10 Underrated U.S. Beaches That Deserve More Love

Peruse beach recommendations across the country and you’ll see the same beaches pop up time and time again. From New England to the South to the West Coast, everyone has their picturesque favorites. However, these favorites get crowded because of just how popular and widely publicized they are.

Luckily, if you’re willing to get off the beaten path a little bit (and maybe go for a hike), you can find fewer crowds at some of the country’s more underrated beaches, the ones that don’t receive quite the same limelight. Sure, they still may be a favorite with the locals or regional travelers, but your traveling friends and family may not recognize them immediately upon mention.

Here are 10 underrated U.S. beaches and beach destinations to consider visiting in the near future.

On South Carolina’s Edisto Island, you have several amazing beaches to choose from. Located a short drive from both Hilton Head and Charleston, Edisto Island offers a handful of driftwood and boneyard beaches. If you’re not familiar with the latter term, basically it’s a bit of a grim (if accurate) name for beaches that are covered with the remains of bleached, fallen trees.

As such, the aptly named Driftwood Beach on the island is exactly what it sounds like, with gorgeous driftwood scattered across the sands, making for a dramatic landscape that’s ideal for those who like to bring their cameras along for the day. It’s also a favorite for birders, and is generally quiet.

Botany Bay Beach, meanwhile, is a similar boneyard beach that’s part of the Botany Bay Heritage Preserve—which is worth a visit all on its own specifically for any travelers interested in any beach’s historic appeal. The preserve encompasses the former lands of two different plantations and now features National Register of Historic Places sites and buildings dating to the 1800s.

Whether you plan on surfing or sunbathing, Dana Strands Beach is a great pick of a hidden gem that will offer a surprising amount of quiet and solitude. Expect typical California golden sands and swells, as well as the striking backdrop of the Dana Point Headlands bluffs.

All the requisite amenities are available, including free parking and restrooms. Just be prepared to walk the relatively steep path down to the sand.

Dana Strands Beach not completely to your liking? Dana Point has another good option nearby: Salt Creek Beach.

In the Outer Banks, Cape Hatteras National Seashore offers a little bit of something for every traveler. There are a total of five lifeguarded beaches within the seashore, with loads of amenities, including showers, bathhouses, changing rooms and more. There’s seasonal on-site camping available. Off-roading is an option, so long as you have a permit and stick to the designated areas. An array of wildlife calls the seashore home, from seals to sea turtles to coyotes.

The seashore also comes with its fair share of history and folklore. The Cape Hatteras Light Station, built in 1870, protects a particularly hazardous part of the Atlantic Ocean and it’s the tallest brick lighthouse in the country, at just under 200 feet tall. Then, among the notable historic figures to have roamed these waters, the most notorious is undeniably Blackbeard.

While Alabama’s Gulf Shores can get busy, one underrated spot in this region along the Gulf of Mexico is Gulf State Park. The state park, which is free to visit, offers 3.5 miles of beachfront and the only public pier in Alabama. However, this park is very extensive, and there’s way more to do than just visit the beach. In fact, it makes perfect sense why you’d choose to camp on site, so you can enjoy the full range of activities and recreational opportunities, over multiple days or a week.

For example, there’s also a pool, nature center, biking trails, a butterfly garden and an entire lake, where you can kayak or canoe. Don’t fancy camping? In addition to cottages and cabins that are available to rent, Hilton also has a recently renovated property within the park, The Lodge at Gulf State Park.

What more could you need?

Another great state park in the South with a beach worth writing home about, Grayton Beach State Park in Florida provides beautiful white sands, vibrant greenery, and turquoise waters.

Due to its local popularity, the beach does limit visitation if the number of visitors reaches a certain point—but that’s just good news for travelers who want to ensure that the 2,000 acres isn’t overrun with an unsustainable amount of well-meaning people.

With cabins and a campground on site, the state park also has its own lake, just like Gulf State Park, and provides four miles of trails that wind through a coastal forest. The beach, though, is really the gem here, and is consistently ranked highly in national publications, even if it isn’t one of Florida’s most popular or well-known beaches by a long shot.

Kauapea Beach, also called Secret Beach, may not be a secret for long. However, enjoy the seclusion while you can. Located on the island of Kauai, the beach is tucked away from the road and isn’t near any oceanfront resorts. There aren’t any big signs that tell you where to go and there’s no parking lot.

Instead, you’ll find a dirt road near the point where you turn onto Kalihiwai Road from Kuhio Highway. You go to the end of the dirt road, park along the shoulder, and then take a hiking trail down to the beach. The hiking trail isn’t for the faint of heart, either. You’ll need your hiking boots for sure.

The beach itself doesn’t have the typical amenities, like lifeguards or restrooms, but you get soft, gold sands, vibrant waters, and a lot of breathing room that you just won’t find on other Hawaiian beaches.

Many of Maine’s beaches can get pretty crowded in the summer, but Seawall Beach, in Phippsburg offers a long, wide shoreline that gives visitors ample room to spread out—so even if other visitors are at this under-rated spot at the same time, you’ll hardly feel cramped.

One thing that might be keeping some folks away? You’re gonna have to—yes, once again—hike to get to this secluded beach. A trailhead exists on Morse Mountain Road, where there’s a parking lot that fits a few dozen vehicles. The trail will take you up Morse Mountain and then down to the beach. Don’t worry, though. While technically, yeah, you’re climbing up a mountain, this hike is far from overexerting. Once you’re on the beach, you’ll enjoy views that seem to go on forever.

Louisiana may not be all that well known for its beaches, at least not compared to some of the other, nearby states, but you can find loads to love if you look past The Big Easy and discover the outdoor delights waiting on Grand Isle.

Grand Isle is a breakwater, separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi, and is a favorite spot for competitive fishing, as well as birding and just enjoying the beach. Classic literature fans will likely recognize the island from “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin; the book features the island prominently, as it was a much more popular vacation destination in the 1800s.

Similarly, in the US Virgin Islands, on St Thomas, Neltjeberg Beach is one that’s a hidden, locals-only type of spot. There are no amenities and getting to the beach takes a bit of effort—you’ll have to drive down a dirt road in a vehicle equipped for the job, hike or come in by boat—but you’ll find few other beachgoers there. And that’s saying something on an island like St. Thomas, where tourists cram onto the cruise port-adjacent beaches with gusto!

Pair a visit to this beach with one to Dorothea Beach. That will actually be your starting point if you decide to hike to Neltjeberge Beach. The hiking trail is on the left side of Dorothea Beach and requires you to pass through the forest on about a 20-minute jaunt.

Likewise, in northeastern Puerto Rico, you can pair a visit to Playa Escondida with a visit to another beach, Seven Seas, as a hiking trail exists between the two. However, Seven Seas is busier, and a lot of people don’t go through the trouble to hike to Playa Escondida.

Once you’re at Seven Seas and have had your fill of being around everyone else, just head to the beach’s western end and take to the mangrove forest-surrounded trail for about 25 minutes. When you pop out on the golden sand, with its crystalline waters, you’ll find that the adjacent beach lives up to its name. “Playa Escondida” translates to “hidden beach.” Just note that you shouldn’t swim here. Enjoy the water from the shore, as currents and rip tides are common.