What state are you in and how often do you go to the beach?
I’m from Rhode Island and in the summer months I go to the beach about 2-3 times a week.
Edit: add which type of body of water ie. Ocean, lake, etc.
Mostly interested in how much people visit the ocean but I know some lakes have some pretty ocean like beaches so I don’t want to discount them or get into the argument of what a beach is lol
Comments
Does the lake count?
About 2-3 hours aways depending on which beach. I’m just not a huge beach person so I’d say once or twice a year. I drive that far to the Appalachian mountains once or twice a month.
Daily.. I live there though. I’m a short walk to the beach. I usually just ride my bike though.
Edit: FWIW I’m on the Atlantic side of Florida.
I’m from Kansas. I never go to the beach.
I’m from Minnesota and I very rarely go to the beach, but that’s because I’m usually really busy in the summers and I also hate the beach/deep water
Indiana’s portion of the Ohio has very, if any, “beach”.
I’ve actually never been to the Indiana portion of Lake Michigan, but its supposed to be nice.
One of the major reservoirs in the Indianapolis area is almost completely surrounded by private property of the 1% neighborhood.
Utah. One every 2 years or so.
But I’m in the mountains every week.
I was lucky enough to grow up really close to a massive famous beach on Long Island (Jones Beach State Park).
As a teenager there were summers when I was there six out of every seven days. I’d find summer jobs with evening hours so I could get in more beach time.
Now it’s more like 2-3 times a week in the summer, and it’s Long Island Sound.
Maybe 3-4 times a year, but I’m in Oregon, so its not “beach” in the sense that people think it is.
I live in Illinois, but have relatives that we visit yearly in Florida. So maybe 2-3 times during the 1 week a year we are in Florida. If we are doing a beach vacation that year in addition to the Florida trip we may double our yearly beach time.
I’m in Vermont. The last time I went to the ocean was about 1.5 years ago, but I went to a Lake Champlain beach at least 5 or 6 times last summer. I’d go to the ocean more frequently, but money has been tight lately.
If the lake counts, a couple times a summer. I haven’t been to the ocean since 2016 (although I have plans to go this summer).
Missouri. Once every couple of years. A lot of people from the older generations where I’m from never left the state so I consider myself lucky.
2-3 times a week in summer, then maybe a few times total the rest of the year. Lakes and rivers
I’m from Cleveland, OH and we live right on Lake Erie. So maybe once a week in the summer – mostly to take my dog to the dog beach or to do beach yoga.
I live in San Francisco about 5 miles from the beach, but I grew up in the Midwest so I’m not used to the ocean and don’t really like it haha
So, I go to the beach <10 times a year and only when friends invite me.
I live in East Tennessee. We go to the beach once a year, usually somewhere on the Gulf.
Less than once per year. It isn’t that far but I don’t particularly enjoy it
Ohio, I go to the beach probably 4-6 times a month.
Been several years. I live 1-2 hours away (Maryland)
NYC and I try to go 2 times a month in the summer. It’s a nice 20-30 mile bike ride
Maybe once every other decade…maybe
For me personally? As little as possible.
I’m in Georgia, maybe a 1.5 hours from the coast. Haven’t been to the beach in close to ten years because I am not a fan of the sun or outdoors.
During the summer almost every or every other week
Every few months to the ocean – in Oregon. But we are often at the river during the summer. My husband literally lives on the water for a minimum of six months out of the year.
Lake, once or twice a month.
Unfortunately it’s been years since I’ve been to the ocean.
I grew up on the coast in Maine. The salt air is the smell of home to me and I miss it.
As a teenager I’d go to both Popham and Portland Head several times a summer.
Not as much as before I was married with kids (harder to make time) but I live 10 mins away and used to go a ton from around April – September any given year.
Most days. I take my dog to an off leash dog park that’s half beach.
I live about 10 minutes from the beach, maybe go twice a year. It’s packed full of tourists in the summer and they started making us pay to park from April through September. We used to go a lot more when the kids were little. We also have a riverfront and I hangout there sometimes, but that’s a totally different experience.
