Best Beaches on the East Coast for Families

Long stretches of boardwalk and miles of white sands. Amusement parks and antique carousels. Historic lighthouses and celebrity sightings. When it comes to taking a beach vacation on the East Coast, there’s certainly no shortage of activities for the family to enjoy. From Maine to Florida, here’s where family members of all ages (including the furry ones) can get their fix of sun, sand and seashells at some of the best beaches on the East Coast. Get ready to pack your bags!

What is your favorite beach town destination? Whether you prefer strolling the boardwalk, a quiet patch of sand or a rocky beach suited for long walk, the east coast has you covered. Here is our curated list of the best East Coast beaches.

Note that many beaches have reduced parking due to COVID-19, and rules on masks vary from state to state. Be sure to check state guidelines about mandated quarantines upon arrival from certain states.

Want to make sure you don’t forget anything when you’re getting ready for a trip to the beach? Check out our ultimate beach packing list, updated for COVID-19.

Best Beach for Families in Connecticut

Old Saybrook is a classic New England resort town, with a white sand beach, marina, and historic buildings. The family friendly beaches are best for families with young children.

TravelingMom tip: While you’re in the neighborhood, take a ride on the Essex steam train or pedal a Rail-Bike for a 9.5 mile round trip. Buy tickets in advance.

Best Beach for Families in Delaware

Rehoboth Beach has a classic mix of a long boardwalk lined with restaurants, souvenir shops and places to rent a surrey or take a spin on a ride. In other words, it’s perfect for families with kids of all ages.

TravelingMom tip: Delaware has no state tax, so combine a trip here with back to school shopping.

Best Beaches for Families in Florida

There is a reason Miami used to appeal to the senior set. The clear water and gentle waves that drew them in also make Miami the perfect beach destination for families with babies and young children. Due to COVID-19, you will want to find an uncrowded area.

TravelingMom tip: For the pampered (and maybe in Pampers) set, some hotels have private beaches with lounge and towel set up.

Daytona may be best known as the home of NASCAR and the Richard Petty Driving Experience, but it also boasts wide sandy beaches. The dog-friendly beaches are some of the best beaches on the East Coast.

TravelingMom tip: Daytona has tons of free things to do if you need other diversions.

Want to read more about Florida beaches? Read here for a comprehensive guide to beaches in the Sunshine State.

Best Beach for Families in Georgia

Tybee Island has ocean and river beaches. The river beaches are best for kayaking and sunset views. The ocean beaches are great for little kids. Be sure to walk north where you can collect seashells.

TravelingMom tip: Tybee Island is so close to Savannah that you can take a day trip here. If you stay on the island, you can visit Fort Pulaksi National Monument and experience some Civil War history.

Best Beach for Families in Maine

Kennebunk is the place to head if you want to bring your dog on your beach vacation. The white sand beaches here are all dog-friendly. Since Maine is the furthest north of the East Coast beaches, the season here is short. Lifeguards are on duty from mid-June to mid-September. The cold water makes these beaches better for tweens and teens, who may not be as sensitive to the cold.

TravelingMom Tip: Be sure to have lunch at The Clam Shack, which has some of the best lobster rolls and fried clams anywhere.

Best Beach for Families in Maryland

The dog-friendly beaches in Ocean City are the best choice in Maryland for families. Teens and tweens will love Ocean City because there are two surfing beaches where they can practice the California version of hanging ten. There’s also a boardwalk with amusement parks and games.

TravelingMom tip: Don’t miss the antique carousel at Trimper’s, even if you think your kid have outgrown the merry-go-round.

Best Beaches for Families in Massachusetts

The Cape Cod National Seashore includes 40 miles of beaches. The Coast Guard beach is best for families, with lifeguards and a wheelchair – and stroller – ramp to the beach.

TravelingMom tip: There is no parking, so you have to take a shuttle. A better idea: bike to the beach

Martha’s Vineyard can be reached by ferry or plane, but once you are there, you’ll want a bicycle to explore the island. Its low-key charms may elude tweens and teens. That being said, my teens enjoyed it when they had cousins to hang out with. There are no amusement parks, though there is an antique carousel for young kids.

