A boardwalk is a wooden pathway built along a beach or waterfront, raised slightly above the sand or marsh below. Picture a wide walkway made of wooden planks, where families stroll, joggers run, and friends ride bikes while enjoying ocean views.

Some of the most famous boardwalks line beach towns along the Atlantic coast, like those in Atlantic City, New Jersey, or Ocean City, Maryland. These boardwalks often feature shops selling saltwater taffy and ice cream, arcade games, amusement park rides, and restaurants where you can eat while watching the waves. The wooden planks make a distinctive thunk-thunk sound under your feet as you walk.

Boardwalks serve practical purposes too. They protect fragile dunes and beach grass from foot traffic while giving people easy access to the shore. In wetlands and nature preserves, boardwalks let visitors explore marshy areas without disturbing wildlife or sinking into mud.

Early boardwalks in the 1870s were temporary wooden paths that hotels rolled out each summer so guests could reach the beach without tracking sand indoors. These temporary paths proved so popular that towns began building permanent boardwalks, which became destinations in themselves, places where beach culture and community life blend together in the salt air and seagull calls.