Colorado, and once a year when I go to San Diego for a week.
The closest beach to me is about an hour away and i go about once or twice a year at most, I don’t like the beach lol
My entire life has been just existing around the beach and the ocean
I’ve been to a beach maybe 6 or 8 times total in my almost 50 years.
I’m from Minnesota – I go to the ocean maybe once or twice a year while on vacation, and go to the beach on the lake about 5 times a summer.
I live like 10 minutes away from the ocean. I go maybe once every couple years. Basically only when an international friend is visiting and wants to go.
Edit: just remembered I started wildlife photography a couple years ago and have been to a different beach once or twice for photography.
Florida. Maybe once a year.
Not as frequently as I’d like. My brother lives in Ocean City, a 3 minute walk from the beach. I try to visit him as much as possible but I only gwt down there once a month th or so. It’s a 4 hour drive from me to him so a day trip but I have to have the energy for it.
I’m in Illinois. I think I was last at a beach about 30 years ago.
Indiana. Never
In the summer? A lot.
In the winter, almost never.
Not very often. Colorado is a thousand miles inland.
I’m 10 minutes from the Atlantic in NC. I go, nearly, every day for fishing or just sit there and listen to the waves.
North Alabama, i go to the Gulf of Mexico about once a year. Could probably go more its only like a 6hr drive
I’m from Florida and haven’t been to the beach in decades.
I live in a beach community. I try to go at least once a week during the summer. Maybe once a month off-season.
I enjoy the beach, but how often I go varies a lot by season. During the summer, maybe a couple times a month. During the winter, rarely. The water is pretty cold year-round, so I’d only actually go in when we’re having a heat wave.
I haven’t even been to a lake in a few years. The ocean? I honestly don’t remember — maybe 20 years or so?
I’m in Texas. I go at least once a year, but this year has been different and it’ll be twice MAYBE three times.
GA. Maybe once a year.
Lake beach? All the time. Sound beach? 3-4x/summer. Ocean beach? 1x/year sometimes more if we vacation in a beach area.
I live in Seattle. I take a walk at a beach by the puget sound once per week; mainly on days where I want a change from my usual lakeside walk. Visit a beach somewhere on an open ocean somewhere probably 3-4 times per year.
California
During the warm months, at least twice a month
Live in South Florida. Beautiful beaches where I live, I go a few times a month
Hawai’i. Ocean. 5x/ week (would be more if I didn’t work)
Montana.
Never. We have plenty if lakes and rivers though.
Once every other year. I live in Illinois but my family reunions are normally in Georgia or South Carolina. We’ll do an extra trip to the beach after all the family stuff is done.
Northern CA.
Probably 5-10 times per year? When I lived in the LA area is was probably the same cadence. SoCal beaches are much better imo, so I’m not sure if the cadence will change.
Maybe more often now that I’m a few minutes from San Francisco and I can hit the city and the beach at the same time.
I live three hours from the ocean. We have some nice lakeside beaches nearby. We go 2-3 times per month when it’s warm.
Weekly. River or ocean, both are about a mile away.
I’ve lived in San Diego for almost 30 years and I think I’ve been to the beach maybe 4 or 5 times max. I’m just not a beach person. (I live maybe 20-25 minutes from the beach- Pacific Ocean.)
Pretty often. At least twice a month when it’s cold like below 70°, but pretty much weakly when it’s warm
I should probably go more often, the ocean is only like 15-20 minutes away
I’m in Maryland. I’m about 3 hours from Ocean City/Rehoboth/Dewey beaches. I used to go about 4-5x a year. 3x in the summer and at least once or twice in the off season. But lately I have only been going 1x a year. I’ve been prioritizing more relaxing vacation atmospheres and I’ve been going to mountains more. My favorite hotel to visit in the winter got rid of their indoor hot tub so I haven’t had any desire to go in the offseason. Hotels have been so expensive the past few years too.
I’m in NY, but upstate.
