64 beaches

Best Boardwalk Beaches

Maryland has two real beach boardwalks. Ocean City's 3-mile strip is the classic: amusements, funnel cake, arcades, and crowds. North Beach on the Chesapeake is the quieter alternative — a 0.5-mile pier-style boardwalk with ice cream stands, farmers market pavilion, and a lot less chaos. If boardwalk strolling is the goal rather than a full beach day, both deliver but in radically different ways.

What to look for

Walkable length, restaurants and shops at arm's reach, evening lighting that makes post-sunset strolling work.

Ranked by Today's Conditions

Misquamicut State Beach

Washington County, RI

Ideal for boardwalk

70°F water 80°F air 7 mph wind

North Avenue Beach (Chicago)

Cook County, IL

Ideal for boardwalk

78°F air 5 mph wind

Playland Beach

Westchester County, NY

Ideal for boardwalk

70°F water 81°F air 3 to 7 mph wind

Point Pleasant Beach

Ocean County, NJ

Ideal for boardwalk

75°F water 81°F air 5 mph wind

Salty Brine State Beach

Washington County, RI

Ideal for boardwalk

78°F air 7 mph wind

Spring Lake

Monmouth County, NJ

Ideal for boardwalk

75°F water 81°F air 5 mph wind

Asbury Park

Monmouth County, NJ

Ideal for boardwalk

75°F water 84°F air 5 mph wind

Coney Island Beach & Boardwalk

Kings County, NY

Ideal for boardwalk

73°F water 82°F air 10 mph wind

Jones Beach State Park

Nassau County, NY

Ideal for boardwalk

75°F water 76°F air 9 mph wind

Long Beach (NY)

Nassau County, NY

Ideal for boardwalk

75°F water 79°F air 9 mph wind

Manasquan

Monmouth County, NJ

Ideal for boardwalk

75°F water 86°F air 5 mph wind

Oak Street Beach (Chicago)

Cook County, IL

Ideal for boardwalk

78°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

Old Orchard Beach

York County, ME

Ideal for boardwalk

63°F water 80°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

Orchard Beach and Promenade

Bronx County, NY

Ideal for boardwalk

70°F water 79°F air 3 to 9 mph wind

Revere Beach

Suffolk County, MA

Ideal for boardwalk

79°F air 10 mph wind

Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk

Queens County, NY

Ideal for boardwalk

73°F water 79°F air 10 mph wind

Sandy Hook (Gateway NRA)

Monmouth County, NJ

Ideal for boardwalk

75°F water 78°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

Scarborough State Beach

Washington County, RI

Ideal for boardwalk

77°F air 7 mph wind

Seaside Heights

Ocean County, NJ

Ideal for boardwalk

75°F water 79°F air 10 mph wind

Sunken Meadow State Park

Suffolk County, NY

Ideal for boardwalk

70°F water 84°F air 5 mph wind

Atlantic City

Atlantic County, NJ

Ideal for boardwalk

75°F water 86°F air 10 mph wind

Belmar

Monmouth County, NJ

Ideal for boardwalk

75°F water 76°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

Brighton Beach

Kings County, NY

Ideal for boardwalk

73°F water 78°F air 12 mph wind

Havre de Grace Promenade & Tydings Park

Harford County, MD

Ideal for boardwalk

83°F water 84°F air 9 mph wind

Presque Isle State Park

Erie County, PA

Ideal for boardwalk

77°F water 80°F air 14 mph wind

Washington Park Beach (Michigan City)

LaPorte County, IN

Ideal for boardwalk

85°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

Anne's Beach

Monroe County, FL

Ideal for boardwalk

87°F water 88°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

Bethany Beach

Sussex County, DE

Ideal for boardwalk

76°F water 81°F air 15 mph wind

Ferry Beach State Park

York County, ME

Ideal for boardwalk

73°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

Ocean City NJ

Cape May County, NJ

Ideal for boardwalk

75°F water 78°F air 10 to 15 mph wind

Rehoboth Beach

Sussex County, DE

Ideal for boardwalk

76°F water 81°F air 15 mph wind

Sea Isle City

Cape May County, NJ

Ideal for boardwalk

75°F water 79°F air 10 to 15 mph wind

Cedar Point Beach

Erie County, OH

Great for boardwalk

80°F air 17 mph wind

Huntington Beach (Surf City USA)

Orange County, CA

Great for boardwalk

72°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

Mission Beach

San Diego County, CA

Great for boardwalk

70°F water 72°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

Santa Monica State Beach

Los Angeles County, CA

Great for boardwalk

70°F water 75°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

Bay St. Louis Beach

Hancock County, MS

Great for boardwalk

Cape May

Cape May County, NJ

Great for boardwalk

75°F water 89°F air 10 to 15 mph wind

Hampton Beach

Rockingham County, NH

Great for boardwalk

Santa Cruz Main Beach

Santa Cruz County, CA

Great for boardwalk

77°F air 5 mph wind

Ventnor City

Atlantic County, NJ

Great for boardwalk

75°F water

Oceanside Beach

San Diego County, CA

Great for boardwalk

65°F water 70°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

Pacific Beach

San Diego County, CA

Great for boardwalk

70°F water 70°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

Wildwood

Cape May County, NJ

Great for boardwalk

75°F water 90°F air 10 to 15 mph wind

Newport Beach

Orange County, CA

Great for boardwalk

72°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

Venice Beach

Los Angeles County, CA

Great for boardwalk

72°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

Ocean City Beach

Worcester County, MD

Great for boardwalk

75°F water 79°F air 15 mph wind

Ferry Point Park

Queen Anne's County, MD

Great for boardwalk

84°F water 83°F air 10 mph wind

Hollywood Beach

Broward County, FL

Great for boardwalk

93°F air 12 mph wind

Seaside Beach (Oregon)

Clatsop County, OR

Great for boardwalk

63°F air 5 to 13 mph wind

North Beach

Calvert County, MD

Tough for boardwalk today

84°F water 85°F air 12 mph wind

Solomons Island Riverwalk & Boat Ramp

Calvert County, MD

Tough for boardwalk today

84°F water 82°F air 12 mph wind

Carolina Beach

New Hanover County, NC

Tough for boardwalk today

82°F water 88°F air 6 to 9 mph wind

Myrtle Beach

Horry County, SC

Tough for boardwalk today

84°F water 88°F air 6 to 10 mph wind

Galveston Seawall

Galveston County, TX

Tough for boardwalk today

87°F water 88°F air 10 to 15 mph wind

Garden City Beach

Horry County, SC

Tough for boardwalk today

91°F air 6 to 9 mph wind

Pensacola Beach

Escambia County, FL

Tough for boardwalk today

85°F water 89°F air 10 to 15 mph wind

Cape Charles Beach

Northampton County, VA

Tough for boardwalk today

82°F water 80°F air 14 to 17 mph wind

Virginia Beach Oceanfront

Virginia Beach County, VA

Tough for boardwalk today

81°F air 14 mph wind

Colonial Beach

Westmoreland County, VA

Tough for boardwalk today

85°F water 80°F air 9 to 13 mph wind

Atlantic Beach (NC)

Carteret County, NC

Tough for boardwalk today

86°F air 6 to 10 mph wind

Buckroe Beach

Hampton County, VA

Tough for boardwalk today

82°F water 80°F air 16 mph wind

Daytona Beach

Volusia County, FL

Tough for boardwalk today

93°F air 5 mph wind

Sea Rim State Park

Jefferson County, TX

Tough for boardwalk today

87°F air 10 mph wind