A pristine beach is a thing of beauty, practically begging you to relax under an umbrella with nothing more on your mind than the plot of the latest bestseller. Imagine how disappointing it would be to arrive, beach blanket in tow, only to stumble onto miles of dirty sand, litter and polluted water. Sound like a nightmare? It isn’t.
Thankfully, most beaches are taking extra precautions to regulate what visitors bring in and even more importantly, what they bring out. In the meantime, visit one of these eco-friendly beaches and discover how Christopher Columbus must have felt when he stepped onto the white sand for the first time.
Top 3 Eco-Friendly Beaches in the U.S.A.
Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Oahu, Hawaii
Photo: Oahu Visitors Bureau
Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve is a wonderful example of a once polluted beach that changed its fate. Things turned around in 1990 when the state began enforcing strict rules for beachgoers by limiting the number of visitors and making an educational video about preserving the fragile ecosystem mandatory viewing before entry.
Short Sands Beach: Oswald West State Park, Ore.
Photo: jsigharasf/Flickr
Visitors wind through a towering forest to reach the beach, many carrying surfboards and swimming gear. Tucked into a cove and surrounded by mountains, Short Sands Beach feels like a secluded spot, hidden from the rest of the world.
Goosewing Beach Preserve, Little Compton, R.I.
Photo: katybeckFlickr
A bird lovers paradise, beach, dune and coastal pond environments come together in this scenic Rhode Island spot. Owned by the Nature Conservancy of Rhode Island and other groups, Goosewing Beach makes an effort to protect its endangered shorebirds.
Be Eco-Conscious at the Beach
If you can’t make it to one of these world-famous beaches, do your part in helping to make your destination more eco-friendly.
- Use the boardwalks and walkovers instead of walking across sensitive dunes to help reduce erosion.
- Bring water in reusable bottles, not plastic.
- Always pack out what you pack in. Don’t leave dinnerware, containers or cups behind.
- Wear chemical-free sun block made with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide instead of chemical sunscreens, which can absorb into the water and poison marine and reef life.
Where is your favorite beach? Tell us or share your photos with us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.