Most Beautiful Beaches in Arizona
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Arizona has a multitude of beaches, deserts and rock formations worth visiting. The beaches in this region are lovely and great for cooling off during the summer’s scorching heat. Anyone who has travelled for a long time will be rejuvenated by the calming combination of water, sun, and sand.
Jet skiing, fishing, sailing, kayaking, camping, and just resting in the sun are just a few of the water activities accessible to you and your family.
Don’t forget to apply sunscreen as we prepare to go on an unforgettable tour of Arizona’s best beaches.
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Cattail Cove State Park — Lake Havasu City
If you don’t mind being away from the crowds, Cattail Cove State Park is one of the nicest beaches in Arizona. It’s a calm, family-friendly beach.
Visitors to Cattail Cove may enjoy kilometre after kilometre of white sand beach, a hiking route, grills, picnic tables, and fishing piers, among other facilities.
Pets are welcome, and there is even a dog beach, so don’t forget to bring your four-legged friend.
Patagonia Lake State Park — Nogales
Patagonia Lake State Park is home to some of Arizona’s most stunning pure water beaches, including some of the most popular in the state. This 250-acre lakeside park, which you can explore on foot, has boat rentals, picnic spaces, and walkways.
Patagonia Lake State Park, noted for its crystal blue lake and fluffy white beaches, is a peaceful haven away from the rush and bustle of city life.
Sonoita Stream is just a half-mile train ride away and has the best views of Lake Michigan. You could see a great blue heron or a white-tailed deer if you’re fortunate.
Rotary Beach — Lake Havasu City
Rotary Beach attracts both residents and tourists who come to enjoy the beach and surf. This is the place to go if you want to go on an adventurous weekend trip with your family.
Rotary Beach is a particularly safe place for youngsters to swim and play in the waves due to the absence of sharp pebbles or stones. There are also many playgrounds and a buoyed swimming pool.
Beach volleyball and bocce ball courts are only accessible to those who come early in the morning. Group picnics are also possible at select places, but advance registration is necessary.
Gateway Park — Yuma
Visitors should head to Gateway Park if they want to locate a beach with a lot of shade. This Arizona beach is a fantastic place to relax and swim since it is situated under the Ocean to Ocean Highway bridge.
You may enjoy a pleasant beach vacation at Gateway Park, where the waves are gentle and the sand is fine.
Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park is a short drive away if you’re looking for an out-of-the-ordinary experience in the city. Many consider this area to have the best haunted attraction in the whole United States.
Centennial Beach — Yuma
Yuma Centennial Beach in Arizona has gained in popularity as a result of the utilisation of around 1800 tonnes of Colorado River sand. During the summer, the beach is very crowded.
Centennial Beach offers a sand beach ideal for building sandcastles, relaxing in the sun, or enjoying a picnic for residents and visitors alike.
While you’re in the neighbourhood, visit the 110-acre West Wetlands Park. Visitors to this well-known tourist site may engage in a variety of leisure activities in addition to admiring the stunning views.
Buckskin Mountain State Park — Parker
Buckskin Mountain State Park, one of the area’s most popular beach sites, offers stunning mountain views, calm water on your toes, and a variety of activities.
Buckskin Mountain is a year-round paradise, with breathtaking views of the ocean, hiking paths, and a wide range of wildlife. Lakes and campgrounds are available all year, enabling you to participate in these activities whenever you wish.
If you want to camp or bring an RV to the campsite, you must make a reservation on their website in advance.
Windsor Beach — Lake Havasu City
It’s easy to see why Windsor Beach is a popular vacation spot for visitors searching for a tranquil retreat away from the rush and bustle of the city.
Windsor Beach, which is a centre for water sports, hiking, fishing, and four-wheeler routes, will keep you entertained at all times.
Wearing aqua shoes in deeper water might assist you avoid tripping over sharp rocks and stones.
London Bridge Beach — Lake Havasu City
The London Bridge beach in Arizona is famous for its crystal-clear waves, fine sand, and towering coconut palms, making it a picture-perfect holiday spot.
The rows of coconut palms that border the beach give the impression that you’ve arrived in a tropical paradise, which you have. This Arizona beach is the greatest place in the country to swim because of its large buoyed swimming areas and quiet surf.
Dogs are also allowed on the beach with their owners as long as they are confined, and a fenced dog park with water fountains designed to appear like fire hydrants is conveniently positioned near the beachfront.
Wahweap Beach — Page
It’s the ideal place to get away from it all, located on Lake Powell’s Wahweap Beach. Here is a long, sandy stretch with several granite outcroppings, and the water is very clear.
