A handpicked selection of fantastic family beach vacations in the US for families with kids of all ages. Beach family beach vacation spots on the West Coast, East Coast and the South for a perfect family sea and sun holiday.
Our friends make sun of us for always flying all the way from Europe to the US for a family beach vacation but seriously: after we had our first sun holiday in the US with the kids, we are simply in love with US family beaches!
Large expanses of beautiful sand, more facilities you can ever ask for, tons of entertainment options for kids – US beach vacation spots are simply perfect for a family like ours and the choice is vast!
So vast in fact that the question is legitimate: what are the best family beach vacation spots in the US?
Here a first selection of fantastic beaches for families on the West Coast, family beach vacations on the east coast and more!
This is a list of great US beaches for families to inspire you: always abide by current regulations and travel restrictions and plan responsibly.
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Table of Contents
How we picked the best US beaches for this list
To make this list of best US family beaches, we looked at beaches that are/ have:
- Large sandy beaches perfect for kids to run around, make sandcastles, swim and splash
- Kid-friendly waters, gentle waves and not overly dangerous currents (but always check conditions for the days you are there!)
- Good family accommodation options
- Family-friendly town vibes
- Children activities
- Easy to reach thanks to the presence of large airports of big cities nearby
Infinite and immortal, the waters of the beaches that are the beginning and the end of all things on earth – Heinrich Zimmer
Find more quotes about the beach here
Best US family beaches on the West Coast
The West Coast is our first love when it comes to US beaches. California is a place of the heart for us and our kids adore it too – these are our tops picks for a family beach vacation in California!
Carlsbad, CA
Carlsbad is a wonderful West Coast destination for families looking for a beach vacation.
It has a lovely, relaxed, laid back feel of the quintessential seaside town but packs an absolute punch when it comes to keeping the kids happy, and the parents!
The town has miles and miles of clean and beautiful sandy beaches, many family-friendly restaurants, plenty of family-friendly hotels, resorts and rentals – so if you are looking for an easy and well equipped US beach town, you cannot go wrong here!
In terms of entertainment, the beach is wonderful for kids and you also have here the Carlsbad lagoon which is fantastic for water sports (think paddle boarding and boating) and you also have Legoland and Legoland water parks, which are kids’ heaven!
On top of this, Carlsbad is close to San Diego and all its wonderful family attractions – you can reach it by car or, more fun, by train!
If you are looking for a US beach vacation that does not require the car and with the option of trips into a big city, Carlsbad is simply ideal.
What makes Carlsbad a perfect destination for a family beach vacation:
- Family-friendly beaches: yes
- Family hotels and resorts: yes, a large choice of hotels rentals and resorts for families
- Village atmosphere: yes
- Something special: Legoland and Legoland water park, Carlsbad lagoon for watersports
- What to see nearby: San Diego, Coronado, La Jolla, Disneyland (1h by car)
La Jolla, CA
Another fantastic beach destination for families on the West Coast is beautiful La Jolla.
La Jolla is a scenic, upscale enclave close to San Diego and is an absolute delight to visit with kids thanks to many family-friendly beaches and family activities.
If you want to just go to the beach and relax or play watersports, you can choose between the many kid-friendly beaches of the area such as La Jolla shores and La Jolla cove.
If your kids love marine life, they can play in the tide pools or explore the fantastic Birch Aquarium at Scripps and one the right season, they can even be able to see the seals right on the town shore!
For those days when you just want to stay outside but not get on the sand, you can rest on the green under the Lorax Tree (Did you know that Dr Suss lived in La Jolla?) and for days when you feel more active, you can head down to San Diego and tap into all the wonderful entertainment options the city has to offer.
if you are looking for a stunning upscale destination for a west coast beach vacation, la Jolla is simply ideal.
You can find our essential guide to La Jolla with kids here.
What makes La Jolla a perfect destination for a family beach vacation:
- Family-friendly beaches: yes
- Family hotels and resorts: yes, a large choice of hotels rentals and resorts for families
- Village atmosphere: yes
- Something special for the kids: Lorax Tree, puppy seals, Aquarium
- What to see nearby: San Diego, Coronado, Disneyland (1.5h by car)
Hermosa Beach, LA
Hermosa Beach is a wonderful beach city in South Bay, Los Angeles and one of the best places in Souther California for kids, from all points of view!
