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Think that a day at the beach is only for those lucky enough to live on the Pacific or Atlantic coasts? Think again. There’s beach fun to be had in all 50 states, including the 27 we consider landlocked. Don’t forget sunscreen!

RELATED: 7 beaches you can drive on

Arizona
The desert might be considered Arizona’s main draw, but London Bridge Beach in Lake Havasu City (on the California border) is downright ocean-like, with its swaying palm trees and warm sands.

Arkansas
Lake Ponder, in Crowley’s Ridge State Park in northeast Arkansas, is a beautiful beach by a swimming lake offering boat, kayak, and pedal boat rentals.

Colorado
Chatfield State Park in Denver‘s reservoir is a pretty beach that lets you soak in the view of the Rocky Mountain foothills. Campsites are close by if you want to make a night of it.

Idaho
Lake Coeur d’Alene will make you feel like you are on a fancy European riviera, with luxurious beach time and plenty of sunshine.

Illinois
Illinois Beach State Park is 6.5 miles along the sandy shore of Lake Michigan just 90 minutes north of Chicago is the only remaining beach ridge shoreline left in the state. It’s a beautiful site, with dunes, sprawling marshes, and lots of beautiful vegetation.

Indiana sand dunes on Lake Michigan’s shoreline

Indiana
Indiana Dunes State Park, just east of the southern point of Lake Michigan and about an hour’s drive from Chicago, offers gorgeous and shockingly high sand dunes.

Iowa
Iowa Great Lakes area is a vacation destination for people in Omaha, Sioux Falls, Sioux City and Des Moines. There are seven lakes and the best beach is Terrace Park Beach on Lake Okoboji.

Kansas
Historic Lake Scott State Park is hidden in a wooded canyon of craggy cliffs. The park’s spring-fed lake has a pleasant swimming beach with a playground and concession stand offering food, fishing supplies, canoes and paddle boats. The 1,020-acre state park also has camping, hunting, nature trails and historic sites.

Kentucky
Barren River Lake State Resort Park is a beach surrounded by forested, rolling hills, like something out of a fairy tale. Nearby is Kentucky’s well-known cave area, giving endless opportunities for exploration during your beach getaway.

Michigan
Grand Haven State Park Beach on Lake Michigan at Grand Haven is a big beautiful beach at a 48-acre state park. It even has a photo-ready red lighthouse and a cute boardwalk that leads into town, which is about a mile away. There’s also a running trail along the shoreline that will take you to Holland, another gorgeous lakeside city.

Minnesota
Located in St. Cloud, Minnesota, Quarry Park and Nature Preserve is a 600-plus acre county park and home to 20 abandoned granite quarries with hiking trails, bike paths, rock-climbing and swimming holes. Dive off of the rocky cliffs into the quarries, which are sometimes more than 100-feet deep. The best way to enjoy them is by “floaty.” Quarry number 11 includes a sandy beach along one side to make for easier wading.

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Missouri
The Lake of the Ozarks has more shoreline than California and it is top of mind right now because of the success of the Ozarks show on Netflix. But there are several lakes, rivers and hundreds of streams throughout Missouri, so literally the whole state has water running through it and there is no end to the water recreation.

Montana
Flathead Lake State Park on Flathead Lake’s Big Arm Bay, about an hour from Glacier National Park, offers a beautiful pebble beach with nearby camping available.

Rolling Nebraska grassland slopes down to blue, Lake McConaughy

Nebraska
Lake McConaughy features more 100 miles of white sandy shoreline perfect for swimming, building sandcastles or just soaking up the sun. The beach is also a popular spot for camping, as campers can pitch their tent right on the water’s edge.

Nevada
Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America and the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe has a private beach right on it, including access to a floating bar called Pier 111 Bar. The beach offers beautiful panoramic views of Tahoe’s snow-capped peaks in the High Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.

New Mexico
Lea Lake in Bottomless Lakes State Park is a beautiful sandy beach with an epic view making it ideal as a picnic location. It’s very close to UFO capital Roswell, which can lead to interesting story telling while on that picnic!

North Dakota
Lake Renwick, in North Dakota’s Icelandic State Park, has swimming beaches with a beautiful park and walking trail for a backdrop.

Ohio
Kellys Island State Park near Sandusky is a small beach that’s only about 100 feet long, but it’s known for its gentle surf and is a great spot for a quick kayak ride or dip in the water on a warm day.

Oklahoma
Arcadia Lake in Edmond offers hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking trails. There’s three beaches here, too: Spring Creek Park Beach, Central State Park Beach and Edmond Parks Beach, so it’ll provide hours of fun and exploration.

Pennsylvania
Stunning Presque Isle State Park, along Lake Erie has so much beach access, you will never get bored. There’s 11 beaches to check out in this area jutting peninsula just north of the city of Erie.

South Dakota

Ravine Lake in Huron is unique in that it’s a beach located right in town! There’s also picnic areas, fishing docks, and, of course, lots of sand.

Tennessee
J. Percy Priest Lake in Hermitage is just outside the exciting nightlife of Nashville. Its kid-friendly swimming beach offers a great way to relax after having too much fun at the honky tonks.

The Lake Powell with typical houseboats

Utah
Lake Powell near Page, Arizona, is surrounded by several beaches. A few of the most popular options include Good Hope Bay, east of Bullfrog Marina at green buoy 119; Lone Rock Beach, west of Wahweap Marina; and Warm Creek Bay near green buoy 17. Visitors will also find plenty of much smaller, more private beaches along the banks of the lake.

Vermont
Camp Plymouth State Park has swim, paddle, fishing or panning for gold options on 295 acres of state lands including a sand beach on the shores of Echo Lake in Plymouth.

West Virginia
Bee Run Beach in Braxton and Webster counties is a beautiful lakeside beach surrounded by lush forest.

Wisconsin
Located right in Milwaukee, Bradford Beach is known for its retro beach house, white sand, beach volleyball, and tiki huts. Bradford is also known as a hub for freshwater surfing. Of course, that can only be done on the windiest, often coldest days when the “surf’s up.” An interesting historical point: What is known today as Milwaukee’s lakefront wasn’t there until the early 1900s. Bradford Beach and much of the lakefront were created to protect the cliffs above it from erosion.

Wyoming
The beach at Heart Lake in Yellowstone National Park is actually quite temperate. It’s a minimum 8-mile walk so don’t expect a lot of day-trippers there.  Deeply beautiful, but not all that accessible, making it great for a secluded getaway.

Tagged: Arizona, Chicago, Colorado, Michigan, Midwest, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Mexico, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont

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Aly Walansky
Aly Walansky is a NY-based lifestyles writer.

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