10 Best East Coast USA Beaches for Families from Maine to Florida

With its cheery yellow traditional New England-style clapboard façade and bright modern interiors, the Admiral’s Inn is within easy walking distance to town and the beach. Book the cottage, a tree-shaded three-bedroom home and settle in for your stay. Stretch out on a lounger at one of the inn’s two pools or soak in the hot tub while the kids splash and play.

On the West Yarmouth River and Lewis Bay, Green Harbor Resort in West Yarmouth, Massachusetts is a quiet, classic wood-shingled Cape Cod getaway. With a heated oceanfront pool, a private beach, mini golf and a Kids Club with activities like sand-castle contests, there’s plenty to do on the resort’s 7.5 acres. Book one of the resort’s traditional Nantucket-style cottages or a suite with views of Nantucket Sound and feel like lucky locals.

About eight miles from Gin Beach, Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa is a year-round resort on the Atlantic that’s been a popular getaway since it opened in 1926. Rent king-sized daybeds at The Beach Club on Gurney’s 2,000-foot private beach and order fish tacos to nosh on. Or take in the ocean views from the warm waters of the seawater indoor pool. Unwind with a massage and in the steam room and the Finnish rock sauna.

When fine dining calls and you want the gang to wash off the sand and get gussied up, Gurney’s Scarpetta Beach restaurant serves Italian cuisine including fresh seafood. Delight to dishes like lavender glazed duck with confit shallot, celery root and porcini conserva. In a bright, casual setting Tillie’s dishes up American fare like lobster rolls, burgers, baked mac and cheese, and fried chicken sandwiches.

Although Congress Hall opened in 1816 as the first seaside resort in the U.S., its updated décor skillfully blends modern and traditional style with a rich color palette of greens, reds, browns and blues. Its stately yellow façade with white columns rising three stories high and lush lawns cuts an impressive figure just beyond the sand.

Book a spacious, airy yellow-and-white striped beach tent with loungers so you can kick back while the kids play on the beach and in the surf. Catch live music at the Boiler Room and dig into dishes like brick-oven pizza and pasta. Sip craft cocktails like Old Man Winter, made with spiced rum, orange juice, coconut, and pineapple juice nutmeg.

Smack dab in all the middle of the Ocean City Action, Princess Royal Oceanfront Resort welcomes families with its lush, palm-lined lawns and modern blue-and-white facade. Swing by the food court on the beach for quick eats like burgers, pretzels and hot dogs.

No worries if the weather’s stormy— take the fun to the hotel’s indoor heated pool housed in a four-story tropical atrium with ocean views through a floor-to-ceiling glass wall. The kids can even swim with mermaids in the indoor pool Monday and Thursday evenings and hear their stories.

Close to Chincoteague’s Main Street, Marina Bay Hotel & Suites features an upbeat modern décor with splashes of aquamarine and orange complemented by nautical accents and geometric wooden accents. Book a two-bedroom king suite with views of the bay. Rent a bike and pedal to the beach, or stroll the marina and check out the boats, then venture out to see if you can spy the wild ponies on Assateague Island.

Just 200 feet from the beach, the oceanfront Shutters on the Banks has indoor and outdoor saltwater pools. Book the Sunrise Suite and wake up to ocean views. After you’ve fueled your gang with the free breakfast, hit the beach or one of the pools, or head out to one of the Outer Banks’ fascinating family attractions.

Make the tropical landscape of the beachfront Sonesta Resort & Spa Hilton Head Island your base for Hilton Head family fun. Ready for a dip? Choose from the beach, the zero-entry lagoon swimming pool or the heated shade pool, or rent bikes and explore.

Let the kids build their own sundaes with unlimited toppings at Sonesta Scoops Ice Cream Shoppe. Immerse yourself in the calm of Arum Spa’s treatments that use local sea salt and jasmine. When stomachs growl, dig into Lowcountry cuisine like fried green tomatoes, crab bake, and shrimp and grits at Heyward’s Restaurant.

A beachfront hotel that’s close to Historic Downtown Fernandina Beach and Fort Clinch State Park, Seaside Amelia Inn is handily located on Amelia Island. Book a suite with a balcony and a view of the ocean at this boutique hotel where art by local artists decks the walls.

Grab some of the beach chairs and umbrellas that are complimentary for guests to rent and make a beeline for the beach or the outdoor pool. (That is, if you can pull the kids away from the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and lemonade at the front desk.) And when the sun goes down, relax and enjoy the view from Seaside Amelia Inn’s rooftop sundeck.

Hammock Beach Golf Resort and Spa is a luxury hotel on Florida’s Palm Coast with a private white sand beach that stretches for two miles. The resort also boasts 91,000 square feet of family fun at its Fantasy Pool Complex. Here you can float down the lazy river and swoosh down the water flume or just splash happily in the water. Golfing buffs can tee off at Hammock Beach’s Ocean Course designed by Jack Nicklaus and Conservatory Course designed by Tom Watson.

Six restaurants mean there’s something to please even the pickiest palates. At Ocean Bar & Grille, a kid’s menu with items like chicken tenders keeps the little ones happy.