The National Park Service is in charge of over 400 national park units, and there are 63 national parks in the US. These national parks are able to preserve every kind of environment because they offer millions of miles of protected space to explore. The good news is that certain parks allow visitors to experience both a road trip through a national park and a beachside vacation.
In the US, there are hundreds of miles of beaches to explore, some of which are off the coasts of the most well-known oceanfront cities or along the shores of the Great Lakes. These top 10 best US national parks with beaches near me offer some incredibly beautiful beaches with a diverse range of wildlife, plenty of sand, and stunning scenery all around.
Top 10 Best US National Parks With Beaches Near Me
- Acadia National Park, Maine
- Channel Islands National Park, California
- Olympic National Park, Washington
- Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida
- Redwoods National and State Parks, California
- Biscayne National Park, Florida
- Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
- Glacier Bay National Park And Preserve, Alaska
- Isle Royale National Park, Michigan
- Virgin Islands National Park, Virgin Islands
10.Acadia National Park, Maine
- Little Hunters Beach, Echo Lake Beach, and Sand Beach are well-known beaches.
- Entry Fee: $35 per car.
- Season Open: All Year Long.
- Beach types include lakeshore, rocky, and cold-water beaches with coarse sand.
- Popular beach activities include swimming, boating, kayaking, hiking, and wildlife observation.
Maine’s Acadia National Park is one of the most gorgeous locations in the country, and its picturesque New England beaches are just another reason to adore it.
Beautiful lakeside shorelines like Echo Lake Beach and ocean beaches like Little Hunters Beach can be found in Acadia National Park. It can be difficult for park visitors to choose between relaxing on the beach and taking in the views of the lake and ocean from one of Acadia National Park’s top hiking trails.
Visitors can enjoy swimming, kayaking, and sunbathing, among other activities, thanks to the variety of shorelines to explore. However, they should keep in mind that this is the northernmost point of the US, so the water is still only mildly warm during the summer.
9.Channel Islands National Park, California
- Popular beaches include Vazon Bay, St. Ouen’s Bay, Portelet Beach, and St. Brelade’s Bay Beach.
- There is no admission fee.
- Season Open: All Year Long
- How to Get There: Seaplane or Ferry.
- Beach types include rocky cove beaches and tropical white sand beaches.
- Popular beach activities include swimming, kayaking, canoeing, and observing wildlife.
It’s difficult to think of a better location than Channel Islands National Park for anyone searching for some genuinely unspoiled beaches in US national parks.
The Channel Islands’ rocky shores and beaches are only reachable by ferry, so they are not subjected to the deterioration caused by automobiles. The beaches here are ideal for a more sedate day at the beach because the Channel Islands are among the hardest US national parks with beaches to visit.
8.Olympic National Park, Washington
- Popular Beaches: Sand Point, Kalaloch’s Beach, Ruby Beach, and Rialto Beach The vehicle entrance fee is $30.
- Season Open: All Year Long
- Types of Beaches: forest-lined shorelines, rocky beaches with red sand, etc.
- Popular beach activities include hiking, boating, wildlife observation, and lounging by the water.
Of the three national parks in Washington State, Olympic National Park receives the most visitors, and for good reason. Not only does Olympic National Park contain miles and miles of amazing hiking trails and temperate rainforests, but it also safeguards some of Washington’s most stunning beaches, all within two hours of Seattle.
Olympic National Park offers more than a dozen beaches, such as Ruby Beach, Sand Point, and Rialto Beach. On their beach excursions, guests to Olympic National Park are likely to notice striking rock formations and reddish sand, in contrast to the white sand beaches of the more southern national parks.
7.Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida
- Popular Beaches: Garden Key, Loggerhead Key, and Fort Jefferson Dry Tortugas Beach Section.
- Entry Fee: $15 per individual
- Season Open: All Year Long
- How to Get There: Seaplane or Ferry
- Beach types: White sand beaches in tropical climates
- Popular beach activities include swimming, kayaking, canoeing, tanning, snorkeling, and observing wildlife.
Because it is inaccessible off the coast of the Florida Keys, Dry Tortugas National Park is one of the least US national parks with beaches. Though reaching the beaches of the seven islands that comprise Dry Tortugas National Park requires months of preparation, these sandy shores are unquestionably worth the effort.
The Florida Keys’ most remote beach, Fort Jefferson Dry Tortugas Beach Section, manages to accentuate its natural beauty even more. With only ten passengers per seaplane and few flights to the park, visitors will essentially have the white sand beaches to themselves.
6.Redwoods National and State Parks, California
- Known beaches include Gold Bluffs Beach, False Klamath Cove, and Endert’s Beach.
- There is no admission fee.
- Season Open: All Year Long.
- Beach types include rock, beaches with black sand, and tide pools.
- Popular Beach Activities: Wildlife hiking, boating, and observing.