Ocean: it’s been years, I miss it.
Lake: at least once a year, sometimes more.
We lived about a 45 min drive from Santa Cruz in California when I was a kid. We generally went about 5-10 times a summer. I really loved boogie boarding and my mom liked that it was free and she could just chill on the beach the whole time. It’s also a place you can take your dog.
Overall, I’d say beaches are pretty popular with Americans if you live within an hour or two of one. Most people enjoy the beach and, like I said, it’s generally free. Any good beach will be crowded enough in summer that you need to search for an open spot.
Once every five to ten years, I’d say. I love beaches, but they’re not nearby.
We’re from California, so beach = ocean. We live in Kansas now, but local lakes just don’t do it. So we go to the beach every 2 to 3 years when we can afford a vacation. Back when we lived in California and had young kids, we went maybe once a year. Taking kids to the beach is a huge production. Before that, maybe once a month during the summer and maybe one other random time during the cooler months.
im from missouri and I’ve only been to 1 beach in my entire 19 years on this planet. and it was a small lake side beach on the campgrounds. other than that, if I wanted to go to an actual beach, I’d have to drive about 12-18 hours (that’s not including stops, traffic, or anything else)
I’m in Michigan and I will note I am always surrounded by lakes or rivers but going to the beach to swim or kayak probably only happens 4x a year. There is a lake near me with no beach that I probably visit 6-7 times a year, there’s a nice playground there for my daughter. No swimming but lots of geese to watch. There is also Belle Isle which I visit at least 1-3x per year located off the Detroit river but I have never swam on the beach there.
I live in Miami and outside of maybe getting lunch at a restaurant on the water I go to the beach once every other year.
I live 30 minutes from the beach in the Los Angeles area and I never go. I hate the beach.
I go to the river all the time. Closest legit beaches to me are up in Chicago and I don’t make it up to the city very often unless I’m going to a Blackhawks game
I’m in South Jersey. Partner and I try to go once a month, but I could be happy with less. I work in a sand mine though, so I see plenty of sand and water on a daily basis.
Never. I live by a Great Lake, no appeal for me. Water is filthy and I hate the heat.
About once a week
Upstate NY (rochester), I coouuuld go to Lake Ontario more often but I don’t really enjoy any of the campsites or beaches for the lake. I think was last there… Four or five years ago? We’ve also made a trip to a camp on Seneca Lake, it was pretty nice.
When I used to live in Michigan there was a small lake we would go to and play on the beach near where I lived, but it was an artificial lake and beach, and a much bigger lake (Higgins Lake my beloved) we would go to every summer around the 4th of July that I loved. Every summer I really want to go back to Higgins Lake with the family, but hoping everyone can get the week off is tough.
Oregon
Beach, maybe 2x a year
Lake, maybe 3x a year
I don’t really touch water besides showering from September – June
A couple of times a year. I like the beach but I am not a beach person if that makes sense. Small doses
North Carolina. As a teen I went daily after work to run. These days I’m lucky if I make it twice in the whole summer.
I live 330 miles from the ocean so no, I don’t get to the beach very often. The last time was in California almost 10 years ago.
Only a few times a year even though the ocean is only a 35 minute drive away.
Almost never. It’s a shame too because I live on the coast, central coast, CA. It’s just too cold, crowded with tourists, a bitch to get to.
I enjoy the view every day. I still remember when I was a kid and always got excited when we drove down certain streets that could see the ocean. I still get excited to see it, but it’s a beautiful from afar thing…
I live withing walking distance of a beach, so I’ll go on runs or walks on the beach at least 2-3 times a week, even in the winter.
Never. I hate the beach
SC at least once a week
like, bring a blanket or a chair and hang out at the beach? almost never.
but I don’t live too far from the ocean and I’ll like, go hiking on the coast a few times a year, or go kayaking in a bay. (I’m too chicken to kayak on the ocean but I’ve kayaked in SF Bay a couple times, and also Tomales and Bodega Bays.)
