By David Lukas

Beaches cool our feet on a hot summer day, dazzle us with their sunsets and calm our minds as we mosey along the edge of the surf. But escaping to the coast takes on more forms than you might imagine. Embark on a journey to one of these enchanting ocean edges for a bit of history, solitude or relaxation.

Chincoteague Lighthouse.
© Paul Kennedy Lonely Planet Images.

Virginia and Maryland: Wild Ponies on a Beach

Assateague Island, a 37-mile long barrier island off the coast of Maryland and Virginia, is most famous for its wild ponies — the heroes of the famous children’s book, "Misty of Chincoteague" — that led to the island being designated a national seashore in 1965. Today, visitors to the seashore and nearby Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge come to explore its marshes by canoe, walk its long beaches, watch the area’s fantastic assortment of birds, or witness the pony roundup — an annual event since the 1700s. Held in July, the fancifully named Pony Penning includes moving the gathered ponies across the Assateague Channel at low tide.

Georgia: History and Sand

The entire coast of Georgia is an exceedingly complex maze of waterways, marshes and islands, replete with history and a special charm. Only four of the islands are reached by road, and few others are reached by ferry, leaving much of the area in a state of permanent wildness. On Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge you might sense a bit of the allure that once attracted pirates to these hidden coves, or you might instead spend your time watching the thousands of nesting herons, egrets and ibis that have found their home here for countless generations. During a ferry ride to Cumberland Island National Seashore keep your eyes open for playful dolphins, or venture out at night with a flashlight to look for ghost crabs scampering along the beach. In the summer this is the place to find 200- to 400-pound loggerhead sea turtles lumbering onto the beach to lay their eggs.

For a breather from all this excitement, kick back in Savannah, a vibrant coastal city with the largest National Landmark Historic Districts of any city in the nation. Cobblestone streets and 22 majestic, tree-covered town squares make it a favorite place to film movies, but visitors also love Savannah’s many museums, restaurants and famous architecture.

Oregon: An Oceanside Sahara

Oregon Sand Dunes National Recreation Area on the Oregon Coast contains more sand dunes than any other area in North America. Stretching for 40 miles from Florence in the north to Coos Bay in the south and extending two miles inland, this is a place where you feel utterly surrounded by sand. It's an incredible experience to walk several miles into the dunes and contemplate this endlessly undulating sea of sand. If the Pacific Ocean wasn't beckoning on the horizon, you could be forgiven for thinking you were in the Sahara.

Easily explored from numerous trailheads, the 500-foot-high dunes are a veritable playground for sandboarders and dune buggies, though huge portions of the recreation area are set aside and can only be visited on foot or horseback. Local forests are famous for their blooming rhododendrons, and on the third weekend in May the town of Florence, at the northern entrance to the dunes, holds a Rhododendron Festival, now in its 101st year.

California: The Lost Coast

Renowned as the longest stretch of pristine and remote coast in the lower 48 states, the Lost Coast of northern California is a haven for anyone in search of solitude. Here the hills and cliffs along this 80-mile stretch of beach are so rugged that highways and passable roads are kept at bay. Only four twisting, tortured roads reach this wild coast, and two of those are little more than single-lane dirt paths. Admission to much of the coast, especially the extremely remote 25-mile core area, is limited to hardy backpackers willing to brave capricious tides and tricky footing on the soft sand beaches. That said, visitors who want a peek at the sheer cliffs, hidden coves and black sand beaches can find access, campsites and facilities at various points along the Lost Coast, including the state park at Sinkyone Wilderness. A stop at the Needle Rock Visitor Center at the state park on the south end of the Lost Coast will introduce you to several shorter hikes and quiet beaches in the midst of this vast wilderness.

Bio: David Lukas is a professional naturalist who lives in the Sierra Nevada. He has explored many waterfalls from Oregon’s Columbia Gorge to the famous falls of Yosemite National Park.

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