Magnificent Californian coastlines and enormous redwoods? Perhaps the ideal blend of land and sea can be found in the Redwoods National and State Parks. Though the northern California coasts are too cold for full-fledged swimming adventures, there’s still plenty to explore in terms of black sand, unique rock formations, and undulating sand dunes.
Though every beach in Redwoods National and State Parks is stunning, the best beaches for seeing coastal wildlife are False Klamath Cove and Endert’s Beach. These beaches showcase the beauty of the California coast and are among the best US national parks with beaches overall, thanks to their vibrant tidepools and unique rock formations.
5.Biscayne National Park, Florida
- Well-liked Beaches: Boca Elliott Key, Sand Key, and Chita Key Beach.
- There is no admission fee.
- Season Open: All Year Long
- How to Get There: Seaplane or Ferry
- Beach types: White sand beaches in tropical climates
- Popular beach activities include snorkeling, swimming, kayaking, and sunbathing.
One of the most distinctive national parks in the United States is Biscayne National Park. Biscayne National Park has protected coral reefs and coastal formations underwater in nearly 95% of its area. Some of the top US national parks with beaches can be found on the remaining 5%.
Possibly the most photographed beach in Biscayne National Park is Boca Chita Key Beach, which is home to the Boca Chita lighthouse. But there are gorgeous shorelines all along Sands Key and Elliott Key, which frame the underwater part of Biscayne. These sandy sections are all ideal for a leisurely day at a US National Park beach.
4.Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
- Popular Beaches: Halape Cove, Kahuku-Pōhue Parcel.
- $30 entry fee per vehicle.
- Season Open: All Year Long.
- Beach types include rough lava-rock beaches and tropical sand beaches.
- Swimming, fishing, hiking, snorkeling, and paddleboarding are popular beach activities.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a well-known destination on the Big Island, but it also boasts some of the best national park beaches in the country, despite its most well-known features being its volcanoes and frozen lava flows.
Adventuresome visitors can enjoy beaches like Halape Cove, but part of the picturesque shoreline—that is, the area that is part of the Kahuku-Pōhue parcel—is currently off-limits to the public. Following a trek through the rough forest created by the fertile volcanic soil, the beaches of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park offer an absolutely unique experience.
3.Glacier Bay National Park And Preserve, Alaska
- Glacier Bay is a popular beach.
- There is no admission fee.
- Year-round (with limited winter services available) Open Season
- Beach types include rocky sand beaches, wooded shorelines, and glacier beaches.
- Popular beach activities include hiking, boating, fishing, and wildlife viewing.
Even though Alaska’s beaches don’t always have warm water and white sand, there is something innately lovely about these northern shores. The beaches of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve are teeming with wildlife, including sea lions and river otters, and are among the most captivating locations to take in the breathtaking scenery of the area.
The titular The most magnificent beach in the park is Glacier Bay. Beach visits to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, home to floating glaciers in the bay, a variety of Alaska’s most famous animals, and springtime wildflowers, might be the beach vacation that visitors weren’t even aware they needed.
2.Isle Royale National Park, Michigan
- Known beaches include Windigo, Rainbow Cove, and Rock Harbor.
- Entry Fee: $7 per individual
- Season Open: April through November
- How to Get There: Seaplane or Ferry
- Beach types include lake beaches, isolated beaches with sand and mud, and shorelines with trees.
- Boating, fishing, kayaking, snorkeling, and paddleboarding are popular beach activities.
Travelers frequently associate beaches with the sound of breaking waves along the shore. But there are thousands of lakes in the US, and some of those lakes are home to some of the country’s greatest national park beaches.
Isle Royale National Park, a group of islands in the Great Lakes with miles of lakeshore, is one such example. The immaculate beaches of Isle Royale National Park are another national park inaccessible by vehicle. Despite being a lake beach, snorkeling is possible due to the Great Lakes’ depth, which also makes swimming, paddleboarding, and kayaking possible.
1.Virgin Islands National Park, Virgin Islands
- Salomon/Honeymoon Bay, Hawksnest Bay, Cinnamon Bay, and Trunk Bay are popular beaches.
- There is no admission fee.
- Season Open: All Year Long.
- Beach types include white sand, tropical beaches.
- Popular beach activities include fishing, boating, swimming, snorkeling, and sunbathing.
The Virgin Islands are a US territory even though they are not one of the 50 states. Some of the country’s most stunning US national parks with beaches can be found in the serene Virgin Islands National Park.
Because the Virgin Islands National Park is almost entirely underwater, beachgoers frequently find themselves snorkeling off the coast to make the most of their trip. Undoubtedly, the beaches of Virgin Islands National Park, which include Salomon/Honeymoon Bay and Hawksnest Bay, are ideal for both casual tourists and ardent ocean explorers. The park is a tropical location close to the Caribbean.
