Croatan Beach

Used the recommendation on yelp to get here using the address: 920 Vanderbilt AveCame here with my little girls to watch the sunrise. Small beach area so there wasn't a whole lot of walking to do with little ones. Loved that we were able to watch the surfers and they even offer surf lessons! Pros: free parking before 8:30amPublic restrooms ShowersClean QuietCons: Parking fee after 8:30am

This beach is perfect! It's never too busy and the waves are always nice for surfing. I have been here twice (2017 & 2024) for a family vacation now and this beach hasn't changed since. It's very clean and located in a very beautiful & friendly neighborhood. What's also nice about this beach is that the location is only a minute walk from the house we stayed in. Overall a 10/10 and our family loved visiting here for a week both back in 2017 and this year.

What an ethereal sunrise you can watch from Croatan Beach. It was such a breathtaking view. And the general friendliness of the local residents alone are noteworthy. I was so gob smacked by the view that I didn't even care to think about the quicksand I got my foot stuck in. LOL. There I was, stuck in a quicksand with two beagles lunging in total different directions and the nice lady could have just laughed at the silly tourist like me. Most in say, Annapolis or Kent Island would have done the stink eye stare and walk away. The nice woman there actually offered to help me instead. I think that's really when I felt compelled to seriously entertain living in the coastal Virginia area. I've come across so many fellow military wives and veterans raving over beaches in San Diego or Hawaii and complain about being out in Norfolk. Um hello? Norfolk might be not far but it isn't quite the same as Virginia Beach. Like Croatan Beach, for example. Personally, I love how there's so much that VB offers without the crazy high living expenses in San Diego. Plus it's like East of Orlando without the oddly snooty folks and comes with continental season. A humid weather similar to Japan during the summer that yields beautiful Somei Yoshino promenade nearby in the Spring. Anyway. Enough with me gushing. I am looking forward to returning again is what I was trying to convey!

There is a surfing side and a swimming side to this beach. There is paid parking and it's different rates depending if you are a Virginia resident or not. There are beaches with better sunsets and scenic view. The pro of this beach is that it's not as crowded and the waves aren't that bad.

Underrated and not very busy, which is exactly what is perfect about it. Anywhere you stay in that little Croatan neighborhood, the beach is less than a 100 yard walk from the house. In our instance, our beach house was 50 yards away from the beach. Perfect.Arrive before 1000am every day, and you can pick your spot. We chose the spot nearest the lifeguard, because why not.Lots of surfers. The surfers were told to stay on one side of the beach, and the swimmers on the other. The lifeguards enforced this, which was great.Good waves. Great sand. Watching the crabs is fun.Terrific beach. Don't tell too many people about it, lest it become overcrowded.

Croatan Beach is a great option for local residents looking for a beach day without the Oceanfront crowds but still want facilities. Note that it's a smaller beach and it does get busy in the summer with people's all-day setups. -- What it Is --Croatan Beach is a 3/4 of a mile beachfront residential area that stretches from Camp Pendleton up to Rudee Inlet. (It's just south of the Oceanfront Beach). It has clean sand and clear water with moderate waves. It is more of a locals only beach and doesn't get crowded. Surfing-designated areas are at either end of the beach. There are some small shells. -- Pets --Croatan is pet friendly: from Memorial Day (in May) through Labor Day (in September), leashed pets (or those under the control of their owner) are allowed on the beach before 10am and after 6pm. Outside of that season, there are no time limits. However, I wouldn't recommend this beach for walking dogs. There's very little space on the sand and shoreline. -- Restrictions --There are serious restrictions for recreating south of Croatan Beach where Camp Pendleton begins; this includes in the ocean. Violators are arrested. -- Seasonal Amenities --There are seasonal amenities (showers, restrooms) open from April 1st through Sept 30th only at the nearby municipal lot. There are no trashcans on the beach -- just located along the beach access ramp to/from the parking lot. Bring a bag to pack up your trash!-- Lifeguards --Lifeguard stations operate mid-May through mid-Sept with lifeguards on duty 7 days a week from 9:30am until 6pm. They also use an ATV to patrol the whole length of the beach, so keep an eye on the kiddos when the ATV goes by.-- What it's Not --Croatan Beach is not a party destination. Residents publicly lament calling the police on loud gatherings and noise violations. It also is not directly near any restaurants/bars/stores. It is by a quiet, small neighborhood with limited short term rentals. Speed limits are strictly enforced (with $200 fines). -- Drawbacks --It's not entirely peaceful as there can be moderate to significant noise pollution: directly south of the beach is Camp Pendleton, which has rifle practice aimed out over the ocean (during which times the municipal parking lot will close), and nearby is a Naval Air Base well-known for its jet noise. However, you wind up sitting close to the ocean and mostly just hear the waves crashing!-- Distance to Water/Erosion --People ask about beach eroding. The space from the sand to the water looks about the same as it did 3 years ago, but not quite as deep as it was 10 years ago. It's always been a beach that's less of a distance to the water than the Oceanfront. I'm short (5'2"), and it's about 30 paces from the dunes to where the tide comes in. It's less than another 20 paces from there to the water when the tide was going out. -- Parking --There is a municipal parking lot (505 spaces) located at 920 Vanderbilt Ave that is available: - April through Sept: 6am-8pm (6am-10am free) ($7/day or $3 VB residents)- Oct through March: 6am-5pm (free; towing after lot closes)No reentry. Lot subject to closure during rifle practice at Camp Pendleton. Some free street parking is available in the Croatan neighborhood, but the streets are narrow and it's nice to just park in the lot and use the facilities and beach access ramp.-- Takeaway --As a Coastal Virginia native and VA Beach resident of over a decade, I love living in VA Beach and being able to visit here. Note that there is a moderately steep slope of the sand into the ocean, so it's not as great for young children wading in. However, the lifeguard is great to have nearby to keep kids safe. I appreciate the facilities. This is my preferred local beach for an all-day trip April through September when I don't want to drive my toddler all the way to Sandbridge.

