The Quietest Beaches in the Country

The Point Reyes National Seashore in Northern California’s Marin County boasts a bounty of secluded beaches, but Wildcat Beach stands out for its serene scenery. Scaling 2.5 miles of shoreline, Wildcat Beach is accessible by a 5-mile hike or 7-mile bike ride. Because of the journey, beachgoers can expect to find a quiet paradise, with only the sounds of cascading water pouring over Alamere Falls, a waterfall on the beach.

With all the amenities a family could ask for, Clam Pass Beach Park in Naples, Florida, invites visitors in search of seaside solitude. A mangrove tree-surrounded boardwalk leads to the white sandy beaches, where seashell lovers will have a marvelous time wading through calm waters. While water activities like fishing, canoeing, and paddling provide a relaxing experience here, sitting back and sunbathing as butterflies flutter nearby is a favorite pastime at Clam Pass.

It’s not such a shame that Oregon’s Hug Point, just 5 miles south of well-known Cannon Beach in the northern part of the state, experiences far less traffic than some of the other beaches on the Pacific Coast. Perched beside a mesmerizing waterfall, the beach cove of Hug Point is framed by deep green ferns, sitka spruces, and salal plants, which are often dotted with dark berries that subtly add to the natural color story of this oceanside oasis. This quiet beauty has few beachgoers.

The strip of land in northeastern Maine known as Roque Bluffs State Park is home to both freshwater and saltwater shorelines. On the saltwater side, running parallel to Simpson Pond, Roque Bluffs Beach beckons to the crowd-weary beach enthusiast. Often known to be blanketed in a gentle fog, Roque Bluffs Beach is an attractive destination for those who want to take in muted moments while escaping the noise of comparatively crammed beaches elsewhere.

There won’t be much competition for space on the shoreline of Edisto Beach, a town on Edisto Island, South Carolina, with a population of just over 400 people. Offering more than 1,250 acres of land, Edisto Beach State Park adds even more space to enjoy the views of several rivers that converge with the Atlantic at the island’s southernmost point. Abundant fishing and safe waters for swimming lend to the family-friendliness of this under-the-radar beach area.

Way up north, on the peninsula of Olympic National Park in Washington, Ruby Beach offers a placid refuge for wildlife and beachgoers. Decorated by driftwood, large rock formations (known as stacks), and the rouge-colored rocks that gave this strand its name, Ruby Beach delights every foot that steps on it. Parents and kids especially adore peeking in the tide pools teeming with life, found in and around the scattered stacks.

Left behind by many years of erosion, the backdrop of tree skeletons found at Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island in Georgia is surreal. Visitors to this seaside wonderland are often too absorbed in snapping shots of the distinct coastline to make any noise. Little ones make a playground out of the trees, and adults love to stroll through the natural sand-covered maze as tranquil beach days turn into evenings with breathtaking sunsets.

Though Oahu is the most populous of all of the Hawaiian islands, Mokuleia Beach Park on the North Shore, almost an hour’s drive away from tourist-centric Waikiki Beach, attracts significantly fewer people and retains a surprising mellowness. The shallow reef at Mokuleia Beach makes it an ideal place for snorkeling and spearfishing, as well as kite- or windsurfing.
Giant turtles are also known to creep ashore, enjoying the laid-back atmosphere that Hawaii is known for.

Where Alabama’s Mobile Bay meets the Gulf of Mexico, the Fort Morgan Peninsula stretches out to simultaneously touch both bodies of water. At its western-most point, the colorless coastline of Fort Morgan goes on for more than 2 miles without a single building touching the shore, and usually with few visitors to compete with, besides the sea turtles, dolphins, and an array of seabirds. With the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge nearby, Fort Morgan is more of a soothing sanctuary than a beach.

Shrouded by cliffs that poke into the Pacific Ocean, Gray Whale Cove in Half Moon Bay, California, is a marvelous sight to behold. As the name promises, gray whales can be spotted close to shore, spraying mists of water through the air as onlookers observe. Just south of Devil’s Slide Beach, Gray Whale Cove is where families quietly congregate to cherish watching the waves washing over the sandy beach as hours pass and the sun sets over a scene of silence.

Marked by a lighthouse decorated in blue diamonds, Cape Lookout National Seashore in North Carolina is guaranteed to be free of herds of noisy visitors. The lengthy remote shoreline is wedged between Core Sound and Core Banks, both bodies of water neighboring the expansive Atlantic Ocean. Besides being hypnotized by the ever-flowing surf, visitors to the barrier island can spend time fishing, shelling, or climbing to the top of the lighthouse for a better view of the magnificent strip of land.

Besides the whinny of feral horses, or the gentle rustling of other species that occupy Cumberland Island, one of Georgia’s southern barrier islands, this beach is blissfully quiet. Visitors can find more than 18 miles of undeveloped shoreline here, with saltwater marshes and coastal forests surrounding sandy beaches. Hosting protected wilderness, Cumberland Island is an easy choice for beachgoers in search of serenity.