National List of Beaches

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has published a list of coastal recreation waters adjacent to U.S. beaches (or similar points of access) used by the public. The list, required by the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act (BEACH Act), identifies waters that are subject to a state beach water quality monitoring and public notification program consistent with the National Beach Guidance and Required Performance Criteria for BEACH Act Grants.

The EPA published the National List of Beaches every two years between 2004 and 2010, as a PDF file. Starting with the 2011 swimming season, the list is available as a dynamic format in the EPA's Beach Advisory and Closing On-line Notification (BEACON) system. The list contains the most recent information reported to the EPA by coastal and Great Lakes states, territories and eligible Tribes.

• View the National List of Beaches: Interactive Version
• Fact Sheet: National List of Beaches 2012 (pdf)
• National List of Beaches 2010 (pdf) (6.33 MB, EPA 820-R-12-012)
• National List of Beaches 2008 (pdf) (4.26 MB, September 2008, EPA 823-R-08-004)
• National List of Beaches 2004 (pdf) (1.11 MB, March 2004, EPA 823-R-04-004)

The list provides a national baseline of the extent of state, territorial and Tribal beach monitoring across the country. It helps the EPA measure improvements in monitoring and notification at all coastal and Great Lakes beaches and determine how to better implement the BEACH Act.

How to View the Lists of Beaches and Other Beach Details

Number of BEACH Act Beaches Reported

Each list is primarily organized by state and county. For some territories and Hawaii, the beaches are listed by island. Alaska's beaches are reported by community. Tribal beaches are listed by name. Beach names are listed with their monitoring status for the selected swimming season. We include only coastal and Great Lakes beaches in these lists. The lists do not include beaches on inland waters because they are not subject to the BEACH Act.

For the dynamic reports, the “Number of BEACH Act Beaches Reported” section is populated with national summary data. To view details for a state, Tribe, or territory, select the name of the desired jurisdiction. The jurisdiction reports provide the list of beaches for the selected jurisdiction.

Selecting a beach name in a jurisdiction report will guide you to a map view of the selected beach. That view shows the extent of the beach, provides the most recent advisory or closure status and water quality monitoring data that the state has reported, and links to the state's website for the most up-to-date information.

BEACON includes:

• Beach views
• National map of BEACH Act jurisdictions
• 12 standard reports about:
  • Water quality monitoring events and results
  • Advisory and closure durations
  • Pollution sources

How did the EPA get this information?

States, territories and Tribes provide to the EPA monitoring and notification data for each swimming season no later than January 31 of the following year. Many jurisdictions report data more frequently. The EPA updates the List of Beaches as we receive new information.

How do I find more information about beaches in my state?

Visit the EPA's list of State, Territorial and Tribal Beach Program Contacts.