We are wrapping up a week of vacation on this perfect beach. I had two criteria for a house rental: directly on the beach, and dogs allowed. We hit the jackpot here. Croatan Beach is beautiful, sandy, and private. Dogs are allowed before 10 am and after 6 pm. I believe they are required to be on leash, but most people have their dogs off leash, frolicking in the sand and surf. Our pup loved it and made lots of friends!For us, I loved being close to the action of VA Beach oceanfront, but not having the crowds on our beach. This beach is open to the public, but I think there is a lot less parking than by the main oceanfront area. Fine by me as I loved the privacy! Very family friendly. I would come back down here for the beach alone!!!

Love it, gotta be a "local" to know where it is and not go to ocean front. Great waves.

My favorite beach in all Virginia Beach. Not crowded like the oceanfront and has the best waves. It's the best of two worlds, you can relax all day on this beach or you can go surfing; which I enjoy both. Lifeguards at every post in case somebody gets into trouble with the current.One of my gripes with this beach, which doesn't even bring down this 5 star review a half a star is that dogs aren't allowed on the beach 10am-6pm I believe, so plan accordingly.Parking is available on the street (only certain times) a block away from the beach, but those can all get used up. So you would have to use paid parking lot, which I heard is relatively cheap for Virginia Beach residents.Overall, just a beautiful secluded beach that really has all the qualities you're looking for. A definite gem in the va beach area.

I must be all in for this hidden beach that is operated by VB Parks & Rec. So few people know about it that I hesitate bringing it more attention, but it is listed and already has strong reviews so it's not exactly top secret either. The location will send your GPS spinning out of control and possibly overheating from rerouting your car around Camp Pendleton. But rest assured it really is not that hard as you enter the area off General Booth and on to Croatan, then watch for signs that have the VB Parks leading you to Vanderbilt Rd. and a nice large parking lot.I could not review Croatan Beach without a short history of the base that it borders since they were once tied in together and the city has bought land back. Camp Pendleton dates back to the turn of the century and has been a major training base with focus on small arms and rifle throughout it's history. It has served as a training area for the Virginia National Guard and other state guards for decades. The base has become more and more less important has priorities have shifted to Fort Pickett. The rifle range is still active and you will see many signs alluding to that affect. As a matter of fact on certain days I'm told the beach in this area could be closed. When you park you will see a wall of wood, the range is just on the other side.Now onto the fun of the beach. There are public restrooms that are clean and spacious right at the trail leading up to the beach. The area feels like Sandbridge to me and is gorgeous. This is a surfers paradise as some tasty waves are known to frequent the area. This was the case this week when visiting and surfers were out and about. But this is still a sleepy beach that has not reached it's full potential and maybe I don't want it to either. Nice wide beach that is beautiful with guards on duty. It is a family beach.No concessions are sold here. It seems logical that a food truck could be here on weekends in the parking lot, but I can't say that I have ever seen on on my visits. You can feel free to bring your own food and beverage and trash cans are around...PLEASE pick up after yourself and children. Pay attention to the rules of the beach, especially parking or you can be towed if your car is left when they lock the gate.I have a fascination with pools and beaches since that I kinda my line of work and have children that enjoy both. This is a local MUST DO if you have never been here. It is nothing like the VB Ocean Front which is a good thing to many, but not all. If you like a more quiet, relaxed atmosphere, but still get the benefits of restrooms and guards on duty this is a place to check out. Don't be surprised in years to come that Virginia Beach does not continue to acquire more land if the area and turn this into a major park as the location is pristine for public recreation development.