212 beaches
Best Wildlife-Watching Beaches
Maryland beaches are productive wildlife spots year-round, and the species shift with the seasons. Assateague's wild ponies are the headline, but the island also hosts migratory shorebirds in spring and fall that draw serious birders. Fort Smallwood has a famous hawk watch every autumn with thousands of raptors counted. Terrapin Beach and Flag Ponds are both known for osprey, eagles, and tidal-marsh species. For fossil hunting (counting it as wildlife-adjacent), Calvert Cliffs and Flag Ponds are the stars.
What to look for
Binoculars, a good tide (low tide exposes mudflats where waders feed), and early mornings. Migration peaks in April-May and September-October.
Ranked by Today's Conditions
Sandy Neck Beach Park
Ideal for wildlife-watching
Coast Guard Beach
Ideal for wildlife-watching
Lighthouse Beach
Ideal for wildlife-watching
Marconi Beach
Ideal for wildlife-watching
Race Point Beach
Ideal for wildlife-watching
Bahia Honda State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Bolsa Chica State Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Carpinteria State Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Crane Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
La Jolla Cove
Great for wildlife-watching
La Jolla Shores
Great for wildlife-watching
Morro Bay (Morro Strand State Beach)
Great for wildlife-watching
Sandy Point State Reservation (Plum Island)
Great for wildlife-watching
Sombrero Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
St. George Island
Great for wildlife-watching
Torrey Pines State Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Bathtub Reef Beach (Hutchinson Island)
Great for wildlife-watching
Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
Great for wildlife-watching
Cumberland Island National Seashore
Great for wildlife-watching
Grayton Beach State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Lovers Key State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Marco Island Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Sanibel Island Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Vero Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Amelia Island Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Big Beach (Makena State Park)
Great for wildlife-watching
Captiva Island Beach (Alison Hagerup Beach Park)
Great for wildlife-watching
Cardiff State Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Crystal Cove State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Henderson Beach State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Long Beach (Alamitos Beach)
Great for wildlife-watching
Melbourne Beach (Spessard Holland South)
Great for wildlife-watching
Natural Bridges State Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Perdido Key State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Pfeiffer Beach (Big Sur)
Great for wildlife-watching
Sebastian Inlet State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Stuart Beach (Hutchinson Island)
Great for wildlife-watching
Anaehoomalu Bay (A-Bay)
Great for wildlife-watching
Caladesi Island State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Cape San Blas (Salinas Park)
Great for wildlife-watching
Dauphin Island Public Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Edisto Beach State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Glass Beach (Fort Bragg)
Great for wildlife-watching
Grand Isle State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Jekyll Island Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Kaunaoa Beach (Mauna Kea Beach)
Great for wildlife-watching
Padre Island National Seashore
Great for wildlife-watching
Punaluu Black Sand Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Sea Rim State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Holden Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Honeymoon Island State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Monterey State Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Mustang Island State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Sunset Beach (North Carolina)
Great for wildlife-watching
Carolina Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Pismo Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Reeds Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
St. Clement's Island State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
West Ship Island
Great for wildlife-watching
Jupiter Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Ocean Beach (San Francisco)
Great for wildlife-watching
Saltwater State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Topsail Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Tybee Island Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Whitefish Dunes State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Matagorda Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Ocean Reef Park (Singer Island)
Great for wildlife-watching
Oceanfront Park Beach (Boynton Beach)
Great for wildlife-watching
Smith Point County Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Waimea Bay Beach Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Yokohama Bay (Keawaula Beach)
Great for wildlife-watching
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Great for wildlife-watching
Hanauma Bay
Great for wildlife-watching
Kaanapali Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Makapuu Beach Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Belle Isle State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Fire Island National Seashore — Watch Hill
Great for wildlife-watching
Leo Carrillo State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Ocracoke Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Orient Beach State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Owen Beach (Point Defiance)
Great for wildlife-watching
Point Dume State Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Zuma Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Great for wildlife-watching
Chapel Point State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Corolla Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Elms Beach Park
Great for wildlife-watching
False Cape State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Friendship Farm Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Papakolea Green Sand Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Tawas Point State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Calvert Cliffs State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
