Some beaches are better for being busy – Coney Island, for example, with its retro amusement park rides, or Miami Beach, famed for its parties and excellent people watching. But there are just as many beautiful, untouched stretches of sand – perfect for when you want to slip away to enjoy gently lapping waves and fresh sea air without the crowds. 

Here we’ve ranked the top 25 secret beaches in the US, from little-known stretches of coast to quiet coves only reachable by boat.

Click through the gallery to discover America’s best hidden beaches…

A beach in New York City – and a quiet one at that? It sounds implausible but Fort Tilden on the Rockaway Peninsula in the borough of Queens is typically uncrowded due to its relatively remote location and the fact it isn’t easily reached via public transport.

Part of Gateway National Recreation Area, the beach at the former military site is backed by dunes, freshwater ponds, maritime forest, and historic structures.

Archeological sites are rarely more scenic than Lapakahi State Historical Park on the Big Island of Hawaii’s North Kohala coast. The ancient fishing settlement is set against a backdrop of palm trees, shimmering blue waters, and fringed by a striking black-and-white pebble beach.

There are a series of trails with information panels explaining the significance of structures such as canoe storage houses, religious shrines, and an ancient burial site. It all reveals the life of the fishing community which occupied the land (then named Koai'e) in the 1300s.

Mississippi’s Gulf Coast is known as ‘The Secret Coast’. But even those who come here for the casinos, fishing, and seafood by the sand are likely to overlook a trip to charming Ship Island, a barrier island reachable only via ferry.

Part of Gulf Island National Seashore, its swim beach, strewn with pastel-hued shells, is backed by fragrant shrubs and offers views of Fort Massachusetts, built in the 1850s.

In shades of grey, the long, broad beach at Captain Cook State Recreation Area is striking in its appearance. The stretch of mud and sand is dotted with giant boulders and stretches from the mouth of the Swanson River to the northwestern tip of the Kenai Peninsula.

The region is famously remote, and the beaches here are particularly quiet. It’s a glorious location for a hike, with views of mountains and the chance to spot beluga whales off the shore.

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You need sunglasses to look at the bright white beaches of Alabama’s Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. The sand is similarly striking when you leave the crowds to head into Gulf State Park, a marshy, wildlife-rich area with lakes, waterways, and trails that weave between forest and the coast.

It has 3.5 miles of sandy beaches, with Romar Beach among the most idyllic.

Another southern state not famed for its beaches, Louisiana has a small but particularly lovely array of coastal beauties – many of them relatively unexplored. Grand Isle, at the end of the state’s epic Highway 1, remains a local secret, known for fishing, bird spotting, and hiking trails that weave around oak trees and past salt marshes.

Its long, sandy, shell-scattered beach runs from white to pale gold. The state park has limited access due to hurricane damage sustained in 2021, but the town’s beach access has reopened.

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This lake isn’t actually filled with whiskey. But that’s the only potential disappointment for visitors here. Tucked away in the relatively quiet Shasta County in northern California, it’s not the sort of beach you’re likely to just stumble upon.

Because of that, you’ll often only share the sand-and-pebble stretch with a few other people. Backed by pine trees and lapped by limpid water, it’s the ideal spot for a swim and a picnic.

Skip the crowds and head to this secluded gem on Chesapeake Bay. There’s a small fee to access the beach and a short, sometimes rocky trail that runs down to the sand – it's exactly why this glorious stretch is so quiet.

It’s hidden by a bamboo cove and backed by cliffs, where you can often find fossils including shark teeth. Once you’ve found it, you might just want to stay a while; thankfully, there are beach cottages close to the sand.

Reached via a three-mile hike over Morse Mountain, Seawall Beach is one of Maine’s best-kept secrets. Pause at the summit for views that sweep over coastal forest, salt marshes, and the pale sand that drifts along the Atlantic coast, then hike down to the secluded and often empty beach.

The dunes are nesting sites for endangered species including piping plovers, while the beach is part of Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area, used for coastal research and education by Bates College.

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Few people live on Cumberland Island, a salt-sprayed barrier island off Georgia’s southeastern coast. Those who do are far outnumbered by the 200 or so wild horses who graze on dune grass and snooze on sandy beaches like the beautiful Stafford Beach.

The beach and its campsite are reached via a 3.5-mile hike, which means fewer people to share the white, dune-backed sand, and ocean views. The island is also a nesting site for loggerhead turtles, and its 10,000 acres of wilderness have been designated a protected national seashore.

Named by a Spanish explorer as the ‘lost island’, Perdido Key is a relatively quiet sanctuary amid Florida’s busier Gulf Coast resorts. Formerly used as a military base, Perdido State Park near Pensacola has around two miles of white sand.

It’s home to species including the rare beach mouse and, from spring to August, nesting loggerhead turtles.

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Reached via a bumpy road and with parking for just a few cars, Bound Brook Island Beach isn’t so easy to get to, which is why it’s ranked as one of America’s top-secret beaches. Located on the Cape Cod peninsula, it’s one of very few sandy stretches where you can beat the crowds, even in peak summer months.

Stroll on sand bars, peer into tide pools or just enjoy having the soft sand, rolling dunes, and sweeping views of the bay pretty much all to yourself.

You have to weave along misty, twisty Bear Creek Road before rattling down bumpy Lighthouse Road to get to Mattole Beach. The journey pays off once you set eyes on the treacle-colored, driftwood-strewn sand.

