3 Of America’s Top 100 Secret Beaches Are Located In NY

NEW YORK — The point of a hidden beach is that few people know about it, but the Family Destinations Guide blew that out of the water with a new list of the top 100 secret beaches in America, which includes three in New York — with two of those located on Long Island's East End.

The travel planning company surveyed 3,000 U.S. families to determine the hidden beaches they’d most like to visit in 2023.

In New York, the picks include:

Orient Beach State Park on the North Fork of Long Island came in No. 40 on the list. With its pristine beach, rocky shore, bike path and lighthouse views, to boot, it's the perfect day trip for swimming, fishing, kayaking, a picnic on the beach, or walking the nature trails. Plus, with a playground for kids and the new Sunshine Shack concession stand, it's a little piece of paradise.

According to the New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Orient Beach State Park, located at 40000 Route 25 in Orient, "is a natural wonderland of waterfront with 45,000 feet of frontage on Gardiners Bay and a rare maritime forest with red cedar, black-jack oak trees and prickly-pear cactus."

The park's natural beauty earned is designation as a National Natural Landmark in 1980, the site said.

"Other natural attractions in the park include the salt water marsh and marine wildlife. Great blue herons, egrets, black crowned night herons, and osprey are common sights in the park, leading to its recognition as an Audubon Important Bird Area," the site said. Also, Orient Beach is now a United States Light House Society passport stamp location, the site said.

Other New York beaches to appear on the list include Amsterdam Beach Preserve, located on Montauk Highway in Montauk, which comes in at No. 19. According to East Hampton Town, "Amsterdam Beach is a partnership in preservation owned by the State of New York, the County of Suffolk and the Town of East Hampton. The nearly 200 acres of wetland, woodland and shoreline offers some spectacular views and trails."

Coming in at No. 46 on the list, Chimney Bluffs State Park is located at 7700 Garner Road Wolcott, NY. "Land and water clash at Chimney Bluffs, sculpting the most dramatic landscape on the Lake Ontario shore. You can experience massive earthen spires from above or along the lakeshore on nature trails. Day-use services include picnic areas, nature trails and restrooms," the New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation said.

The top secret beach in the poll is Awahua Beach, located off Hawaii’s island of Molokai. It’s known for crystal clear turquoise waters and soft, white sand.

Hawaii has three of the top five secret beaches — No. 3 Lanikai Beach, off the coast of Oahu, and No. 4 Kauapea Beach, on the north shore of Kauai, Hawaii.

Also among the top five picks are Shell Key Preserve beach in Florida (No. 2) and Sedge Island beach in New Jersey (No. 5).

Florida had the most secret beaches to visit with nine, California had eight and Hawaii had five.

Not all the beaches front oceans. The list included beaches in landlocked states such as Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

To read the full list, click here.