They nest on a natural or scraped depression on dry ground typically lined with pebbles, shell fragments, fish bones, mud chips or vegetation fragments to blend in with the rest of the beach.

Snowy Plovers nest on sand in open areas, often near a conspicuous feature such as a piece of kelp or a particular shell.

Snowy Plovers, along with other beach-nesting birds such as the Black Skimmer, Least Tern, and American Oystercatcher, nest on the ground, creating small hollows called scrapes for their nests.

Peak nesting is from mid-April to mid-June. Hatching lasts from early April through mid-August, with chicks reaching fledging age approximately one month after hatching.

In Florida, nesting occurs on open sandy beaches along the Gulf Coast between the months of February and August. Snowy plovers are solitary ground-nesters.