page_title: Beach
section_title: Access design
hierarchical_section_title: Beach / Access design
caption_attribution_description: English: Beach access in Key West Deutsch: Strandzugang in Key West
context_page_description: A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles. The particles can also be biological in origin, such as mollusc shells or coralline algae.
  Some beaches have man-made infrastructure, such as lifeguard posts, changing rooms, showers, shacks and bars. They may also have hospitality venues nearby. Wild beaches, also known as undeveloped or undiscovered beaches, are not developed in this manner. Wild beaches can be appreciated for their untouched beauty and preserved nature.
  Beaches typically occur in coastal areas where wave or current action deposits and reworks sediments.
context_section_description: Beach access is an important consideration where substantial numbers of pedestrians or vehicles require access to the beach.  Allowing random access across delicate foredunes is seldom considered good practice as it is likely to lead to destruction of flora and consequent erosion of the fore dunes.
  A well-designed beach access should:
  provide a durable surface able to withstand the traffic flow;
  aesthetically complement the surrounding structures and natural landforms;
  be located in an area that is convenient for users and consistent with safe traffic flows;
  be scaled to match the traffic flow (i.e. wide and strong enough to safely carry the size and quantity of pedestrians and vehicles intended to use it);
  be maintained appropriately; and
  be signed and lit to discourage beach users from creating their own alternative crossings that may be more destructive to the beachhead.
caption: A beach access path
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