Virtually never, unless I’m on vacation and it just happens to take me there, which is rare.
Not as often as I would like, unfortunately. I grew up in southern California, and we would go to the beach all the time. Now, I am landlocked in Nevada. I live near Lake Mead, but I haven’t even been–I’m considering buying a pass so I can visit when I want to.
But—it’s not the same as the ocean. I miss the salt air, hearing the waves crashing and lapping at my feet, walking on the beach and collecting shells.
I live a lot closer to the center of the country than either coast. Beaches aren’t quite so fun here. Lake and river beaches can be gross.
I just don’t.
i don’t like the beach because i don’t like sand, and our lake has like 1 spot that somewhat resembles a beach, but i do go to the water 3+ times a week. i live 3 minutes from the lake and fish often lol
At least every other day, but that doesn’t mean I go swimming/hanging out. I live within a five minute walk so I usually just walk along the shore with my dog.
I will go to the beach if I am in a place with a beach. The last time I went to the beach was in Iceland in September of 2022. We didn’t swim at the beach (kinda obvs), but we did do some snorkeling in the rift valley river which was cool. I do go to Water World sometimes and spend some time sitting at thunder bay; does that count?
Live in SE Michigan. Go to Lake Saint Clair a few times per summer, but my daughter goes several times per week. We can bike there. Lake Huron, maybe once per year but that water usually doesn’t get too warm. Have been to Lake Michigan a few times up near Sleeping Bear Dunes.
I live in Virginia about 40 minutes from the beach and maybe go once a year.
I live on the east coast of Florida. In the warm months, I go once per weekend or maybe every other weekend. When it’s cooler, I don’t go.
When I lived in Minnesota, I went to a beach MAX once a year but probably closer to once every 3 years – when I would go to Florida on vacation. However, we did go boating on a lake nearly every weekend in the summer in Minnesota. Not quite the same as going to the beach but similar.
When I lived in San Diego, north county area, once a week. When I lived a block from the beach there, every day. When I lived in the UK, 2-3 times a month. Now in northern New England, about once a week but only from June to August.
I go out on the water (lake) almost every weekend in the summer. My dad is a bass fisherman and I like to hang out on the boat. I don’t spend a lot of time at the (lake) beach but I’ll go a few times every year.
Almost never
When I lived in Florida, I would go once a week on average, weather permitting. Now I live along the Great Lakes. Sometime I go to the Lake since it is so close, but I don’t hang out on the beach like I did in Florida.
I try to make it a week a year trip. Lived near a Great Lake for a while so went to its beach more for the year I was near it. Other than that I don’t have lakes near me with beach’s.
Technically a park near me has a beach but is a man made beach on a glorified pond they call a lake
I go a few times a year. I live a bit inland, so a lot of beaches are an hour and a half to two hours each way and colder than the ones you’d find in SoCal, but it’s a nice escape from the Central Valley heat. Sometimes I go to the beachside Taco Bell in Pacifica for some fun. I also go to a local lake sometimes, but it’s only open for a portion of the year.
I live in Ohio so almost never. We do occasionally go on a beach vacation but that’s usually in the Caribbean, and a week in Michigan each summer. We use to live in the Chicago area about 2 blocks from Lake Michigan and then we’d go a few times a week, sometimes daily.
Central Massachusetts. I go to the town beach (lake) 4-5 days a week in the summer: every day it’s not raining.
I’m in Oregon, but I’m two mountain passes and four hours away from the coast. Also, we don’t play in the water much…
That said, I do visit our mountain lakes at least 2 or 3 times a week during the summer. They aren’t really “beaches” nor do they always have long sandy stretches, but I do paddle board and swim.
I lived in PA most of my life and I used to go down the shore at least 6 or 7 times during the summer. And sometimes in the fall. I moved to NJ to be with my SO. I’m about 15 miles from inland from the nearest beach and I haven’t gone once since I’ve been hear, which is about 10 years. I’ve found that most of the adults who actually live here and grew up here never go. The transplants from Philly or NY are the locals who will. Except when we go birding. I’ve been to the beach a bunch of times to look for birds. Except it’s always when it’s colder because there are no birds, except gulls, on the beach when it’s loaded with people.
