9 Beach Towns Perfect for Fall Getaways

From Nantucket to Newport Beach, these destinations shine when summer fades

dune grass in the foreground with a person on a beach

In the fall, these beach towns are more affordable and less crowded. Catch the sunrise at Rehoboth Beach in Delaware.

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Kitty Bean Yancey,

Updated September 30, 2025

AARP

Published August 31, 2022

/ Updated September 30, 2025

Those who love their beaches less crowded and a bit cooler know that autumn can be the best time to visit summer hot spots — which are also more affordable off-season, when hotel and home rental rates plunge.

According to the latest AARP Travel Trends survey, cost remains a barrier to travel for adults 50-plus. With that in mind, it’s a good time to consider these nine U.S. beach towns — each very different — for a fabulous fall vacation.

Aerial views above beautiful coastal Corona del Mar in Newport Beach

In the fall, expect sunshine and some warmth in Newport Beach, California.

Timothy Swope/Alamy Stock Photo

Newport Beach, California

This lively coastal community in affluent Orange County, an hour’s drive south of Los Angeles International Airport, boasts more than eight miles of sandy beach and is mostly sunny and warm in the fall. During the day, visitors rent bikes and pedal along the boardwalk, book a whale-watching cruise or ferry to Catalina Island from the historic Balboa Pavilion. Take in panoramic views from the seaside Balboa Fun Zone’s Ferris Wheel, and choose from an enticing menu of diverse dining options. Newport Beach is also where 2020 Tokyo Olympics beach volleyball gold medalist April Ross grew up. She trained on the volleyball courts of Corona del Mar State Beach, where you can watch amateurs and pros serve and spike.

Harbor Springs is a popular tourist spot in Northern Michigan

Travel along the “Tunnel of Trees” for some fall foliage viewing in Harbor Springs, Michigan.

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Harbor Springs, Michigan

The beaches in this historic resort community on Little Traverse Bay in northern Michigan are a few blocks from art galleries, antique stores and B&Bs. In fall, Harbor Springs also makes an ideal base for foliage viewing on the twisting, two-lane “Tunnel of Trees” along state route M-119. The 20-mile drive takes you under arches of blazing color along bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan. Stop along the way to taste Tunnel Vision Hard Cider or Michigan cherry wine at Harbor Springs Vineyard & Winery. Or try your hand at pumpkin bowling and the squash slingshot during weekend Fall Fests at Pond Hill Farm. Locals flock to the farm for brick oven pizzas topped with farm-grown veggies.

Bask in the emerald waters and 27 miles of snow-white beach in Panama City Beach, Florida.

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Panama City Beach, Florida

A popular and affordable Gulf Coast beach destination in northwest Florida, Panama City Beach is known for its emerald waters (beautiful for swimming and snorkeling), 27 miles of snow-white beach, gorgeous sunsets, the stunning St. Andrews State Park — as well as its accessibility. Under its “Fun. For. All” travel initiative, the boardwalk is designed for wheelchair users. Beaches also are welcoming to wheelchairs via ramps, and the city offers free use of beach wheelchairs at locations including the Russell-Fields Pier. Beach Powered Mobility rents various kinds of chairs, including a motorized Beach Cruiser and one that floats. Fall lures anglers for the annual Panama City Beach Fishing Rodeo, this year from Oct. 4 to 12.

a beach in the foreground with a gazebo and stores in the background

A visit to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, may include a stop at Dolle’s for saltwater taffy.

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Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

Crisp autumn days are made for biking, and the network of flat trails at this beach retreat, 2 1/2 hours east of the nation’s capital, is perfect for recreational cyclists. Former President Joe Biden and Jill Biden, who own a vacation home here, have been known to take a spin. If you like to stroll, hit the mile-long boardwalk and wide expanse of sandy beach — then do as the former president does and order a vanilla-chocolate chip cone at Double Dippers or the chicken parm at DiFebo’s Restaurant. Or sample wine, craft beer, mead and strawberry brandy at 18 stops on the South Del Tasting Trail. Don’t go home without a box of Dolle’s Candyland’s scrumptious saltwater taffy.

Piedras Blancas Northern Elephant Seal rookery, Pacific Coast Highway, near San Simeon, Central Coast, California

Head to Piedras Blancas Rookery to hear the raucous elephant seals.

