10 Wheelchair Accessible Beaches in the U.S., From Florida to Hawaii
With the United States being home to nearly 100,000 miles of shoreline, there’s no shortage of beautiful beaches to choose from. But for wheelchair users (or anyone with a mobility aid, such as a walker or scooter, for that matter), the options are often limited to the handful of places that have prioritized accessibility. Fortunately, thanks to new architectural standards for outdoor spaces, that scope is expanding.
In recent years, more public beaches have installed Mobi-mats (portable rollout pathways that provide a smooth and stable surface for traditional wheelchairs) and offered beach wheelchairs with larger, wider wheels that can easily roll across the sand. Some destinations have taken things one step further by offering additional attractions like all-abilities playgrounds and adaptive surf programs. Since not all accessible beaches are created equal (or properly maintained), we’ve enlisted the help of several beach-goers and disability advocates to round up the best wheelchair-accessible beaches from coast to coast.
GettyWaikiki Beach, Hawaii
Oahu is one of Hawaii’s most ADA-friendly islands and when it comes to its beach destinations, Waikiki is second to none. Made up of a few beaches including Fort DeRussy Beach and Sans Souci Beach, this two-mile stretch of coast has a mix of paved trails, grassy areas, hard-packed sandy patches, Mobi-mats, and man-made shallow lagoons. “I really liked the man-made swimming area at the main beach, which made it safer for me to swim without worrying about big waves,” says Olivia Shivas, a New Zealand-based disability advocate and journalist. All-terrain beach wheelchairs are available to rent at locations around the island, with most of them allowing you to borrow the wheelchair for up to two hours free of charge.
“The Fort DeRussy Beach rental place is my go-to for a team who is always willing to help with transferring or the process of getting me in and out of the water by steadying the chair,” says Shailynn Taylor, a motivational speaker who also recommends the lagoon at Hilton Hawaiian Village, a man-made ocean lagoon surrounded by hard-packed sand that is easier for chairs to traverse.
John Seaton Callahan/GettyHanauma Bay, Hawaii
Formed within a volcanic cone, Hanauma Bay is a pristine marine ecosystem teeming with tropical fish. Since it’s a protected nature preserve, visitors need to reserve an entry pass online (which costs about $25) in advance. “They only let in a very limited number of people each day, so it’s not overcrowded and you have tons of space to enjoy yourself,” says Tori Hunter, a disability travel and lifestyle blogger. “This was personally my favorite beach day while in Hawaii because the water was super calm and therefore it was so easy to float around in the beach wheelchair without getting thrashed around by waves.” While there are no access mats, Hunter says, beach wheelchairs are available free of charge and the tram between the upper and lower levels is wheelchair accessible.
GettyHuntington Beach, California
Surf enthusiasts have long flocked to Huntington Beach in Orange County. Now the iconic beach is making changes to become even more accessible, including debuting its first adaptive surf program with McKinnon Surf & SUP last year. A 150-foot-long access mat now also connects a paved trail to the ocean. “The Mobi-mat allows me to take my personal wheelchair on the beach and to the water with my friends without the added hassles and expenses of renting a beach wheelchair,” says Ryann Mason, a disability advocate, nurse, and former Ms. Wheelchair Virginia. “I can’t even tell you how much it meant for me to be able to push myself independently and stick my toes in my favorite place in the world, the ocean.”
GettyPanama City Beach, Florida
Home to 27 miles of powdery white sand beaches and abundant sea life, Panama City Beach is one of the most picturesque destinations along Florida’s Emerald Coast. Fortunately, it’s also one of the most accessible. “St. Andrews State Park is one of my favorite places in Panama City Beach because multiple Mobi-mats are available,” says Cory Lee, founder of the blog Curb Free With Cory Lee. “The park also has complimentary manual beach wheelchairs available to use, including amphibious beach wheelchairs that can roll in the sand or float in the water. I have rented a motorized beach wheelchair from Beach Powered Mobility a few times. Rolling up and down the beach independently is a great feeling!”
