Best beaches in the USA? Here's our top 12 for 2024

17.01.2024 - 20:17 / lonelyplanet.com

From southeast Florida to northwest Washington to Hawaii, Lonely Planet editors have picked the top 12 beaches in the USA.

Caves, coves and arches; mystical fog and sprawling coastlines; urban, sprawling and surfing beaches; unique formations, coastlines, colors and perspectives…the 100 shorelines featured in Lonely Planet’s Best Beaches – available in late February 2024 – cover the world.

Whether you’re looking for tips for the next trip or simply desire some beach-chair travel, we’re delighted to share the beaches in the USA that made the cut.

Read on to discover Lonely Planet’s top 12 beaches in the US. 

The gnarled oaks littering the golden sands of Jekyll Island off the coast of Georgia are haunting. They're even a bit eerie with their spider-like branches draped across the shore. But the trees pull you in for a closer look, whispering of mysteries from centuries past. And maybe even tales of zombies – The Walking Dead filmed scenes for its 10th season here.

But with kids exploring tide pools and climbing onto sun-bleached tree trunks, the scene is far from morbid. Plus there’s a steady stream of brides and grooms smiling for wedding shots among the branches at sunset, making the most of the technicolor 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 may be more than 500 years old while others have collapsed more recently due to storms and the relentless encroachment of the Atlantic.

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 blue-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico, which gently lap the shore.

But this one-mile (1.6km) strip of pristine sand, part of Grayton Beach State Park, is more than just a pretty face. The beach’s dunes protect three coastal dune lakes, which are a rare natural phenomenon found in only four countries around the world. A 4.5-mile (7.2km) multiuse trail winds through the woods and along the 100-acre (40-hectare) Western Lake, the largest of the park’s coastal dune lakes. Its dazzling blue waters are open for kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding.

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

Aquamarine waters lap luxurious white sands while the tidy greenery of Lummus Park and the Promenade unfurls just west. Candy-bright lifeguard towers bring whimsy to the beach, doubling as calling cards for the many colorful facades in the Miami Art Deco District. Built in the 1930s, art deco hotels along Ocean Dr are showpieces of