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Piedras Blancas Rookery, San Simeon, California

This one’s for animal lovers. You can’t walk or swim at this fenced-off rocky beach about five miles north of San Simeon’s Hearst Castle on California’s Central Coast. The attraction is the entertaining, cacophonous colony of elephant seals, named for long noses resembling those of pachyderms. From September to November, juvenile seals swim toward land after months at sea. In late November, adult males weighing up to 5,000 pounds arrive to lay claim to territory and mates — often fighting loudly for both. At peak times in the fall, thousands of seals may be basking, barking and biting. Admission is free; just pull into the parking lot off Route 1. Afterward, stop by the Hearst Ranch Winery’s seaside tasting room (by reservation only) and say cheers to a memorable day.

people on the beach with umbrellas and towels

There are more than 30 miles of white sand at South Padre Island, Texas.

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South Padre Island, Texas

This barrier island offers more than 30 miles of white sand on the state’s southern tip. While it’s known for spring break partying, with plenty of watering holes and live music venues, fall brings room for more grownup diversions. The South Padre Island Birding, Nature Center & Alligator Sanctuary, for one, has a five-story watchtower and blinds where you can train binoculars on a variety of seabirds. Birding walks and lectures about the center’s inhabitants are also offered. And fish are biting in the fall. Take a charter and hook up with tarpon and red snapper, or drop a line from a fishing pier.

Brant Point Light and cabin cruiser yacht in Nantucket

Come autumn in Nantucket, Massachusetts, hotel rates sink, the mood mellows and the foliage is fantastic.

Andy Caulfield/Alamy Stock Photo

Nantucket, Massachusetts

The island summer playground of the rich and famous, an hour from Hyannis via high-speed ferry, has more appeal to the everyday traveler come fall. Hotel rates sink, the mood mellows and the foliage is fantastic. You’ll have nearly two dozen public beaches to explore — consider bringing or renting a bike — including rugged Madaket (sunset-watching), Surfside (early-morning shell collecting) and Jetties (unlike many Nantucket beaches, it has restrooms). In town, stroll cobblestone streets and photograph the stately former homes of whaling captains. At night, tables at popular eateries are easier to reserve. Do as the locals do, and dance to live music at the unpretentious Chicken Box nightspot. Craft lovers might plan a late November visit for the Nantucket Historical Association’s Festival of Wreaths display.

Sister Bay, Wisconsin, is a tranquil retreat in the fall.

Dan Eggert/Destination Door County

Sister Bay, Wisconsin

Founded by Swedish immigrants, the village of Sister Bay — named for two islands at the mouth of Green Bay — is a favorite of mature visitors to the Door County vacation mecca. It’s an especially tranquil retreat in the fall. Play pickleball or spring for a room with a two-person whirlpool tub at Country House Resort. The resort doesn’t accept kids under 13 and was named one of the most romantic hotels in Wisconsin in 2025 by Midwest Living magazine. Getting around downtown on weekends is simple via the new, free Sister Bay Shuttle. Visit art galleries and locally owned boutiques, maybe stopping for a silky pumpkin pie-flavored goat’s milk gelato at Door County Creamery before relaxing on a bench to watch a spectacular sunset. Gawk at live goats on the sod roof of Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant (May to mid-October) or savor a traditional Door County fish boil at the White Gull Inn in nearby Fish Creek. It features whitefish and red potatoes simmered over a wood fire, topped off with pie made from Door County cherries.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is a paradise for vacationers on a budget.

Margaret Wiktor/Shutterstock

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Vacationers on a budget love the bustling, attraction-packed city, which has it all in the fall. Rates at some beachfront resorts sink to less than $90 nightly. Visit the AARP Travel Center for lodging discounts. Aside from being the gateway to 60 miles of beach known as the Grand Strand, the so-called “Golf Capital of the World” boasts more than 80 courses, from PGA perfect to easy par-3 short courses. Scoop up bargains at outlet centers. Tap your feet to country tunes at The Carolina Opry Theater, which also hosts oldies nights. Those with a green thumb will be enchanted by 9,100-acre Brookgreen Gardens, south of the city, with its imposing live oak alley, butterfly garden and display of palmetto trees. Starting in late November, Nights of a Thousand Candles events, featuring illuminated greenery, are popular. Seafood lovers swarm to nearby Murrells Inlet fishing village to gaze at the water while sampling red snapper, flounder and creamy Low Country she-crab soup.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published Aug. 31, 2022. It has been updated to reflect new information.

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Kitty Bean Yancey, a former USA Today deputy managing editor, is the winner of multiple Lowell Thomas Awards from the Society of American Travel Writers.

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