America's best beachcombing beaches

USA Today shells Mocrocks Beach 3 credit to Swae Photography

USA Today shells Mocrocks Beach 4 credit to Fox in the Pines Photography

Then retreat to one of the 25 rustic cabins at the oceanfront Iron Springs Resort (they feel like private beach houses) for a fun family stay.

USA Today shells Ocean Beach CA 2 credit to Courtney Mundell

USA Today shells Ocean Beach CA 3 credit to Courtney Mundell

USA Today shells Ocean Beach CA 4 credit to Courtney Mundell

USA Today shells Ocean Beach CA credit to Courtney Mundell

There are sandy shores here, but the stony beaches of Block Island offer the best shelling opportunities for those looking to fill their buckets to the brim.

USA Today shells Block Island RI credit to Stephanie Arnold

The Delaware Seashore State Park in Rehoboth (between popular Dewey Beach and Bethany Beach) delivers for those in search of seashells during the off season months (fall and winter), in particular.

USA Today shells Delaware Seashore State Park 2 credit to Delaware Seashore State Park

USA Today shells Delaware Seashore State Park after a storm credit to Delaware Seashore State Park

Exploring the miles of undeveloped shoreline fringing tKeewaydin Island in the Gulf of Mexico just off the coast of Naples feels like opening a Pandora’s box of shell delights.

USA Today shells Keewaydin Island FL 1 credit to Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau

Part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, located on Perdido Key near Pensacola in Florida’s Panhandle, Johnson Beach is the place to scavenge for such treasures as sunray venus clams, pen shells, cockles, conch and more.

USA Today shells Johnson Beach Perdido Key 2 credit Visit Pensacola

Sanibel and Captiva, sister islands off the southwest coast of Florida, are probably the most famous spots for shelling in the USA.

USA Today shells Sanibel 1 credit to South Seas Island Resort

Hotels like the South Seas Island Resort even go so far as to offer “Shelling Concierge” services to their guests, providing insider tips on where to hunt for the most coveted shells.

A true Florida secret, the quaint community of Atlantic Beach – just east of downtown Jacksonville on Florida’s Atlantic Coast – is a wonderful spot for many reasons.

USA Today Atlantic Beach 1 sharks teeth credit Terry-Ward.com

USA Today Atlantic Beach 3 sharks teeth credit Terry-Ward.com