Best Beaches in Alaska: With over 33,000 miles of shoreline, Alaska has more beaches than Florida, California, and Hawaii combined. It offers many accessible beaches perfect for a stroll or a picnic. While some adventure beaches are more rugged than sandy, they still provide stunning views and interesting tide pools. There are also classic sandy beaches with dunes and swimming spots, but you need to know where to find them.
Here is our list of great beaches in Alaska where you can enjoy beachcombing, amazing scenery, wildlife, and sometimes even swimming, wading, and warm sand to dig your toes into!
10. Hittier Beach, Whittier- Best Beaches in Alaska
At the head of Passage Canal, just off the road to Whittier, there’s a gravel beach that expands into a large flat area when the tide goes out. While it may not be the best beach, this often windy spot is the only one you can reach by road in Western Prince William Sound. It’s worth visiting to experience this unique ecosystem. The view down the fjord includes snowy peaks, a large kittiwake bird colony, interesting boat traffic, and frequent sightings of harbor seals and Steller sea lions.
To get there, take the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel to Whittier. After exiting the tunnel staging area, turn left onto the beach access road. There’s a city-operated parking area with pit toilets. Some visitors launch boats and kayaks from here.
9. Black Sand Beach of Barry Arm in Harriman Fjord
Black Sand Beach, located inside Barry Arm at the northeast corner of Harriman Fjord, is popular for camping and landing. The fine black sand can get hot on summer days. This beach stretches a quarter-mile and offers one of the world’s most stunning views, with Coxe Glacier looming across the water. Sometimes, the beach can be cluttered with grounded icebergs, and the nearby waters can be filled with floating ice. Sea kayakers know this area for its calving events from glaciers, which can create waves that complicate beach launches.
To reach Black Sand Beach, you’ll need to charter a boat, join a tour, or plan an extended kayaking trip. Barry Arm is approximately 36 miles from Whittier, traveling through Passage Canal and into Port Wells before entering Harriman Fjord.
8. Wild Pocket Beaches- Best Beaches in Alaska
Exploring the rugged shoreline of the Sound can take a lifetime, with hundreds of small beaches to discover. Many of these beaches have sandy patches perfect for beachcombing. The changing tides constantly alter the accessible coastline for walking.
To get there, many water taxi and charter operators in Whittier provide beach walks, day trips, or drop-offs. Ask for recommendations that fit your schedule and budget.
7. Lowell Point and Tonsina Point, Seward
Just south of Seward on Resurrection Bay, there are two adventure beaches to explore. One is near parking, while the other is at the end of a two-mile hike. Both provide a great way to experience the Gulf of Alaska ecosystem without needing a boat. Lowell Point features a dramatic half-mile beach below private homes and rentals, including Miller’s Landing outfitters.
From here, you can see boat traffic, snowy mountains, the town of Seward, and marine life. The Lowell Point Recreation Site, located where the cape meets the steep shore of the fjord, is a 19-acre park popular for kayaking and as the starting point for a 4.5-mile coastal hike to Caines Head State Recreation Site, which features historic World War II-era fort ruins.
Two miles further on the Caines Head Trail, you’ll descend to Tonsina Point, where Tonsina Creek meets the ocean. This wild beach offers an untouched setting with unpredictable beachcombing and wildlife viewing. Beyond Tonsina Point, a three-mile coastal route leads to Derby Cove, which can flood during high tides. Only attempt this stretch when the tide is three feet or lower.
To get there, take the Seward Highway to Seward and pass through town. Turn right on Railway Avenue, which becomes Lowell Point Road along the mountain base. After about two miles, turn left on Border Avenue, then immediately right (south) on Pinnacle View Road. To access the Lowell Point trailhead and long-term parking, turn right onto a road that goes into the forest. Limited parking is available straight ahead at the beach. There’s a steep but safe trail between the upper parking lot and the beach. A $5 per day fee or a state parking pass is required.
6. Captain Cook State Recreation Area, Nikiski
A unique beach with mud, sand, and large boulders that attract climbers stretches from the Swanson River mouth in the recreation area for nearly 30 miles up the coast to the northwestern tip of the peninsula. This beach is striking but not heavily visited. During low tide, it’s perfect for beach hiking, offering views of oil production platforms, the Aleutian Range, migrating birds, and sometimes beluga whales.
To get there, take the Kenai Spur Road north from Kenai, passing through Nikiski for about 25 miles until you reach Milepost 36. The Captain Cook State Recreation Area provides parking, picnic areas, hiking trails, boating opportunities, and camping. There are west and east accesses to the coast. Freshwater Stormy Lake, within the recreation area, also has a swimming beach.
5. Kasilof River Beach, Kasilof- Best Beaches in Alaska
The beaches at the mouth of the Kasilof River offer the same great sandy beachcombing, sightseeing, wildlife viewing, and camping opportunities as the Kenai River beaches. However, Kasilof River beaches are quieter and more intimate, reminiscent of old-time Alaska. The area features dunes, grassy uplands, salt marshes, a winding estuary, and mud flats at low tide.