Spend the day with your family at Wahweap Beach to get away from it all. Swimming, jogging, and snapping photographs in front of the gorgeous backdrop are all options.
Wahweap Beach, a vast area of fine-grained sand and rocky outcroppings ideal for swimming, is devoid of tourists. It is a wonderful spot for a romantic weekend since it is not overrun with guests.
Tempe Beach Park — Tempe
Local activities and gatherings, such as those conducted in Tempe Beach Park in Tempe, are held on a regular basis at this location. If you’re looking for a place to stroll or jog, or relax, this is the place to go.
Temper Beach offers views of the Tempe skyline from the shore, making it an ideal location for exercise and sightseeing. Walking, biking, running, and skating are all allowed along the lake’s five-kilometer shoreline, which includes a beach. If you want to go out on the water and explore, you may also rent paddleboats and kayaks.
This is one of the top beaches in Arizona to visit if you want to enjoy a gorgeous scenery while working up a sweat. Additionally, it’s 15 minutes from Scottsdale so if you’re looking for fun things to do in Scottsdale, this is the right place!
Visit one of Tempe Beach Park’s numerous events, such as the Tour de Fat, Oktoberfest, New Year’s Eve, several music festivals, and others, for a double dose of excitement and enjoyment!
Roper Lake State Park — Safford
This beach is great for anybody who wants to unwind and get a tan while on vacation. Roper Lake State Park’s beach is seldom crowded, making it a good option for a peaceful day at the beach.
Swimming, sunbathing, picnics, and campfires with a view of Mt Graham are among the popular activities at this spot.
Because there are no lifeguards, parents must constantly observe their children in this calm, shallow water, which they should do at all times.
River Island State Park
River Island State Park lies close, in a sloping valley at the foot of granite mountains rising from the riverbed to meet it. A private beach with a grassy lawn is situated near the boat launch and just beyond the campsite, making it an ideal place to pitch a tent. A few mesquite trees are placed along the beach’s edge, offering a sliver of shade from the heat. The Wedge Hill Trail begins with a short but lovely ascent of the rocky ridges above, which rewards hikers with excellent views at the summit.
Lake Powell
Lake Powell boasts 1,900 kilometres (900 miles) of coastline, in addition to a beautiful tangle of canyons and an abundance of calm beaches. A few beaches may even be reached without the need of a boat.
Wahweap Beach is located on the shoreline of Lake Michigan, just south of the Stateline launch ramp. Wahweap Marina offers lodging, restaurants, camping, and boat rentals, as well as other amenities. Due to a pandemic, guided boat tours on the lake have been cancelled.
Body Beach
There is a half-mile stretch of water on the Colorado River with stunning scenery along the way. Keep an eye out for a range of water-based activities that may be taking place in this area.
The beach itself is stunning, with far-reaching vistas of rough mountain scenery in the background. Swimming and other personal water activities should always be approached with care and safety due to the high level of activity associated with water sport training.
Pebble Beach
Swimmers choose Salt River’s Pebble Beach because it is more suited to water activities than swimming. Vehicles with engines are unable to enter the water since there aren’t enough boat docks.
On weekends, this venue is really crowded, and once it’s entirely full, other visitors prefer to leave, so arrive early. Visitors may enjoy the water by tubing, partaking in other water sports, or swimming in shallow water while relaxing on the beach. Everyone has plenty of room to stretch out.
Diamond Creek Beach
The beach is difficult to discover since it is located south of the Grand Canyon, at the end of a lonely road with minimal traffic. You must first seek permission from an Indian Tribal Land owner to gain access to Diamond Creek Road and, subsequently, Diamond Creek Beach, as well as to utilise the beach.
Despite the additional difficulty in getting there, it is well worth the effort since it contributes to the reduction of overpopulation. Diamond Creek provides tourists with a range of recreational possibilities, including white-water rafting.
Lone Rock Beach
Because of the countless hours I spent there as a child, Lone Rock Beach on Lake Powell has a special place in my heart. I’d want to go back someday. The beach is soft and silky, the water is cool, and the Milky Way is stunningly beautiful in the evening.
Lone Rock Beach, on the Arizona side of Lake Powell, runs for kilometres and can accommodate big camping parties and groups of people. You may drive immediately up to your campground after launching your boat from one of the various accessible docks.
Make reservations at a nearby hotel in Page, then drive to the parking lot and stroll to the lake’s shore to enjoy your holiday. Lone Rock Beach, which spans for kilometres, is an excellent spot to unwind. There are pit toilets scattered around the park, as well as an outdoor cold shower for rinsing off the sand.
