days when attractions were as much about the craftsmanship behind the ride as they were about the gut-turning thrills.

Easy to reach from Portland, taking about an hour via a drive to the northeast, this park finds itself cupped between the Kennebec River and the Atlantic Ocean. From the beach, visitors will be able to see islands in the distance, as well as broad rivers merging into the ocean. This isn't a static destination, but one that is constantly in flux, with sands often shifting and parts of the beach appearing and disappearing with the conditions. 

Yet this dynamism also brings benefits. One exciting excursion is the chance to saunter out to Fox Island at low tide, and then quickly head back before the tide returns. Popham Beach also attracts surfers and beachcombers who scour the sands for pretty shells, as well as history buffs keen to learn the latest about the Popham settlement, a site that dates to the early 1600s and is currently being excavated.

Another beloved boardwalk awaits visitors to this summer haunt, where a wide strip of sand sits just beyond the well-worn wooden walkway. The beach is a faithfully dependable piece of waterfront, with enough sand to accommodate the crowds and the water that laps at its shore. This is where families lounge, swim, build simple or ornate sand castles, and look out in the hope of seeing dolphins frolicking in the ocean. By daytime, it certainly is the center of attention, but it's not the only game in town. 

Kids are drawn to Funland, an amusement park that is more than half a century old, as well as miniature golf courses, and arcades that bring the fun indoors. There's even a water park here, with a lazy river and plenty of water slides. Kids (and maybe adults) might enjoy the sweet treats such as Dolle's Popcorn or taffy from a boardwalk store, while adults can take some time out of their "busy" schedule to hit the shops — Delaware doesn't levy sales tax, and there is even an outlet close to town.

White Lake State Park is only about two hours by car from Boston, and it offers visitors the thrilling, if chilly-sounding, prospect of swimming in a glacial lake. Located in New Hampshire's White Mountain area, the park snuggles up alongside the edge of White Lake, a body of water formed when ancient bands of ice melted to create an indent in the land. Over time, the land filled with water to form the lake today. This is a pretty spot, with dense forests all around, and water that, frequently, is so calm that it acts like a mirror. 

The lake isn't large and it's easy to circumambulate via the pathways around its circumference. En route, visitors can look for loons or signs that beavers have been busying themselves building something. Outfitters rent boats for explorations of the lake and fishing excursions — the lake is teeming with trout.