Assateague Beach at Toms Cove

The Virginia end of Assateague Island National Seashore, and the reason four out of five refuge visitors come: kilometres of undeveloped Atlantic beach with no buildings, no boardwalk and no commerce of any kind behind it — just dune, marsh and sky.

The hook at Toms Cove shelters a shallow, calm lagoon on the inland side that suits small children, while the ocean side has proper surf. Shells, horseshoe crabs and shorebirds are everywhere; large sections are roped off in summer for nesting piping plovers and terns. The visitor center is small, with a couple of tanks and rangers worth talking to.

Practical: lifeguards in summer, restrooms and cold-water showers, and a large parking area that fills by late morning on hot weekends. Included in the refuge vehicle pass. Erosion has been severe here and the beach access is periodically reconfigured, so check current conditions. No shade at all — bring your own.