The situation in the United States differs from state to state. In general, in the 13 original colonies, beaches can be privately owned, but I'm not sure to what tide level. In the other states--again, speaking generally--beaches are public property up to the mean high-tide level. But exceptions abound. For example, if you try to walk along the beach to the Grand Hotel on the Alabama coast, you'll walk into a fence. Oyster beds can be privately leased in some states. A related issue is the right to access by water, as the public has a legal right to traverse navigable waters. I have often heard it said that "if you can get a canoe up it, you have the right to be there." When investigating Alabama state law for a guide on collecting fossils, I found that this right has been severely hedged in this state. In fact, "navigation" has been interpreted by judges as referring to commercial navigation, and usually only where a past history of commercial navigation (i.e., steamboats) exists. But the case law on this subject is massive and contradictory. What are the "rights of navigation" in other states and countries? Andrew K. Rindsberg Tuscaloosa, Alabama