During the late spring/summer at least weekly. We have a house with an easement to the lake in the Berkshires. I’m also about a mile from the LI sound so am there often. My family also has a beach house with private access near Rehoboth so I go there a few times too
I live in Raleigh, NC. The nearest ocean beach is 2 1/2-3 hours away. I probably go once every 4-5 years. To be clear, I dislike the ocean and would rather swim in anything else.
We go to the lake and river several times in the summer and make a trip to the mountains to visit waterfalls once or twice in a summer.
A few times a year. Michigan has some really beautiful beaches on the Great Lakes and they’re very accessible to pretty much anyone in the state no matter where you are. We also go down to Florida quite a bit. My wife and I were talking about this the other day, everywhere we go on vacation has to be near water or it doesn’t feel like a vacation.
I live in Tampa, Fl, last time I went to the beach was over a decade ago.
I can see the pacific from my house and I can be at the beach in 10 minutes. I go maybe 5 times a year.
Maybe a few times a year. I live 30 minutes from a beach, and I almost never go. Even when I lived 2 minutes from a beach I almost never went. I like the beach, it just doesn’t register very often as a thing to do. Maybe I’ll go today or tomorrow because you posted this lol.
3-4 times a year.
Prefer the springs. I burn like a mfer.
New York, once per year at most and only when my friends drag me there as I really don’t like the beach. I’m also not counting my trips going through the beach to get to a boat to go diving.
I live with a view of Lake Superior and go at least once a week in the summer.
I live a few minutes from Lake Michigan here in Chicago, which is actually pretty great as beaches go – no salt, warmer than the ocean, nice waves – but I rarely go. Sand is unpleasant, as is baking in the sun.
I live in Kansas City. Last time I went to the beach was in February for my daughter’s gymnastics meet which was in Virginia. With that said that was the first time I had been to a beach in the last 12 years. The closest beach is about a 12 hours drive. Also we have lakes but I really don’t like going to the lake it’s nothing like the ocean beach and I find it gross🤷♀️
I live a few blocks from the beach in San Diego, ca. year round we go at least once a week.
I live in CT. I rarely go once a year. The most I’ll do is the pool, and even then I use it like maybe twice the entire summer lol.
The ocean is a 6-7 hour drive (not counting the Houston area 🤢), so once a year or so. Most of the time I’m flying though
I have a lake “beach” only 10 minutes away. It’s kinda sandy, kinda rocky, kinda grassy. It’s alright. We go like once a week in the summer with our dog
Usually one week a year. It’s a 12 hour drive.
When I lived in Warwick I’d ride my bicycle to Conimicut Point, which is in Narragansett Bay, a couple times per week. Now I’m in South County, living on a river, with my own (tiny) beach. I visit that almost daily, year round, to enjoy the beauty of nature’s seasons.
Walk by the bay frequently but the water is freaking cold, so ocean beach yes, in water never
Texas, and maybe every 2-3 years in Alabama. When I lived in Alaska, we went to multiple beaches every summer, my favourite was Homer, it was nicest to swim in.
I live in D.C. I like to go to Nags Head North Carolina over the winter break. Has sand dunes, pleasant places to walk. I go maybe 4 times a year to a fossil beach called flag ponds state park. That is all. I might go to Savanah Georgia in the fall, there is a beach not too far away.
It’s been years, not dead sure the last time.
I live in Massachusetts not far from a beach. I don’t go at all, it’s not my thing.
I retired on the Oregon Coast, 3 minutes from the beach. I make coffee and go to the beach every morning, rain or shine.
I’m an hour drive away so once a month maybe, I go more often in the winter. It’s just too expensive now gas, sandwiches, Vodka/beer. I used to be able to get a room with two beds on a weekend for like $150 and split it 3 ways but no, no more.