Blessed with a wonderful sandy beach that goes on for miles, the city has a lovely and walkable center with nice green areas and tons of shops and restaurants, a lovely promenade for walking and scooting and of course a stunning beach, a sandy piece of heaven that seems to never end.
We adore Hermosa and it truly seems to have something for everyone: our kids loved the beach and the playground, we adults adored the many family friednly restaurant (isn’t it nice when you don’t need to compromise between parent taste and kid friendliness?) and all of us adored the proximity to LA.
If you feel like going into the big city, from Hermosa you can easily tap into all the things LA has for kids and if you don’t and want to just relax, Hermosa has more than enough for you to do just that!
Hands down, one of the best beach vacation destinations for families in the US (and, dare I say, it, the world!)
What makes Hermosa Beach a perfect destination for a family beach vacation:
- Family-friendly beaches: yes
- Family hotels and resorts: yes, a large choice of hotels rentals and resorts for families
- Village atmosphere: yes
- Something special: LA and Disneyland are on your doorstep!
- What to see nearby: Disneyland, LA
Santa Monica, CA
Another fantastic beach city in the LA area for families is Santa Monica, which is aboislupey wonderful for kids!
The city has all you need for a family vacation and strikes a great balance between entertainment options and just beach time!
if you want lazy days on the beach, you have miles and miles and miles of it here, all sandy and soft.
The water is colder than farther South but still ok to swim and perfect for bodyboarding and surfing in the hot season and the town has plenty on offer for kids even when you want to stay away from the sand.
The Santa Monica pier is world famous for its fantastic amusement park and the city has a lovely pedestrian area with lots of shops and family friendly restaurant, cinema etc.
Los Angeles and all it has to offer is on your doorstep and when yo feel like a change of scenery, you can easily go to Venice Beach or Malibu, very different from each other but both worth seeing.
What makes Santa Monica a perfect destination for a family beach vacation and on of the best US family beaches:
- Family-friendly beaches: yes
- Family hotels and resorts: yes, a large choice of hotels rentals and resorts for families
- Village atmosphere: yes
- Something special: Santa Monica Pier
- What to see nearby: LA, Disneyland, Malibu, Venice Beach
Laguna Beach, CA
Another fantastic beach destination in Southern California with a lot on offer for kids and adults is Laguna Beach.
there the coast has small, picturesque coves rather than large expanses of sand but it is nonetheless lovely for kids and this is wonderful if you want a beach vacation with a bit of variety.
Crystal Cove Crescent Bay and Laguna main beach are lovely for your days in the sun and the town has a lovely historical district and and artsy, upscale feel that is lovely for kids and parents.
Laguna is also a lovely place for spotting marine wildlife thanks to the several whale and dolphin tours available and the presence of the Pacific Marine Mammal Center.
What makes Laguna Beach a perfect destination for a family beach vacation:
- Family-friendly beaches: yes
- Family hotels and resorts: yes, a large choice of hotels rentals and resorts for families
- Village atmosphere: yes
- Something special: Laguna beach pirate tower
- What to see nearby: Los Angeles, all the beaches of Orange Country, Disneyland
Santa Cruz, Ca
Farther north, closer to San Francisco, you find lovely Santa Cruz, a surfers paradise and another great West Coast beach for families with kids!
The water here is much colder than in southern California but the beach is stunning and the town has something kids simply adore: a boardwalk with one of the coolest amusements parks!
For those days when the water is not in the cards, Santa Cruz also offers plenty of children entertainment: cool places for kids are the Marine Discovery Center, Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History and tons and tons of ice cream places and restaurants that will make parents and kids happy.
If you are looking for a beach vacation destination in California without excessive heat, this is just the place!
What makes Santa Cruz a perfect destination for a family beach vacation:
- Family-friendly beaches: yes
- Family hotels and resorts: yes, a large choice of hotels rentals and resorts for families
- Village atmosphere: yes
- Something special: a wonderful boardwalk with an amusement park
- What to see nearby: San Francisco, Monterey and its fabulous Aquarium, Pacific Highway 1 and its stunning scenery
Coronado, CA – best beach for toddlers in the US!
If you are looking for a great US beach for toddlers, then look no further than Coronado!
Coronado island is all wonderful for families.
Flat, stroller friendly, safe, with super facilities and with the wonderful Hotel Del Coronado, the beach is large and sandy, safe and simply perfect for babies and toddlers and their parents!
