7 Popular U.S. Beaches

Beaches could be your vacation spot if you are fond of sand, waves and water sports. The United States has a long coastline and many legendary spots adored for their assets.

If you love white sand, dancing waves and thrilling water sports, beaches will always be the preferred destination for you. With the vast number of locations available within the United States, the list below provides a great start to help you determine which beach should be the destination of your next vacation.

Here are some of the most popular beaches in the United States:

Cannon Beach, Oregon

Enjoy picnicking on sweeping sand with the backdrop of a huge rock rising from the sea. The beach is named for the several cannons that washed ashore from the wreck of the warship Shark. There is plenty of room to toss a Frisbee or go for a run on its long stretch of sand. Have beach volleyball with your family and friends.

Venice Beach, California

Stars like Julia Roberts and Nicolas Cage have chosen Venice Beach for their homes, a fact which speaks a lot about the beach. The perfect spot for people watching, the beach has enough to keep you busy for the day. You can enjoy yourselves with street performances, beach games, haggling with vendors of all types, restaurants and food stands and even a roller-skating opportunity at a nearby rink.

Ocean City Beach, New Jersey

Rates as one of the beat family beaches in the United States, Ocean City has a 2.5 mile board walk and miles of beautiful white life-guarded beaches. The famous boardwalk is normally buzzing with activity and entertainment and dining options abound. Beach recreational activities are numerous, with many options for water sports, fishing, sight-seeing, day spas and more.

Ogunquit, Maine

Along the southern coast of Maine you will find a beach that will tempt you to right a poem on. You will love to soak in the view, or pamper your feet with the sand treatment. The beach has miles of white sand you would love to play on. Visit with your family and friends with a basket full of eatables and volleyball.

Clearwater Beach, Florida

Having broad and sandy shores, Clearwater Beach has the reputation as a very popular vacation destination. The beach is nestled between the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico to the west and the tranquil Tampa Bay to the east. It is family vacation spot with many fun-filled activities. You can enjoy all sorts of water sports like surfing, snorkeling or swimming. Sun bathe on white sandy beaches or enjoy beach volleyball.

Shi Shi Beach, Washington

It is a clean and pure sand beach with a scenic landscape full of rugged wilderness. Known as one of the most beautiful beaches in the United States, it is also one of the most difficult to reach beaches. The crescent-shaped beach's remote location has allowed it to revel in its own quiet wilderness. Hikers traversing the coastal headland trails leading to the beach are rewarded with an unspoiled coastline and the adventure lover's enjoy exploring the difficult terrain.

Laguna Beach, California

Among the most popular beaches in the United States, Laguna Beach has emerged as perfect vacation place. Famous for art galleries and a meeting point for artists, its Summer Art festivals draw people from all walks of life. Sweeping sands, hillsides and crystal clear water look very inviting. Visit the beach for water sports or sunbathe for a golden tan. The beach is perfect for unwinding at the clean, white and warm sand. The one cautionary note is that the area can become quite crowded during peak season so plan your vacation and booking your accommodations in advance.

When plan your travel to different beaches, you should spend some time researching beach house rentals which are available near almost all beach vacation destinations. A beach house with the proper facilities and services can maximize your vacation experience.

East Coast Florida Beaches

Although people planning a vacation in Florida often concentrate on places like Walt Disney World, Miami Beach and Palm Beach, there are miles of white sand beaches which lie along both the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf Coast of Florida. Unlike other Atlantic Coast beaches, Florida's sandy stretches are actually increasing in size rather than decreasing due to erosion. If you were to walk the beaches of Florida at the rate of one mile per day, you would be enjoying the beaches for more than two and a half years. Although this sounds like an enjoyable way to visit the beaches of the state, for most people this is not feasible. Instead, most choose to visit the major beaches, arriving by automobile and spending a day of beach combing, observation of flora and fauna, or just enjoying the sun and the water.

Just a few of the Atlantic beaches of Florida can be noted here. Some are very well known, others are hideaway type expanses of beach where you can walk for miles without seeing another person. Traveling from north to the southern tip of the state, here are some favorite beaches.

Jacksonville/Amelia Island/American Beach

Amelia Island

Beaches in this area are generally wide and sand. They're typically lined with sand dunes and have a rich natural history including bird locations such as at Huguenot Memorial Park and Fort Clinch State Park. Most beaches in this area do not require access tags. Specific beaches of interest are those near Jacksonville and Little Talbot Island State Park. American Beach is a well known historic and cultural landmark. Founded in 1920 by Abraham Lincoln Lewis, it is a mecca for blacks from across the South as a vacation site.

Accommodations and food are plentiful in the area especially along the main north-south route. You can find everything from Victorian tearooms to high rise resort developments in this section of the coast.

Daytona Beach/New Smyrna Beach

Daytona Beach Boardwalk

This 23 mile stretch of the North Central Atlantic Coast is known for its fascinating mix of bustling action and quiet stretches of beach perfect for vacationing families. Most communities have streets that provide beach access. Ormond-By-the-Sea is an example of the largely residential beach community where you can enjoy the sand and surf. Ormond Beach is the location of the Birthplace of Speed Park where the first American timed trials took place.

Daytona Beach of course is well known for the emphasis on racing action, but this beach features an old-fashioned boardwalk, pedestrian only zones and lots of surf fishing and para-sailing.

Canaveral National Seashore provides a barrier island environment with more than twenty miles of undeveloped seashore. You can visit the Eldora House Historical Site and the Turtle Mound Archaeological Site.

There are plenty of accommodations in this stretch, suitable for families with children and mature beachcombers as well.

Palm Beach

Jupiter Beach

The beaches are wide and flat, lined by gently swaying palm trees and with sparkling white sand. This stretch is a nesting area for sea turtles. Until recently Jupiter Beach has been known only for sand dunes covered with sea grapes and Australian pines. It is now well on its way to being a prime resort area with developed beach areas, some wheelchair accessible areas, plus plenty of well-appointed lodging places and trendy restaurants where you can find any type of cuisine you desire.

Many of the beaches in this area feature lifeguards, picnic grounds, nature trails and even boardwalks where you can enjoy rollerblading or bicycling.

Although Palm Beach itself is known mostly as a playground for the wealthy, you can find much in the area for families on a budget as well. Anyone who considers shopping a recreational activity will be certain to enjoy this stretch of Florida's Atlantic Coast.

Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale

Long known as the destination for college students on spring break from winter bound campuses in the north, the character of Fort Lauderdale has changed in the past few years. Strict policing of the miles of warm sands in the area have resulted in the beaches once again being suitable for families and young children. The wavewall and the promenade along the beach front is the perfect location for soaking up the atmosphere of the old city.