Three state parks are nearby, and the river is popular for drift boat and bank-side sport fishing for sockeye, coho, and king salmon. Note: Locals flock to the area from June 17 to August 15 for dip netting Kasilof salmon, with hundreds of people camping and fishing during peak days. For solitude, visit outside these dates.
To get there: Kasilof is about 15 miles south of Soldotna on the Sterling Highway. For the north beach, take Kalifornsky Beach Road to Kasilof Beach Road. Park on the road and do not drive through the dunes. For the south beach, turn west on North Cohoe Loop Road after crossing the river heading south. When the pavement turns south (left), continue straight on a rough dirt road to the shore. The river mouth is about a quarter mile to the north. You’ll need a nimble four-wheel-drive vehicle to drive up the beach.
4. Road Trip Beaches, Sterling Highway South
Three Alaska state recreation areas on the lower Kenai Peninsula offer extensive beaches with crashing waves, beachcombing, and wildlife viewing, along with stunning views of snow-covered mountains across Cook Inlet. Clam Gulch features a flat, mud-and-sand beach below the bluffs. When state officials deem it safe and plentiful, Clam Gulch is the top spot in the region for digging razor clams. Deep Creek has a wide beach with incredible views of the Iliamna and Redoubt volcanoes.
It’s popular for camping, launching boats, and fishing, as well as clam digging. The area also has a salt marsh that attracts sandhill cranes and other shorebirds in the spring. Anchor Point in the Anchor River State Recreation Area is the furthest west you can drive on the U.S. road system. This beach offers views of three Cook Inlet volcanoes, and the clear-running river is a favorite spot for king and coho salmon fishing. The river winds over sand flats, making it great for beachcombing.
To get there: Clam Gulch is about 21 miles south of Soldotna on the Sterling Highway. Turn onto Clam Gulch Road at around Mile 117.5. Deep Creek beach is about 40 miles south of Soldotna on the Sterling Highway near Mile 137.7, close to the village of Ninilchik and the Salmonfest music festival. Anchor Point beach is about 60 miles south of Soldotna on the Sterling Highway. Turn west on the Old Sterling Highway around Mile 157, then take Anchor Point Road to the beach and campground.
3. Bishop’s Beach, Homer- Best Beaches in Alaska
Just outside the Old Town of Homer and a short walk from the Islands and Ocean Visitor Center, Bishop’s Beach is one of Alaska’s most stunning coastal walks. It’s just a few minutes away from services, lodging, and restaurants. This beach is perfect for families, offering tide pooling and a breathtaking view of Lower Cook Inlet, with occasional dramatic surf. At low tide, you can walk for miles along the coast to the northwest. Sea otters and shorebirds are frequently seen, and you might find pieces of coal on the sand. Bishop’s Beach Park in Homer has trails, public art, a covered pavilion with a fire pit, BBQ grill, picnic tables, and restrooms.
To get there: Take the Sterling Highway south to Homer. Turn towards the ocean at Main Street, then turn left on East Bunnell Avenue. After one block, turn right on Beluga Place. The beach is two blocks south.
2. Homer Spit, Homer- Best Beaches in Alaska
This 4.5-mile long strip of land called the Homer Spit juts out into Kachemak Bay near Homer, Alaska. It’s an old pile of rocks left behind by a glacier and has a gentle slope with a sandy beach. You can walk for miles here, look for cool stuff on the shore (beachcombing!), and admire the wildlife, waves, and snowy mountains.
This is also a super popular spot for fishing, wildlife tours, and all things water-related. In the summer, especially near the crowded harbor with all the small boats, it gets really lively – almost like a carnival! There are restaurants, shops, vendors, museums, and places to get info and book tours. You can camp here or stay in fancy places, park your car, and use the restrooms. There’s even a special pond for fishing (lagoon) and a trail for bikes.
Of course, you gotta try the deep-fried halibut and chips while you’re there! They also have a famous bar known for its relaxed atmosphere, and a memorial to honor sailors who have been lost at sea. Don’t miss this awesome spot!
Getting there: Just follow the Sterling Highway to Homer. The main road will turn right and become Lake Street, then left onto Ocean Drive, and finally curve right again onto Homer Spit Road. That’s it
1. Outside Beach, Seldovia- Best Beaches in Alaska
Outside Beach is a favorite spot in the Seldovia community, known for its beautiful views and tide pooling opportunities. It’s a pleasant one-mile walk from the village and its famous boardwalk. On summer days, whether you’re staying overnight or visiting from Homer, the beach is especially inviting. You can get there by hiking the Otterbahn Trail, which starts behind the Susan B. English School at School Street and English Drive. This wild beach is great for picnicking, camping, beachcombing, and tide pooling, with Iliamna and Redoubt volcanoes visible on the horizon. There’s a good chance of seeing and hearing bald eagles and seabirds, and you might spot sea otters offshore.
To get there, follow Anderson Way or English Street from the waterfront to Jakolof Bay Road. Continue to the Seldovia Lagoon and turn left onto Outside Beach Road. For a more scenic route, take the Otterbahn Trail.
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Williamson is the passionate author and writer behind floridabeachusa.com, a website dedicated to exploring the beautiful beaches, travel destinations, and the latest News in Florida and across the USA.