Best beaches for families on the East Coast
The East Coast has some wonderful beaches for families and so varied, you are sure to find one you love, whatever your travel style and the of your kids!
Naples, FL
Naples Florida is the favorite beach destination of my brother-in-law and his family who regularly goes there with 3 kids ranging from baby to pre-teen!
It is easy to see why: located on the Gulf of Mexico side of Florida, Naples beaches are sandy, long, with gentle waves and those crystal water the schema ‘ vacation’ as you spot them from the plane window!
As well as family friendly beaches, Naples has nice kid friendly attractions including playgrounds, Naples Zoo and Caribbean garden, Mini golf, Aquarium, and the Everglades national Park is only a short car ride away.
If this is not a great beach vacation for families, I don’t know what is! What makes it special
- Family-friendly beaches: yes
- Family hotels and resorts: yes, a large choice of hotels rentals and resorts for families
- Village atmosphere: yes
- Something special: gentle waves, tons of kids activities
- What to see nearby: Everglades National Park
Clearwater, FL
If you are looking at a family beach vacation to rest after days playing in Orlando, then Clearwater is the destinaiton for you.
Located in the Tampa area and super convenient to reach, Clearwater has wonderful white sandy beaches, gentle waves and lots of nice family hotels and resorts as well an many acvitities for kids to choose from.
Pier 60 always have fun performances, there is a wonderful Aquarium and there are more tours and water activities that you can pack in a week vacation!
Do you have kids who love jet skis, dolphin tours or you want to try swim with manatees? Here, you can!
Things that make Clearwater a great spot for a beach vacation in Florida with kids are:
- Family-friendly beaches: yes
- Family hotels and resorts: yes, a large choice of hotels rentals and resorts for families
- Something special: gentle waves, tons of water activities for kids
- What to see nearby: Walt Disney World (4 Theme Parks: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios), Universal Orlando (2 Theme Parks; Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure), Legoland.
Myrtle Beach, SC
Myrtle beach alway makes the list if best US beaches for familesies in the east Coast and not ony becasue ti has a lot to offer to families!
As well as the beach itself, which is sandy and wonderful (the Grand Strand is 60 miles of beach!), Myrtle Beach has a ferry wheel, crazy golf, ziplining and treetop adventure, the fun Family Kingdom Amusement park, arcade fun on the famous city boardwalk and Broadway at the beach entertainment complex.
If you are looking for an east Coast family vacation with a lot to do, this is just perfect! In Myrtle Beach you have:
- Family-friendly beaches: yes
- Family hotels and resorts: yes, a large choice of hotels rentals and resorts for families
- Something special: fun boardwalk and amusement parks
Virginia Beach, VA
Virginia beach is a large and super kid-friendly beach on the East Coast of the US perfect for kids of all ages.
The beach here is long and sandy, there is a vast choice of accommodation and food places for all budgets and there are many activities that will keep entertained kids big and old!
Among the best things to do in Virginia Beach with kids you have: a lovely boardwalk for a family walk, scooting or biking, Grommet Island Park and its wonderful accessible playground, miniature golf courses, Ocean breeze water park and more beach than you can imagine!
In Virginia beach you find:
- Family-friendly beaches: yes
- Family hotels and resorts: yes, a large choice of hotels rentals and resorts for families
- Something special: water park, mini-golf, wonderful boardwalk
- What to see nearby: Washington DAC, Colonial Williamsburg
Oahu, HI
No list of the best beaches in the US for families would be even credible without a mention of Hawaii beaches but what is the best beach in Hawaii for families?
Or maybe better: what Hawaii island is best for families with kids? We believe Oahu is just perfect as the choice of beaches here is vast and let’s be honest – once you come to Hawaii, why see only one beach if you can explore?
Some you want to check out are Waikiki, one of the most famous Hawaii beaches of all, Ko’Olina, one of the best beaches for small kids in Hawaii, Waimea Bay and Lanikai Beach.
As well as the beach, Oahu also offers the wonderful opportunities for hiking, waterfall exploring and watersports Hawaii is famous for.
I hope you enjoyed this selection of fantastic beach vacation spots in the US and it helped you plan your family vacation in the sun!
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What to pack for a family beach vacation in the USA
Useful resources for your beach vacation with kids: