Lifestyle

Photo Journal: A Fall Beach Walk

October 27, 2025

Goldenrods and shrubs starting to turn fall colors with a view of the ocean beyond it.

A glimpse into the quiet, natural beauty of the coast once the summer crowds are gone.

With fall officially here, I might not be sitting in my beach chair anymore (although there were a few wonderfully warm days this October when I did just that), but I’m still taking frequent walks along the shoreline to soak in everything the coast has to offer. The crowds have disappeared, and the once-busy beach now feels almost deserted, with just the occasional fellow walker passing by. All good things must come to an end, but life on the coast doesn’t stop, it simply changes.

While the ocean looks much the same, the seasonal shifts are obvious as soon as I reach our beach path. Walking through the dunes, the grasses that were bright green in summer have begun to fade to brown, and the goldenrods are in full bloom. Anyone familiar with fall on the coast has likely seen these sunny yellow flowers growing among the dune grass, signaling the quiet beauty of the autumn season.

Spending time at the beach during October in the Northeast feels like a secret only a few truly know how to appreciate. With fewer people disrupting the landscape, the beach begins to return to its natural rhythm. Shorebirds rest undisturbed on the sand, some stopping briefly on their migration south. Shells and sea treasures are scattered across the beach, untouched. There’s a calmness to it all; a reminder that the coast is always alive, even in its quieter months.

I hope you enjoy these snapshots from some of my fall beach walks.

Snapshots of Fall at the Beach

A closeup of goldenrod flowers with the beach in the background.

1. Nothing says coastal fall more than seaside goldenrod in the dunes.

A view of a sandy path surrounded by trees that are starting to turn fall colors.

2. Signs of the leaves turning while walking up the sandy path to the beach.

Related: Fall on the Coast Mood Board & Color Palette

A grassy path with goldenrods and shrubs starting to turn fall colors with a view of the ocean beyond it.

3. There’s nothing quite like the view of the ocean in New England in the fall.

Seagulls resting on an empty stretch of beach.

4. Seagulls and other sea birds are able to rest undisturbed by people.

A wave washing over the sand and some small stones on the shoreline.

5. The shoreline is scattered with untouched beach treasures waiting to be discovered.

Related: Photo Journal: A Winter Beach Walk

Fall along the northeastern coast has its own special rhythm. It’s a time of transition between the full energy of summer and the stillness of winter, when most people find it too cold to visit. Living near the beach means I get to experience all of its seasons and appreciate the subtle changes each one brings.

All photos in this blog post are my original photography. Feel free to repost them uncropped, but please credit me with a link back to this blog. Thank you!

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