It’s part of the 25-mile Lost Coast, a stretch so wild that plans to continue the Pacific Coast Highway this far were abandoned. There's a campground right by the sand – staying overnight means you get to spend even more time soaking up the quiet beauty of this special place.

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Landlocked Minnesota is surprisingly rich in beautiful beaches, with thousands of lakes, including the vast Lake Superior, upon whose shores Black Beach can be found. The sand on this unusual beach is indeed black – the result of taconite tailings once dumped into the lake by local miners.

Now safe for visitors, it’s especially striking against the sapphire blue of the lake and the orange of the rock formation that sits at one end. Nearby is Boundary Waters Canoe Area, a wilderness only accessible by water.

There’s nothing secret about Panama City Beach, the usually bustling Gulf Coast resort. But just a short distance away, St. Andrews State Park is a lesser-known haven of white sands and wildlife.

A highlight of the natural reserve is the remote Shell Island, a seven-mile-long barrier island fringed by the palest sand and pine trees, and home to rare birds. Dolphins, sea turtles, and tropical fish can often be found in the surrounding waters.

Those who’ve discovered the honey-toned beach at Cape Henlopen State Park on Delaware’s Delmarva Peninsula can’t help but appreciate the peace and quiet at this unspoiled and uncrowded spot.

Backed by dunes and woodland, the six-mile coastline includes two designated swimming beaches with lifeguards during the summer months. Even during peak season, you’ll always find plenty of solitude.

Alaska may not be the first state that springs to mind when it comes to beaches, which is one reason why pockets of its coastline are often crowd-free. The state boasts the USA’s longest coastline and it’s as spectacular as the rest of the scenery here.

Bishop’s Beach in Homer is quiet, with views of mountain peaks and Kachemak Bay. Sand cranes, which regularly migrate from California, are often spotted in the tide pools.

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The secret’s out about Oregon’s dramatically beautiful coastline, yet you can still find some secluded stretches of sand. While Cannon Beach draws crowds in summer, its neighbor, Indian Beach, is more chilled out.

Part of Ecola State Park, it features plenty of tide pools and sandy spots for sunbathing. Grey whales often pass close to the shore during their migration between December and April.

Georgia’s Golden Isles are certainly well named, with gilded sand and dawn skies that cast soft orange light on the water. Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island, the southernmost of a string of barrier islands, is particularly lovely and almost always blissfully quiet.

The beach – often named one of the country’s best – is strewn with bleached logs and backed by oak trees dripping with Spanish moss. Pods of dolphins occasionally leap close to the shore, adding to the charm.

Part of the Makah Reservation, Cape Flattery, just outside Olympic National Park, sits on the northwestern-most point of the contiguous US. It’s undeniably lovely, from the navy blue and turquoise water to the pine-forested shoreline and rocky sea stacks.

Hike two miles from the car park to reach Shi Shi Beach, a broad, burnished-gold sweep famed for its glorious emptiness and Point of Arches, a string of sea stacks that can be viewed from the sand. Visitors require a Makah Recreation Pass, which can be purchased locally.

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Ranked America’s best beach a few years ago by coastal scientist Stephen Leatherman (aka Dr Beach) in his annual awards, Ocracoke’s Lifeguarded Beach is praised for its cleanliness and safety. It also happens to be beautifully secluded and tucked away on Ocracoke Island, part of North Carolina’s wonderfully wild Outer Banks.

The sand is soft and smooth – and you might just have it all to yourself. Also in the region is Carova Beach, a tiny community where herds of wild horses roam the rolling dunes.

Hawaii doesn’t skimp when it comes to beaches, though some are crowded with surfers and sun-seekers. Makua Beach (or Tunnels Beach) in Ka'ena Point State Park at the northwestern tip of Oahu is one of the more secluded and unspoiled stretches of coastline in the state.

Backed by mountains and dense patches of forest, with beautiful sunsets kissing the sand and the beach’s limestone rock, the beach is only accessible via a dirt road and a short hike.

Seven islands make up Dry Tortugas National Park, a wildlife haven reachable by ferry from Key West. The busiest is Garden Key, home to 19th-century military base Fort Jefferson, which is edged by white sand and turquoise water.

The beaches here are rarely crowded, though for an even more remote experience, take a short boat ride (or walk at low tide) to secluded Bush Key. It’s only open for a portion of the year to protect the rare seabirds which flock here to breed – so check before you visit.

Hawaii’s Napali Coast is, understandably, much photographed and admired. Yet, thanks to its remote location in the north of Kauai and the fact it’s inaccessible to cars, the designated wilderness area is miraculously quiet.

Backed by spiky, green-cloaked sea cliffs, it can only be explored along the 11-mile Kalalau Trail, which runs between two stunning beaches: Ke’e and Kalalau. They’re equally idyllic, though the latter is often quieter due to its location further along the trail.

Yes, that really is the name of our top-ranked secret beach. Tucked away at the northern tip of Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor, the small cove of Secret Beach can only be visited at low tide and it's a short yet steep hike to reach the burnished sand.

That, and the fact it isn’t visible from the road, mean it’s usually quiet, if not completely empty. The beach itself is divine – soft underfoot and with views of spruce-topped volcanic sea stacks and natural bridges.

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