With summer in full swing, many families are packing up for beach towns to beat the heat. While coastal getaways look serene, wheelchair users or people who use mobility aids can run into everything from steep ramps and uneven boardwalk gaps to inaccessible viewing areas and beach entrances designed like mountain climbs for no apparent reason.
Luckily, the Mid-Atlantic coast, stretching from Maine down through New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, has some of the most accessible beaches and boardwalks on the East Coast. So what actually makes a beach and boardwalk wheelchair accessible? It comes down to practical things such as smooth boardwalk planks or pavement surface, 1:12 or gentler ramp grades, wide-wheeled beach wheelchairs, mobi mats, and accessible parking spots.
Let’s check out some of the best accessible boardwalks that offer all these features and more!
New England and the Mid-Atlantic: Iconic Timber & Inclusive Infrastructure
When it comes to the Mid-Atlantic tour, the following coastal stretches have quietly become some of the most thoughtfully accessible on the entire Eastern Seaboard:
Ogunquit Beach, ME: Scenic Canopy Views
Ogunquit Beach is a 3.5-mile barrier beach of fine white sand that makes people stop mid-sentence. The Marginal Way is a paved 1.25-mile coastal footpath that runs along the rocky headland between Ogunquit Beach and Perkins Cove, delivering unobstructed Atlantic views.
Down at the beach, you’ll find seasonal mobility support and access points that don’t immediately punish you with steep drops. Mount Agamenticus Conservation Region is located nearby, where you can roll along the promenade under leafy canopies, then end up watching waves while tourists argue over who gets the last blueberry ice cream.
Wildwood Boardwalk, NJ: The Wide-Margin Concrete and Timber Track
At two miles long and up to 40 feet wide in some sections, Wildwood Boardwalk is one of the most iconic attractions in New Jersey. There are amusement piers with roller coasters, three incredible water parks for splashing around, and a fully accessible Sightseer Tram Car with retrofitted low floors and dedicated wheelchair bays.
The Wildwood Boardwalk hosts a number of festivals and events throughout the year, including vintage car shows, the International Kite Festival, the Wildwoods’ Baby Parade, and more. If you want to see a collection of the neon motel nostalgia signs from Wildwood’s 1950s and 60s heyday, the Doo Wop Preservation League and its outdoor museum are worth visiting.
Ocean City, NJ: Classic Timber with Flush Street Integration
Known as New Jersey’s most family-friendly shore town, Ocean City’s boardwalk surface is a mix of concrete and wood, with the newer sections being significantly smoother. Beach access mats exist at multiple points, including Surf Road, Waverly Beach, Stenton Place, 14th Street, 34th Street Beach, and 58th Street Beach, so you can actually choose your entry instead of committing to a single long route.
Wheelchairs are available at the Music Pier Information Center, or you can get the surf chair from lifeguard headquarters. Once there, don’t forget to visit The Ocean City Historical Museum on 17th Street, featuring exhibits on the town’s lifesaving history and Victorian-era beach culture.
Cape May, NJ: Historic Promenade with Mobi-Mat Integration
Cape May is the kind of place where people come for a weekend and end up coming back every summer for twenty years. The 1.25-mile boardwalk is more promenade-style than amusement-heavy, which makes movement calmer and more predictable.
Cape May has installed mobi-mat beach access systems at several points along the promenade, helping wheelchairs move across the sand without sinking. Here, you’ll find lighthouse views, dolphin cruises, and cafés where nobody judges you for ordering dessert before lunch.
The Cape May-Lewes Ferry, which crosses the Delaware Bay to Rehoboth, DE, has accessible boarding procedures, making it easy to enjoy the open water with your wheelchair van right alongside.
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Delmarva Peninsula: Family-Centric Horizons
The Delmarva Peninsula features more manageable boardwalks and a slower pace, making it suitable for easygoing family beach trips. Some of the worth visiting areas include:
Rehoboth Beach, DE: Compact, Flat, and Frictionless
Rehoboth Beach has one mile of boardwalk that is accessible to both manual and power chairs, several flat streets, and Rehoboth Avenue leading straight toward the ocean. Rehoboth has installed mobi-mats at the dunes crossing, while free beach wheelchairs are available through the Rehoboth Beach Patrol during the season.