Within the US? Never.
Outside of the US? 1-2 times a year.
Once or twice a year.
I lived 10 min away from beaches and hate going to the beach during the summer. I would much rather go during the off season in the fall and winter and walk.
When I moved away I never went until my in laws got a summer home in Canada. So we do the beach thing for a week or two up there for the kids.
I haven’t been to a beach in years. I’m originally from upstate NY. I now live in New England
I live in Chicago so never in the winter but usually once a week when the water starts warming up.
I live in central Alabama and the beach is 4 hours away. I’d love to go regularly but it’s not economically feasible. I didn’t go at all last summer.
I live in Hawaii. We went to the beach a lot when we first got here in the 90s and our kids were young. I like the calming effect of viewing the ocean, which I do daily on walks or errands, but as far as going to the beach, I haven’t been in years.
Upstate NY, and pretty rarely. Maybe once a year or every two years? I have a pool, though, and I do love to swim.
we vacation to the jersey shore every summer for a week, with random day trips here and there.
I live 15 miles from the Pacific Ocean and haven’t been to the beach since I was a child.
I grew up in Kentucky. We would go to the lake all the time. My mom liked to rent pontoon boats. Almost the whole summer we would go to the lake. All that water is something I really miss here in the desert. I haven’t been to any of the reservoirs here. They always seem so crowded.
I’m in MD, my parents own a condo, so it makes it easy to go between 1-3 times a year depending on the year. Its expensive down there. I wouldn’t be able to afford to go without this accommodation. I can barely afford paying for things when i do go.
In Utah where i was born and raised, once or twice a year if lakes or reservoirs count. Like a “classic” beach day with games and playing in the water. I would go fishing maybe once every 2-3 months, idk if that counts as ‘the beach’ I didn’t see the ocean until I was 7 on a vacation to Texas. I could count on one hand the amount of times I saw the ocean before age 20. Now in Massachusetts I see it all the time I don’t go to the beach because I’m now grown and can say yes or no to things but my friends go every other week in the summer.
I have lived within 30 miles of either the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean for most of my life, minus 3 years. Outside of childhood I don’t go as often as I should, MAYBE a couple of times a year. I do like knowing it is there though.
During the summer I’m going 2-3 times a month. I have a sailboat that I keep out there.
I’m technically walking distance from the Atlantic in Georgia. Though, that distance is pretty much all tidal salt marsh. The closest beach is half an hour drive and I only ever go a few times a year partly because parking there is such a pain and I don’t like getting stung by jellies that can’t be seen because of the murky water.
Hello, neighbor! I’ve lived along the Massachusetts coast my whole life and go to the beach about once per week when spring comes until about October something. Just walking around and breathing the salt air feels nice. If it’s hot enough, I’ll go in but the older I get the colder it seems.
I live right near the beach, so like… once a year tops.
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I live in Ohio and I walk along the beach about 2-3 days a week because it’s within walking distance from my house.
I live in Washington, I grew up on a literal island. And I hardly ever go to the beach. At least once a year for a family camping trip, but I can’t think of any more then that. I love probably 20 minutes from the water and I just never go.
I grew up near Gaspe Point. My mom would take us to the bay beach there many times all summer. My friends and I would walk there as teenagers. I would say once a week or maybe more.
I live about a half-mile from the ocean here in Los Angeles. I go to the beach maybe twice a year.
I grew up in Georgia, and we’d always go down to Florida for beach vacations. Warm, clear water. White sand, blue sky. Here in LA, the water is freezing cold, and muddy brown. And where I’m at the marine layer only lets the sun shine about 3 hours a day, otherwise it’s cold and damp 8 months out of the year.
Middle of Ohio… once every few years if I’m lucky?
I live in California, about two miles from the beach. We last went two days ago. I’d say we walk there 1-2 times a week on average, maybe a bit less in December and January during rainy season.
New York City here, love the beach but it’s a schlep and a half on the train or ferry, so maybe once a month during summer. If it were closer I’d be there every weekend.