The Best Gay Beaches in the US: A Coast-by-Coast Guide

Long before there were gay bars, there were gay beaches. A stretch of sand at the far end of the parking lot, a particular lifeguard tower, the dune everyone just knew — these were some of the first places queer people could gather in the open, and many of them have been doing it for the better part of a century. Today they're still where the community shows up to see and be seen, towel-to-towel, all summer long.

From the car-free boardwalks of Fire Island to the clothing-optional cove below San Diego's cliffs, here are the best gay beaches in the US — organized coast by coast, with what to expect at each, which ones are clothing-optional, and how to do them right.

The best gay beaches at a glance

• Most iconic: Fire Island (Cherry Grove & The Pines), NY
• Most fun town attached: Poodle Beach, Rehoboth, DE & Herring Cove, Provincetown, MA
• Best clothing-optional: Gunnison Beach, NJ · Black's Beach, San Diego · Hippie Hollow, Austin
• Best big-city escapes: 12th Street, South Beach · Hollywood Beach, Chicago · Jacob Riis, NYC

East Coast gay beaches

Fire Island — Cherry Grove & The Pines, NY

The most legendary gay beach destination in America, full stop. Fire Island is a car-free barrier island off Long Island, and two of its hamlets — Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines — have been LGBTQ+ havens since the 1930s and '40s. Boardwalks replace roads, water taxis and ferries (from Sayville) replace cars, and the wide Atlantic beach runs the length of both communities.

Cherry Grove skews historic, mixed, and a little more lesbian and laid-back; the Pines skews polished and party-forward, peaking with the famous Invasion of the Pines each July 4. Between them lies the wooded "Meat Rack." It's as much a state of mind as a beach.

Plan your trip: [Fire Island gay scene](https://outxout.com/gay-scene/fire-island-ny) · [Fire Island venues](https://outxout.com/venues/fire-island-ny)

Jacob Riis Park "People's Beach," Queens, NY

New York City's homegrown queer beach. The east end of Jacob Riis Park in the Rockaways — the "People's Beach" at Bays 1 and 2 — has been a gathering spot for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, especially Black, brown, and trans communities, since the 1940s. The abandoned hospital behind the eastern dunes is the unlikely backdrop, and it's reachable by subway-plus-bus or ferry, no summer share required. The park's grand Art Deco bathhouse is being reborn, too.

Gunnison Beach, Sandy Hook, NJ

The East Coast's largest clothing-optional beach, and reliably gay-popular. Gunnison Beach sits within the Sandy Hook unit of Gateway National Recreation Area, with the Manhattan skyline shimmering across the water. Nudity is permitted and entirely normalized here; the gay crowd traditionally gathers toward the northern end. It's a day trip from NYC by ferry in summer.

Poodle Beach, Rehoboth Beach, DE

Rehoboth is the gay-friendly "Nation's Summer Capital," and Poodle Beach — at the south end of the boardwalk by Queen Street — is its sun-soaked heart. Expect a packed, social, see-and-be-seen scene with the town's gay bars and restaurants a short stroll away. Just north, the more secluded North Shores draws a cruisier, quieter crowd.

Plan your trip: [Rehoboth Beach venues](https://outxout.com/venues/rehoboth-beach-de)

Herring Cove Beach, Provincetown, MA

At the very tip of Cape Cod, Provincetown is one of the gayest towns in America, and Herring Cove Beach is its sandy living room. Past the rotary at the west end of town, the gay section gathers at the south end — to your left as you face the water — the perfect west-facing spot to watch the sun melt into the bay after a day on Commercial Street. Bring water; it's a hike from the lot.

Plan your trip: [Provincetown gay scene](https://outxout.com/gay-scene/provincetown-ma) · [Provincetown venues](https://outxout.com/venues/provincetown-ma)

Florida & Southern gay beaches

12th Street Beach, South Beach, Miami

The beach at 12th Street and Ocean Drive has been South Beach's gay epicenter for decades — rainbow flags, beautiful crowds, and Miami's Art Deco skyline at your back. It's central, lively, and steps from the bars and cafés of the SoBe gayborhood.

Plan your trip: [Miami gay scene](https://outxout.com/gay-scene/miami-fl) · [Miami venues](https://outxout.com/venues/miami-fl)

Sebastian Street Beach, Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale has quietly become one of the best gay beach towns anywhere, and Sebastian Street Beach (off A1A) is its rainbow-flag-flying gay section — clean, friendly, and ringed by gay-popular hotels. Easy to pair with a Wilton Manors night out.

Plan your trip: [Fort Lauderdale gay scene](https://outxout.com/gay-scene/fort-lauderdale-fl) · [Fort Lauderdale venues](https://outxout.com/venues/fort-lauderdale-fl)

Higgs Beach, Key West

At the bottom of the country, Higgs Beach in Key West is the island's gay-popular stretch of sand, near the AIDS Memorial and an easy walk or bike from the guesthouses of Old Town. Laid-back, tropical, and very Key West.

Plan your trip: [Key West gay scene](https://outxout.com/gay-scene/key-west-fl) · [Key West venues](https://outxout.com/venues/key-west-fl)

Haulover Beach, Miami (clothing-optional)

Just north of South Beach, Haulover Beach is Miami's legal clothing-optional beach, with a long-established gay section. If 12th Street is the scene, Haulover is the tan line's natural enemy — relaxed, sunny, and refreshingly unbothered.