Right off the boardwalk, you’ll find Funland with its old-school rides and gloriously chaotic vacation energy. And of course, there’s Archie’s Ice Cream for post-beach sugar recovery and Thrasher’s French Fries, where people gladly wait in line for hot fries soaked in vinegar.
During summer evenings, the bandstand near the boardwalk also hosts free concerts, so your beach day can casually turn into live music and ocean air with little planning. If you’re staying a few days, make time for Cape Henlopen State Park. Located about three miles north of the boardwalk, this accessible park has a 3.5-mile paved trail that winds through dunes, passes Gordons Pond, and opens up to bay views that somehow keep getting better around every bend.
Ocean City, MD: The Ultimate Boardwalk Energy
Maryland’s Ocean City is bigger, louder, and honestly more fun than New Jersey’s Ocean City. The concrete 2.9-mile boardwalk extends from the Inlet at the southern tip up to 27th Street. Along the way, you can load up on Dolle’s Candyland saltwater taffy, burn off the sugar rush on skee-ball at Sportland Arcade, and enjoy thrilling rides at Jolly Roger.
When the rides are done, pull up a bay-view table at Fish Tales Bar & Grill on 21st Street at Bahia Marina, where the sunsets over Assawoman Bay are the kind that make you completely forget about time.
If you need a break from the crowds, there’s mini golf at Old Pro Golf, the iconic Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum, and evening concerts during summer that turn the boardwalk into one long outdoor hangout.
Virginia and the Carolinas: The Gold Standards of Concrete Boardwalks & Scenic Attractions
Further down the coast, Virginia and the Carolinas have serious vacation energy. Here, you must visit the following beaches:
Virginia Beach, VA: The 3-Mile Concrete Promenade
Virginia Beach has a three-mile concrete promenade, with separate biking and walking lanes that prevent total human traffic chaos. Along the route, you’ll find benches with accessible pull-up spaces, permanently installed mobi-mats, and frequent beach access points with seasonal beach wheelchair availability.
There’s also the iconic 34-foot King Neptune statue, where almost everyone stops for photos before continuing toward fries or frozen drinks. Parallel to the boardwalk, Atlantic Avenue has wide sidewalks, flush curb cuts, and accessible crossings. If you want to see some marine animals, the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center is a short drive from the boardwalk.
Carolina Beach, NC: Classic Boards Meet Seasonal WaterWheels
Carolina Beach has a laid-back, vintage beach-town vibe that’s anything but boring. The boardwalk is smaller and easier to manage than some larger tourist beaches, while seasonal WaterWheels beach chairs help visitors get closer to the shoreline.
Nearby, Carolina Beach State Park has accessible trails that wind through rare Venus flytrap habitat and offer marina views, while the boardwalk area keeps things fun with fluffy donuts (try Britt’s Donuts), seafood shacks, carnival rides, occasional fireworks, and live summer music drifting through the evening air.
Myrtle Beach, SC: Lowcountry Boards and Sky-High Accessibility
Myrtle Beach is 60 miles of coastline, featuring a 1.2-mile boardwalk that runs through the heart of the Grand Strand. The SkyWheel is one of the biggest attractions here, with accessible gondolas offering sweeping Atlantic views that make everyone suddenly reach for their phone camera at the exact same time.
Back at ground level, Croissants Bistro & Bakery is perfect for a slower breakfast before the beach crowds fully wake up, while Dead Dog Saloon serves up shrimp, hush puppies, and Fido’s Fish Sandwich. Right off the boardwalk, Plyler Park hosts free summer concerts that turn ordinary evenings into full-on singalong situations. If you want to see some of the most bizarre and mind-boggling illusions, Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odd-itorium is a must-visit.
Enjoy an Accessible Boardwalk Tour With Wheelchair Getaways
With over 210 locations across the United States, Wheelchair Getaways makes it easy to get to the beach. Our fleet includes wheelchair-accessible vans featuring ramps and lifts for smooth boarding, tie-down and securement systems for safety, and enough interior space to ride comfortably along with your beach gear.
Thanks to our flexible rental periods, you can rent for a day, a week, or however long it takes to eat your way through every boardwalk fry stand on the East Coast. We also offer regular discounts and seasonal deals that make longer coastal trips a lot more doable without stretching the budget. When you’re ready, simply call (866) 224-1750 or fill out the booking form to lock in your travel plans.
For more information, call us today at (866) 224-1750 or fill out the online form to check availability for the week of July 4th in your city.