First Landing State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Flag Ponds Nature Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Golden Gardens Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Greenwell State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Harris Beach State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum
Great for wildlife-watching
Mariner Point Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Myrtle Point Park
Great for wildlife-watching
South Padre Island Beach
Great for wildlife-watching
Sunken Meadow State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Westmoreland State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Chapman State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Elk Neck State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Fortescue
Great for wildlife-watching
Gold Beach (South Beach Park)
Great for wildlife-watching
Hammonasset Beach State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Kiptopeke State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Martinak State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Purse State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Trap Pond State Park
Great for wildlife-watching
Assateague State Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Assawoman State Wildlife Area
Good for wildlife-watching
Beverly Triton Nature Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Broadkill Beach
Good for wildlife-watching
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge Beach
Good for wildlife-watching
East Matunuck State Beach
Good for wildlife-watching
Killens Pond State Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Kitts Hummock Beach
Good for wildlife-watching
Piney Point Lighthouse Museum & Historic Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Prime Hook NWR — Fowler Beach
Good for wildlife-watching
Savage Neck Dunes Natural Area
Good for wildlife-watching
Slaughter Beach
Good for wildlife-watching
Woodland Beach Wildlife Area
Good for wildlife-watching
63rd Street Beach (Chicago)
Good for wildlife-watching
Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Good for wildlife-watching
Deception Pass State Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Double Bluff Beach
Good for wildlife-watching
Franklin Point State Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Indiana Dunes National Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Lanikai Beach
Good for wildlife-watching
Marquette Park Beach (Gary, Miller Beach)
Good for wildlife-watching
Maumee Bay State Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Mayo Beach Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Montrose Beach (Chicago)
Good for wildlife-watching
Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Point Lookout State Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Wilderness State Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Assateague Island National Seashore
Good for wildlife-watching
Fort Smallwood Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Hart-Miller Island State Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Janes Island State Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Kapalua Bay Beach
Good for wildlife-watching
Napili Bay
Good for wildlife-watching
Presque Isle Park (Marquette)
Good for wildlife-watching
Tunnels Beach (Makua)
Good for wildlife-watching
Bandon Beach (Face Rock)
Good for wildlife-watching
Barnegat Lighthouse State Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Birch Bay State Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Cunningham Falls State Park (Hunting Creek Lake)
Good for wildlife-watching
Deal Island Wildlife Management Area
Good for wildlife-watching
Hanalei Bay
Good for wildlife-watching
Island Beach State Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Larrabee State Park
Good for wildlife-watching
North Point State Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Good for wildlife-watching
Big Stone Beach
Good for wildlife-watching
Boca Chica Beach
Good for wildlife-watching
Brigantine
Good for wildlife-watching
Cape Henlopen State Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Cape May
Good for wildlife-watching
Cape May Point State Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge
Good for wildlife-watching
Ferry Point Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Gandy's Beach
Good for wildlife-watching
Heceta Head Beach (Devils Elbow)
Good for wildlife-watching
Honolua Bay
Good for wildlife-watching
Pickering Beach
Good for wildlife-watching
Port Mahon
Good for wildlife-watching
Stone Harbor
Good for wildlife-watching
Terrapin Nature Area & Beach
Good for wildlife-watching
Villas
Good for wildlife-watching
Yachats State Recreation Area
Good for wildlife-watching
Fort Worden State Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Hookipa Beach Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Poipu Beach Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Cape Perpetua Scenic Area
Good for wildlife-watching
Sandy Hook (Gateway NRA)
Good for wildlife-watching
Jennings Randolph Lake — Shaw Beach
Good for wildlife-watching
Goose Rocks Beach
Good for wildlife-watching
Nye Beach (Newport, OR)
Good for wildlife-watching
Wells Beach
Good for wildlife-watching
Ferry Beach State Park
Good for wildlife-watching
New Germany State Park
Good for wildlife-watching
Headlands Beach State Park
Fair for wildlife-watching
Cannon Beach (Haystack Rock)
Fair for wildlife-watching
Hamlin Beach State Park
Fair for wildlife-watching
Reid State Park
Fair for wildlife-watching
Cape Lookout State Park
Fair for wildlife-watching
Ecola State Park
Fair for wildlife-watching
Popham Beach State Park
Fair for wildlife-watching
Sand Beach (Acadia National Park)
Fair for wildlife-watching
Parker Dam State Park
Fair for wildlife-watching
Nehalem Bay State Park
Fair for wildlife-watching
Presque Isle State Park
Fair for wildlife-watching
Sandy Island Beach State Park (Sandy Pond)
Fair for wildlife-watching
Selkirk Shores State Park
Fair for wildlife-watching
Hug Point State Recreation Site
Fair for wildlife-watching
Long Beach (Washington)
Fair for wildlife-watching
Cape Disappointment State Park
Fair for wildlife-watching
Hobuck Beach
Tough for wildlife-watching today
First Beach (La Push)
Tough for wildlife-watching today
Kalaloch Beach
Tough for wildlife-watching today
Rialto Beach
Tough for wildlife-watching today
Ruby Beach
Tough for wildlife-watching today
Second Beach (La Push)
Tough for wildlife-watching today
Shi Shi Beach
Tough for wildlife-watching today
Third Beach (La Push)
Tough for wildlife-watching today