Top Ten Beaches in the United States

Plant it here for the sunrise

It's a no-brainer: To find America's best beach to watch the sunrise, head east. In fact, head so far east that there's nothing between you and the wide-open ocean. Acadia National Park certainly fits the bill; the problem, of course, is that most of the park's coastline is rocky. So keep driving into the park; on the eastern edge of Mt. Desert Island is Acadia's only sand beach—called, appropriately, Sand Beach.

These are the only grains of sand you'll find out of Acadia's almost 48,000 acres of granite-domed mountains, woodlands, lakes and ponds, and ocean shoreline. But the reward is well worth the effort. Wake up while it's still dark and catch dawn's rosy fingers easing over the horizon.

Essentials:

For more info, call 207-288-3338 or go to www.nps.gov.

Tip:

July to September are the busiest months. Skip 'em. Try for the fourth Sunday in April each year—it's officially Car Free Day in Acadia.