TravelingMom tip: Martha’s Vineyard is know for its celebrity sightings.

Best Beaches for Families in New Jersey

I started going to Cape May as a teenager and returned many times with my own family. Cape May, filled with Victorian houses, is great for all ages, but it’s particularly wonderful for tweens. There are inexpensive things to do, like skeeball, right on the promenade, Cape May’s paved version of a boardwalk. There’s also miniature golf nearby.

TravelingMom Tip: Be sure to stay in a place that provides beach tags, which is a type of permit required to be on the beach. In season, every person on the beach needs a beach tag and your ‘bargain’ hotel or rental could be quite a bit more expensive if you have to buy these out of pocket.

We rented houses on Long Beach Island, a barrier island just past the party beaches of the Jersey Shore. The family-friendly beaches have gentle surf, making them perfect for toddlers and young children.

Best Beaches for Families in New York

Well-off New Yorkers head to the Hamptons, where you’ll find some of the best beaches near NYC. Visitors spend their days on white sand beaches and nights at trendy restaurants. Since so many people have pools, the beaches never get too crowded. Bay beaches with their gentle waves are great for toddlers. In Southampton, the bay beach has a big playground right on the sand.

TravelingMom tip: If you stay south of the highway in Southampton, you can walk or bike to the beach and save on a pricey car permit.

Fire Island: this barrier beach doesn’t allow private cars, so it’s great for families who can stroll from house to beach. Fire Island is great for all ages. Kids love pulling the notorious red Flyer wagons, the barrier island’s preferred mode of transporting goods. If you have teens, you don’t have to worry about them driving. But make sure your teen has a friend.

TravelingMom tip: Beaches on Fire Island are pristine, partly because you can’t eat on them. Be sure to feed the kids before you set out!

Best Beach for Families in North Carolina

The Outer Banks are paradise for those who love to go fishing. You can fish off a pier, take a fishing boat tour or go crabbing and shrimping. You can also climb the tallest lighthouse in the United States and see wild horses. Since this is a more active beach vacation, it’s best suited to tweens and teens.

TravelingMom tip: The Outer Banks have lovely breezes, but don’t lose your hat! Get bucket hats for the kids with straps.

Best Beach for Families in Rhode Island

Part of the fun of Block Island is getting there – take the ferry from Point Judith (my personal fave) or Montauk. Once you’re there, you can relax on Crescent Beach, which is great for infants and toddlers. Its nickname is even Baby Beach. But if you bring older kids, there’s plenty for them, too. The adjacent beach rents boogie boards.

TravelingMom tip: Take a self-guided seven-mile bike tour.  A QR code shows short videos at each station.

Best Beaches for Families in South Carolina

Myrtle Beach, part of a 60 mile stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, has everything for families. With arcades and amusement park rides along the boardwalk, Myrtle Beach is best for families with teens and tweens.

TravelingMom tip: Take in a minor league Myrtle Beach Pelicans baseball game, with low priced tickets. Please note that the 2020 minor league baseball has been canceled.

At Hilton Head, you can cultivate future golfers and bicyclists. The area has lots of golf courses, and there’s miniature golf to entice younger kids. And if you want to get your children to ride bikes, Hilton Head is truly unique. You can ride bikes ON the hard packed sand. The beach cruiser rentals don’t come with helmets, but it’s difficult to build up too much speed. Hilton Head is great for families of all ages.

TravelingMom tip: Though you can’t sunbathe in winter, Hilton Head is a great low cost off season destination.

Best Beach for Families in Virginia

The three-mile Virginia Beach Boardwalk makes this one of the best beaches on the east coast for families. The boardwalk is great for biking or pedaling a surrey and it’s one of the few boardwalks that welcomes cyclists at all times, with separate lanes for pedestrians. You can see dolphins May to October. The surfing and kayaking adventures make Virginia Beach great for tweens and teens but there is still plenty for families with younger children.

TravelingMom tip: The Live! on Atlantic festival runs nightly June through August, with a family friendly free FunZone.