North End Beach
North End Beach is a beach in North End, Virginia Beach, best for quiet mornings, locals' beach days, long walks, dog walking outside summer daytime hours.
North of 42nd Street the Boardwalk ends and the crowds thin out fast: the North End is the same wide Atlantic sand as the Resort Beach with none of the commercial strip behind it — just residential beach houses and street-end access paths. There are no lifeguards, no restrooms, and no rentals, which is exactly why locals favor it for morning walks and low-key beach days. Summer dog rules are friendlier here than on the resort sand, and the beach runs all the way up to the dunes below Fort Story. Bring everything you need; there is nothing to buy once you cross the dune line.
- Free
- Dog Friendly
- Hidden Gem
- Quiet & Peaceful
Amenities
- Street-end public access paths
- Uncrowded residential shoreline
Know Before You Go
- Best for: quiet mornings, locals' beach days, long walks, dog walking outside summer daytime hours
- Parking: Free street parking at the numbered street ends, but spaces are scarce and residential — arrive early on summer weekends and mind posted no-parking zones.
- Accessibility: Sand access is via unimproved street-end paths over the dunes; no ramps, restrooms, or beach matting. Not well suited to wheelchairs without assistance.
- Dogs: allowed — Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, dogs are allowed on the sand north of 42nd Street only before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m., leashed or under voice control. Off-season, dogs are welcome anytime and may be off leash on the beach.
- Location: Atlantic Ocean beach from 42nd Street north to Fort Story, accessed via numbered street ends off Atlantic Avenue, Virginia Beach, VA
Last verified 2026-07-10.
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Upcoming Events Nearby
Coastal Edge East Coast Surfing Championships
August 23, 2026 – August 30, 2026 · annual
The world's oldest continuously running surfing competition returns for its 64th year, turning the south end of the Oceanfront — from the 1st Street Jetty up to 10th Street — into a week-long surf carnival. More than 850 competitors surf pro and amateur divisions, including a WSL qualifying event, while the beach fills out with skate and BMX demos, live music, and tournament games. It's the anchor event of late summer at the beach and the best week of the year to watch serious surfing at the 1st Street break.
Virginia Beach Funk Fest Beach Party
August 28, 2026 – August 29, 2026 · annual
A free two-day beach party on the Oceanfront closing out August with funk, R&B, and soul acts on the sand. Part of the official Beach Events season, Funk Fest draws a big, dance-heavy crowd to the resort beach for one of the last major music weekends before Labor Day — no ticket needed, just claim a patch of sand.
American Music Festival
September 4, 2026 – September 6, 2026 · annual
Beach Events' Labor Day weekend concert series bills itself as the largest outdoor music festival on the East Coast, spreading national, regional, and local acts across a 60-foot stage at 5th Street plus free park stages at 17th, 24th, and 31st Streets along the boardwalk. Past headliners have included Sheryl Crow, the Doobie Brothers, ZZ Top, and Zac Brown Band, with tickets sold per show, as a three-day Passport Pin, or as VIP packages, while the park stages stay free. It's the Oceanfront's last big blowout of the summer season, timed to send visitors off before the crowds thin out after Labor Day.