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

Atlantic Beach (NC)

Carteret County, NC

Ideal for boardwalk

82°F water 83°F air 9 mph wind

Carolina Beach

New Hanover County, NC

Ideal for boardwalk

82°F water 84°F air 9 mph wind

Buckroe Beach

Hampton County, VA

Ideal for boardwalk

82°F water 83°F air 12 mph wind

Garden City Beach

Horry County, SC

Ideal for boardwalk

83°F water 85°F air 10 mph wind

Myrtle Beach

Horry County, SC

Ideal for boardwalk

83°F water 82°F air 12 mph wind

Newport Beach

Orange County, CA

Ideal for boardwalk

72°F water 81°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

Asbury Park

Monmouth County, NJ

Ideal for boardwalk

78°F water 82°F air 15 mph wind

Atlantic City

Atlantic County, NJ

Ideal for boardwalk

75°F water 81°F air 15 mph wind

Cape May

Cape May County, NJ

Ideal for boardwalk

79°F water 83°F air 15 mph wind

Colonial Beach

Westmoreland County, VA

Ideal for boardwalk

82°F water 84°F air 15 mph wind

Ferry Point Park

Queen Anne's County, MD

Ideal for boardwalk

81°F water 83°F air 15 mph wind

Manasquan

Monmouth County, NJ

Ideal for boardwalk

78°F water 83°F air 15 mph wind

Misquamicut State Beach

Washington County, RI

Ideal for boardwalk

73°F water 77°F air 13 mph wind

Oceanside Beach

San Diego County, CA

Ideal for boardwalk

73°F water 85°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

Point Pleasant Beach

Ocean County, NJ

Ideal for boardwalk

75°F water 81°F air 15 mph wind

Rehoboth Beach

Sussex County, DE

Ideal for boardwalk

78°F water 83°F air 15 mph wind

Solomons Island Riverwalk & Boat Ramp

Calvert County, MD

Ideal for boardwalk

82°F water 85°F air 13 mph wind

Spring Lake

Monmouth County, NJ

Ideal for boardwalk

78°F water 82°F air 15 mph wind

Sunken Meadow State Park

Suffolk County, NY

Ideal for boardwalk

76°F water 81°F air 13 mph wind

Venice Beach

Los Angeles County, CA

Ideal for boardwalk

75°F water 86°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

Virginia Beach Oceanfront

Virginia Beach County, VA

Ideal for boardwalk

80°F water 85°F air 14 mph wind

Wildwood

Cape May County, NJ

Ideal for boardwalk

79°F water 82°F air 15 mph wind

Belmar

Monmouth County, NJ

Great for boardwalk

78°F water 84°F air 15 mph wind

Cape Charles Beach

Northampton County, VA

Great for boardwalk

82°F water 82°F air 13 to 16 mph wind

Orchard Beach and Promenade

Bronx County, NY

Great for boardwalk

76°F water 80°F air 15 mph wind

Pacific Beach

San Diego County, CA

Great for boardwalk

71°F water 87°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

Salty Brine State Beach

Washington County, RI

Great for boardwalk

73°F water 75°F air 14 mph wind

Sandy Hook (Gateway NRA)

Monmouth County, NJ

Great for boardwalk

78°F water 83°F air 15 mph wind

Scarborough State Beach

Washington County, RI

Great for boardwalk

73°F water 75°F air 13 mph wind

Brighton Beach

Kings County, NY

Great for boardwalk

75°F water 83°F air 16 mph wind

Havre de Grace Promenade & Tydings Park

Harford County, MD

Great for boardwalk

81°F water 85°F air 16 mph wind

Huntington Beach (Surf City USA)

Orange County, CA

Great for boardwalk

72°F water 88°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

North Beach

Calvert County, MD

Great for boardwalk

81°F water 87°F air 15 mph wind

Ocean City Beach

Worcester County, MD

Great for boardwalk

79°F water 81°F air 17 mph wind

Bay St. Louis Beach

Hancock County, MS

Great for boardwalk

Hampton Beach

Rockingham County, NH

Great for boardwalk

Santa Monica State Beach

Los Angeles County, CA

Great for boardwalk

75°F water 90°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

Seaside Beach (Oregon)

Clatsop County, OR

Great for boardwalk

70°F air 10 mph wind

Ventnor City

Atlantic County, NJ

Great for boardwalk

75°F water

Coney Island Beach & Boardwalk

Kings County, NY

Great for boardwalk

75°F water 86°F air 16 mph wind

Mission Beach

San Diego County, CA

Great for boardwalk

71°F water 90°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

North Avenue Beach (Chicago)

Cook County, IL

Great for boardwalk

78°F air 10 mph wind

Oak Street Beach (Chicago)

Cook County, IL

Great for boardwalk

78°F air 10 mph wind

Pensacola Beach

Escambia County, FL

Great for boardwalk

88°F water 89°F air 10 to 15 mph wind

Sea Isle City

Cape May County, NJ

Great for boardwalk

79°F water 81°F air 15 to 20 mph wind

Seaside Heights

Ocean County, NJ

Great for boardwalk

75°F water 80°F air 20 mph wind

Bethany Beach

Sussex County, DE

Great for boardwalk

78°F water 84°F air 15 to 20 mph wind

Ocean City NJ

Cape May County, NJ

Great for boardwalk

75°F water 83°F air 15 to 20 mph wind

Santa Cruz Main Beach

Santa Cruz County, CA

Great for boardwalk

93°F air 6 mph wind

Playland Beach

Westchester County, NY

Great for boardwalk

76°F water 82°F air 13 mph wind

Washington Park Beach (Michigan City)

LaPorte County, IN

Great for boardwalk

81°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

Jones Beach State Park

Nassau County, NY

Great for boardwalk

78°F water 78°F air 17 to 21 mph wind

Revere Beach

Suffolk County, MA

Great for boardwalk

77°F air 10 to 15 mph wind

Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk

Queens County, NY

Great for boardwalk

75°F water 80°F air 18 to 23 mph wind

Long Beach (NY)

Nassau County, NY

Great for boardwalk

78°F water 81°F air 18 to 23 mph wind

Ferry Beach State Park

York County, ME

Good for boardwalk

68°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

Old Orchard Beach

York County, ME

Good for boardwalk

63°F water 67°F air 5 to 10 mph wind

Daytona Beach

Volusia County, FL

Tough for boardwalk today

82°F water 88°F air 10 mph wind

Hollywood Beach

Broward County, FL

Tough for boardwalk today

90°F air 12 mph wind

Sea Rim State Park

Jefferson County, TX

Tough for boardwalk today

86°F air 10 mph wind

Galveston Seawall

Galveston County, TX

Tough for boardwalk today

87°F water 91°F air 10 mph wind

Anne's Beach

Monroe County, FL

Tough for boardwalk today

90°F water 89°F air 10 mph wind

Cedar Point Beach

Erie County, OH

Tough for boardwalk today

88°F air 18 mph wind

Presque Isle State Park

Erie County, PA

Tough for boardwalk today

81°F air 14 mph wind