GettyGulf Shores, Alabama
With four access mats on the beach and plans to make its coastal walkway even more accessible with a 20-foot-wide concrete promenade, the City of Gulf Shores is moving closer to its goal of complete accessibility. “I love Gulf Shores and believe that it is one of the best accessible beach destinations in the U.S.,” says blogger Cory Lee. “Motorized beach wheelchairs are available to rent from a few different companies, including Beach Power Rentals, Sand Helper, and Beach’N Buggy’s. I’ve used the motorized beach wheelchair from Beach Power Rentals a couple of times and it’s fantastic. There’s nothing better than having complete independence on the sand.”
Art Wager/GettyMiami Beach, Florida
Along with accessible restrooms and Mobi-mat pathways, Miami Beach offers the option to borrow motorized beach wheelchairs (as well as manual wheelchairs) free of charge at the Ocean Rescue Headquarters, says Pratik “Wheelogger” Awasthi, a part-time accessible travel blogger. For those wanting extra help getting in the water, the Sabrina Cohen Foundation hosts Adaptive Beach Days, a monthly pop-up program that provides full-service access into the ocean with the help of trained staff and volunteers, in addition to access decks, beach wheelchairs, and other adaptive water equipment. The charitable organization is now working on developing a 27,000-square-foot adaptive fitness and recreation center on Collins Avenue, which would be the first of its kind on the east coast.
Jeff Poe/GettyHermosa Beach, California
This year, the two-mile-long Hermosa Beach in Los Angeles has become even more accessible, with the the installation of two more Mobi-mats (at 2nd Street and 22nd Street) in addition to its existing access mat at 11th Street. “[These pathways] take you pretty darn close to the water,” says Alysia Kezerian, a California native and the founder of Wheelies Around the World. “More and more beaches in southern California are adding accessible rampways onto the sand.” And with plans for Hermosa Beach to replace a quarter-mile of its Greenbelt’s wood chip path with a firmer decomposed granite, more wheelchair-friendly updates are on the horizon.
GettySanta Monica, California
Santa Monica is known for being a disability-friendly city and its main beach, Santa Monica State Beach, is an extension of this ethos. There are several accessible pathways to the water outlined in the Accessible Santa Monica Beach map. The map also marks the locations of all-abilities playgrounds, public restrooms with accessible stalls, free accessible parking, and all-terrain wheelchairs that are available to borrow complimentary from three Perry’s Cafe locations on Ocean Front Walk.
“The ability to pick up a beach wheelchair from a variety of locations along the coast makes it feel like the whole beach is really for everyone,” says Jennifer Allen, founder of the accessible family travel blog Wonders Within Reach. “The Ocean Front Walk and the pier make it easy and fun to explore off-sand, and the shops and restaurants in town are all street level and easy to navigate.”
Sherry Smith/AlamyVirginia Beach, Virginia
Intentionally designed for people of all abilities, Virginia Beach’s accessibility features go beyond Mobi-mats and beach wheelchairs (though those are also available to borrow on a first-come, first-serve basis at 17th and 24th Streets—free of charge). Grommet Island Park, the country’s first all-abilities beach playground, is located on the sand across from the Rudee Loop. And a 10-minute drive will bring you to the 70-acre beach-themed Camp Grom, an aquatic center and outdoor park developed specifically for children and adults with differing physical abilities.
“I really like that this beach has a perfect amount of things to do around the area in addition to a beach trail that is accessible to wheelchair users,” says Teresa Nguyen, an accessible travel blogger. Off-beach but nearby, you’ll find art museums, aquariums, and parks that are all wheelchair accessible. Jennifer Allen of Wonders Within Reach also adds, “Your handicap placard gets you free parking at any metered spot for up to four hours and the VB Wave also offers an accessible shuttle along the beachfront to most major attractions.”
FilippoBacciSebastian Street Beach, Florida
Fort Lauderdale offers miles of sandy beaches, but Sebastian State Beach, the city’s gay beach, is by far the most wheelchair friendly. “Being gay and wheelchair-bound, I love that this beach has beach wheelchair rentals,” says Kyle Ankney, a Fort Lauderdale-based social media specialist and podcaster. “It’s the beach that the majority of my friends default to, so the fact that I have the option to join them is excellent; it feels organically inclusive in more ways than one.” Beach wheelchairs are free to borrow daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from the lifeguard stand, which overlooks an access mat that provides a pathway to the shore. Accessible parking and restrooms with showers are also available.