West Coast gay beaches

Black's Beach, San Diego (clothing-optional)

Tucked below the Torrey Pines cliffs in La Jolla, Black's Beach is one of the country's great clothing-optional beaches, and its northern end has been San Diego's gay beach for generations. The reward is a stunning, secluded stretch of sand; the price is a steep trail down (and back up). Come for the swim, stay for the sunset.

Plan your trip: [San Diego gay scene](https://outxout.com/gay-scene/san-diego-ca) · [San Diego venues](https://outxout.com/venues/san-diego-ca)

Will Rogers State Beach ("Ginger Rogers Beach"), Los Angeles

One of the oldest gay beaches on the West Coast, the stretch of Will Rogers State Beach between Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades has been nicknamed "Ginger Rogers Beach" since the mid-20th century. It's a sun-and-volleyball classic with the Pacific Coast Highway behind you and the mountains beyond.

Plan your trip: [Los Angeles venues](https://outxout.com/venues/los-angeles-ca)

Midwest, Texas & beyond

Hollywood Beach (Kathy Osterman), Chicago

Proof you don't need an ocean for a great gay beach. Hollywood Beach — officially Kathy Osterman Beach — sits at the north end of Lake Shore Drive in Edgewater, where Hollywood Avenue meets Lake Michigan. It's the unofficial summer headquarters of Chicago's LGBTQ+ community, a sandy, social scene with the skyline far to the south.

Plan your trip: [Chicago gay scene](https://outxout.com/gay-scene/chicago-il) · [Chicago venues](https://outxout.com/venues/chicago-il)

Hippie Hollow, Austin (clothing-optional)

Texas's one and only legal clothing-optional public park, and a gay institution. Hippie Hollow is a rocky, cliff-lined cove on Lake Travis just outside Austin, famous for the gay-hosted Splash Days parties each spring and fall. There's no real sand — you sun on the limestone ledges and jump straight into the lake.

Plan your trip: [Austin gay scene](https://outxout.com/gay-scene/austin-tx) · [Austin venues](https://outxout.com/venues/austin-tx)

More gay beaches worth the trip

• Oval Beach, Saugatuck, MI — the dune-backed beach serving the Midwest's favorite gay resort town.
• Kehena Beach, Big Island, HI — a clothing-optional black-sand cove with a gentle, gay-friendly, drum-circle soul.
• Asbury Park, NJ — a reborn, gay-friendly Jersey Shore town with a lively beach and boardwalk bar scene.
• Pensacola Beach, FL — the sugar-white Gulf shore that hosts a beloved gay Memorial Day weekend each year.
• Rooster Rock State Park, OR — Portland's nearby clothing-optional escape, with a long-established gay section.

Clothing-optional gay beaches: a quick first-timer's guide

Plenty of the beaches above are clothing-optional, and they're some of the most relaxed, welcoming spots on this list. If it's your first time, a little etiquette goes a long way:

• Look, don't leer. Discreet appreciation is fine; staring, following, or photographing people is not. Phones stay away from other beachgoers.
• Bring a towel to sit on. Basic hygiene — always have something between you and the sand or rock.
• Ask before you shoot. Never photograph anyone, clothed or not, without clear permission.
• Pack sunscreen for, um, everywhere. You're exposing skin that rarely sees daylight. Reapply generously.
• Respect the boundaries. Clothing-optional doesn't mean anything-goes — these are public beaches, and the same rules of consent and good behavior apply.

Frequently asked questions about gay beaches

What is the most famous gay beach in the US?

Fire Island — specifically the Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines communities off Long Island — is the most iconic gay beach destination in the country, with LGBTQ+ roots stretching back to the 1930s. Provincetown's Herring Cove and Rehoboth's Poodle Beach are close runners-up.

Which US gay beaches are clothing-optional?

The best-known clothing-optional gay beaches include Gunnison Beach in New Jersey, Black's Beach in San Diego, Haulover Beach in Miami, Hippie Hollow near Austin, and Rooster Rock near Portland. Most other gay beaches on this list are swimsuit-required public beaches.

Where is the gay beach in Miami?

South Beach's long-standing gay beach is at 12th Street and Ocean Drive, marked by rainbow flags. For a clothing-optional option, head north to Haulover Beach, which also has an established gay section.

Is there a gay beach near me?

Most major coastal US cities have one. Look for Fire Island and Jacob Riis near NYC, Poodle Beach near Philadelphia and DC, Herring Cove in Provincetown, South Beach and Fort Lauderdale in South Florida, Black's Beach near San Diego, Will Rogers near LA, Hollywood Beach in Chicago, and Hippie Hollow near Austin.

Are gay beaches welcoming to everyone in the community?

Yes. Gay beaches are some of the most inclusive spaces in queer culture — lesbian, trans, nonbinary, and BIPOC communities have long histories at beaches like Cherry Grove and Jacob Riis. Most are family- and ally-friendly during the day, too.

More gay travel guides

• The Best Gay Cruises — sail the seas with your people.
• The Most Gay-Friendly Cities in the US — where to base your next trip.
• Fire Island · Provincetown · Key West gay scenes — plan the whole getaway.