50 States of Beaches

You don't have to live near an ocean to enjoy the beach. While not every state in the US has a coastline, every state does have a public lake or reservoir where you can swim, paddle a kayak, pitch a tent, play beach volleyball or just soak up some sun.

We've rounded up some of the best state beaches in the country. Some have sugary-white sand; others are rocky or pebbled. All of them are don't-miss destinations.

Shown here: Longboat Key, a 12-mile strip of land between the Gulf of Mexico and Sarasota Bay.

A trip to Gulf Shores & Orange Beach feels like escaping to a barrier island, thanks to the soft, white sand, clear blue-green water and sunny weather. The area is known as a hub for watersports, so you can navigate the waves on a jet ski, scuba dive to look for colorful fish and shipwrecks, or let the kids (and adults) learn how to make sand sculptures and sand castles at Sand Castle University. The beach and water activities are almost endless.

Located 27 miles north of Juneau, Eagle Beach State Recreation Area has 16 primitive camping sites in the forested part of the park, several walk-in campsites and a group camping area available for reservations. The beach combing and fishing are great from the beach and river bars. Visitors often see whales and sea lions, and the tidal flats are feeding grounds that attract shorebirds, gulls, bears and other wildlife.

Situated between southern Utah and northern Arizona, Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area are popular places to boat, waterski, fish, hike and camp. The lake is a man-made reservoir formed when the Glen Canyon Dam flooded Glen Canyon. Rent a houseboat, reserve an upscale tent and go glamping or pull your RV to one of four RV campgrounds. You'll find over 2,000 miles of shoreline around the 186-mile-long lake.