Lone Rock Beach is a nice area to camp for a few days or to moor your boat and enjoy an afternoon stroll along the beach.
Buddha Beach, Sedona
Are you seeking a spiritual connection with the natural world? The red rocks of Sedona have a natural fascination for anyone who are interested in chakras and earth energy. If you answered yes to any of the questions above, Buddha Beach should be on your agenda.
It’s an excellent idea to take the Red Rock Crossing Trail after entering Crescent Moon State Park. Then, after a short walk down Oak Creek, you’ll come across numerous cairns, which are little rock mounds that resemble miniature Buddhas.
Buddha Beach, which is situated beside the creek, has sand and shade, and the cold water is delightful on a hot day. In the realm of natural energy research, this site is classified as a strong vortex or a point of energy convergence, and it is distinguished by its existence. Be mindful of those who are meditating at Buddha Beach and consider joining them if you have the chance.
This hidden treasure in Sedona, on the other hand, is a peaceful, lovely location where you may find healing and mental tranquillity.
Butcher Jones Recreation Area
Butcher Jones Beach is only a few miles beyond Pebble Beach on Bush Highway, and it is well worth the trip. Because of the nearby cliffs that provide shelter and the water that progressively grows deeper as the day progresses, it is ideal for a family beach day in the afternoon.
Because the beach is just a few hundred yards wide on weekends, there is a lot of competition for available space. Visit during the weekdays for the greatest chance of avoiding crowds, just as you would at any other major water-based site in Arizona.
You may easily launch your kayaks, paddle boards, or canoes from the parking lot to explore the shoreline of Saguaro Lake and its neighbouring locations. Because it is a no-wake zone, Butcher Jones Recreational Area is safe from the wakes of passing speedboats.
This tranquil cove is popular among long-distance swimmers, and the buoys provide an excellent out-and-back route for anyone wishing to perfect their technique. Swimming here is considerably safer than swimming in the open ocean since there are no sharks or other potentially dangerous aquatic creatures to worry about.
Acacia Day Use Area
Despite the fact that it lacks the characteristic white sand and crystal-clear water, this beach is a fantastic spot to spend the day resting in the sun. Acacia Beach in Canyon Lake is a popular spot for kayakers and paddleboarders to set up camp for the day and camp out for the night. Take a rest in the shade of your umbrella after an hour or two of paddling.
During the week, you may have the whole beach to yourself! A short walk from the parking area, which offers covered picnic tables and amenities, leads to the lake. This location’s water is just the right depth for young swimmers to perfect their skills and acquire confidence. On a beautiful summer day, the water temperature is near-perfect, and it’s considerably better than usual.
Kayaking across Canyon Lake’s side canyons and alcoves is an unforgettable adventure. Indeed, if you’re willing to go a few feet into the sea, you may try your hand at beach fishing. You and your loved ones are free to use this no-wake zone, as long as you pack everything you brought with you!
Roosevelt Lake Beach
Campers may put up their tents immediately on the sand on Roosevelt Lake’s northwest shore, making it a pleasant and intriguing beach to explore. Arriving early enough in certain situations may enable you to stake a claim on coastal real estate.
A kayak or paddle board would be ideal for exploring Roosevelt Lake’s many coves and bays. Roosevelt Lake is enormous. You may launch your boat as soon as you arrive at the campground. If you have a telescope, bring it since the night sky is densely packed with billions of stars.
It is a safe area for families with little children since the water is shallow for a long distance out from the beach. Keeping an eye on your children when they’re near water and making sure they’re appropriately covered may help to alleviate your concerns about their well-being and safety.
Arizona Telephone Cove
Arizona Telephone Cove is a peaceful beach on Lake Mohave’s southernmost tip. The water is crystal clear, and the beach is immaculate, with a few shade-giving trees strewn around. Because it is less accessible than some of the other options on our list, this beach receives less tourists.
A short drive away is the Katherine Landing Campground, which has a day-use beach that is only available during the day. Telephone Cove is a great place to launch a kayak or paddle board since the parking lot is so close to the water. As soon as you step onto the beautiful sand of this beach, you feel as if you’re on the ocean rather than a lake.
Because Lake Mohave straddles the Arizona-Nevada state line, it has two distinct sides: one on the Nevada side and one on the Arizona side. Because of the lake’s close vicinity to the Davis Dam, which is situated at the lake’s southernmost tip, you may be able to visit it from both its north and south sides in a single day! You can take a boat across the lake, which is less than five miles long at this point.
Telephone Cove is an excellent choice for those who wish to enjoy Lake Mohave while avoiding the crowds who gather at the lake’s more well-known parks and beaches.
