Shell collecting is a popular beach activity that’s fun and easy to do. For some, it’s a way to take home a pretty souvenir, and for others, it’s a dedicated hobby. Some even build a business around it, collecting perfect specimens of beautiful and exotic shells and cleaning and preparing them for sale. While you can find shells at any beach, some are particularly known for their high-quality “shelling.” Here are the best U.S. beaches for collecting shells.
1. Shelter Island, New York
Shelter Island is between the North and South Forks of Long Island, and it has 25 miles of coastline that includes 6 beaches. Of them, Crescent Beach is considered to be one of the best in the region for shell collecting.
2. Calvert Cliffs State Park, Maryland
As the Calvert Cliffs crumble, they reveal the fossilized remains of prehistoric marine species. When you comb the beaches of this Chesapeake Bay site, look especially for fossilized shark teeth, sea glass, and even arrowheads.
3. Ocracoke Island, North Carolina
Ocracoke Island isn’t easy to get to, which is why it’s less crowded than other beaches in its region. From the north, you have to drive the full length of the Outer Banks and then take a fairly short ferry ride across, and from the south, it’s a ferry trip of several hours. Because the Gulf Stream is close, the ocean is warmer here than it is in the rest of the Outer Banks. Point Beach, on the northern end of the island, has exceptionally good shelling.
4. Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina
A ferry is also the only way to get to the beaches here, which keeps it from ever getting too crowded. Strolling the shores at sunrise, looking for what washed up overnight, is a great experience.
5. Folly Beach, South Carolina
More than 700 different types of shells have been found at this beach, one of the state’s best. Starfish, sand dollars, and urchins sometimes wash up here as well, but one of the most prized finds is fossilized shark teeth.
6. Sanibel Island, Florida
The Gulf Coast beaches are generally considered to have the best shells in the U.S., and Sanibel Island is the most acclaimed of them all. Early morning, the day after a storm, and as the high tide is going back out are the best times to find shells. Why is the Sanibel area so great? Experts attribute it to a wide continental shelf offshore that supports larger populations of shellfish, crustaceans, and the like.
7. Captiva Island, Florida
Captiva Island lies just north of Sanibel Island and has similar shelling opportunities. Because Sanibel commands so much attention, Captiva can provide some respite from the crowds.
8. Galveston Beach, Texas
Storied Galveston Island is less than an hour’s drive from Houston, the nation’s fourth-largest city, so don’t expect to have the sands to yourself here. However, don’t let that stop you from searching for shells here. Early morning and following a storm are the best times.
9. Padre Island National Seashore, Texas
Padre Island, a 70-mile seashore, is the longest undeveloped barrier island in the world, and you can drive most of it. You can look for shells anywhere out here, but the best spots are the aptly named Little Shell and Big Shell Beaches.
10. Point Reyes National Seashore, California
With their backdrop of tall cliffs, the beaches here are among the most spectacular in the country. Up close, a nice variety of shells await discovery. Bonus: check out the many tide pools for starfish, urchins, and other denizens of the tidal world.
11. Cannon Beach, Oregon
You’ve probably seen pictures of this beach with its rocky shores dominated by Haystack Rock. Low tide often leaves dozens of sand dollars all about, and from late fall into early winter, you can also see migrating gray whales off in deeper water.
12. Shipwreck Beach, Hawaii
The waters at this beach on Lanai are too turbulent and dangerous for swimming, but that same turbulence washes all kinds of things up, including beautiful shells. You can only access this scenic beach on foot or with a four-wheel-drive vehicle.
13. Waikiki Beach, Hawaii
This world-famous beach on Oahu has two miles of white sand shores where visitors like to search for seashells. Because of the exotic location, shells here are different from those usually found along beaches in the Lower 48.
14. Marco Island, Florida
Marco Island is the largest barrier island in southwestern Florida. White sands and calm waters make it an excellent place to look for beautiful shells.
15. San Jose Island, Texas
Twenty-one miles of pristine shoreline grace this Gulf island. You have to take a ferry to get to the island, and there are no amenities there.
16. Stinson Beach, California
Part of the Golden Gate Recreation area, Stinson Beach is one of the best shelling beaches on the West Coast. At low tide, look for sand dollars, and at the south end, you can find urchins, sea anemones, and starfish.
17. Silver Strand State Beach, California
Silver Strand is on Coronado Island in the waters off San Diego. It’s known and named for silvery oyster shells covering the dunes, but you can find many other shell varieties here, too.
18. Point Roberts, Washington
Located not far south of Vancouver, this beach has crystal-clear waters and beautiful landscapes. The setting is also perfect for abundant marine life that you can discover during low tide.
19. Point No Point Beach, Washington
As you shell at this beach, you can see passing whales and also, on clear days, Mount Rainier. It’s home to geoducks, the largest burrowing clams in the world, but those aren’t the only shells you’ll find here.
20. Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida
You’ll find this spot near Pensacola, and among the top finds is a “hurricane ball,” an egg-shaped combination of straw, palmetto grass, and seaweed wrapped tightly around a shell or small stone. Wave action during powerful storms creates them..
21. Cumberland Island, Georgia
A ferry ride gets you to this roadless island famous for its abundant sand dollars. Bike rentals are available, though, and that will help you get to Dungeness Beach, the best spot for shelling.
22. Shell Island – St. Andrews State Park, Florida
This barrier island near Panama City is only accessible by ferry, and its powdery sands and clear waters are perfect for swimming, kayaking, and snorkeling. Shelling is excellent as well, especially early in the day, and there’s the added bonus of getting to see dolphins leaping from the waters.
23. Dauphin Island, Alabama
There’s a lot to love about this island. The beaches are littered with shells, with the best bounties found just after a storm. Dolphins chase schools of fish off the shore, sea glass mixes among the shells, pelicans and ospreys soar above for meals, and sunsets are spectacular.
24. Anna Maria Island, Florida
Palmetto Beach is the place to go to find rare shells on this island, and fine quartz crystals keep the sands from getting too hot under the Florida sun. There’s also a back-to-nature feel since the shores aren’t lined with high-rise condos and hotels.
25. Fort Myers Beach, Florida
Fort Myers Beach is on Estero Island just east of world-famous Sanibel Island. In addition to great shelling, you can also enjoy archeological exhibits and hiking trails. There’s also a science center showcasing local marine life.
26. Fernandina Beach, Florida
Most of Florida’s great shelling beaches are on the Gulf Coast, but this one is on the Atlantic Coast near Jacksonville. Small shells such as whelks are most common, but a special draw here is all the shark’s teeth you’ll find, especially after a storm.
27. Navarre Beach, Florida
The county commission of Santa Rosa County runs Navarre Beach Marine Park, a Panhandle sanctuary in the far western corner of the state. Considered a hidden gem, this park offers great shelling without all the competition you’ll find at places like Sanibel, Captiva, and other well-known beaches.
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Robert Sihler is an educator, freelance writer, and rock climbing guide and instructor living with his family in Driftwood, Texas. In his spare time, he enjoys reading fiction, streaming films, completing crossword puzzles, and rock climbing. When he goes on vacation, he likes to visit the mountains of the West and climb remote, obscure peaks that have seen few or no prior ascents.