To get here from Boston/Cambridge/Somerville, take the Rockport line from North Station. The ride…read moreis about 55 minutes and costs $21 round-trip. The beach is a 10-15 minute walk from the train platform and easy to find (hint: take Beach Street). $10 to walk on for the day -- cash only. I believe it's $30-35 for the day to park & walk on, so with the train ticket it's roughly a wash. The building next to the beach has a snack bar and decent bathrooms, which also have showers and changing areas so that you can wash the sand off and put dry clothes on before taking the train or driving home. The beach itself is very beautiful, and the water is relatively calm, cold, and clear -- great for swimming.

Went after October 14th beach was basically a dog park, very fun for my dog. Beautiful.read more

Great place to go for a swim and the best place for walking. There are different walking routes and…read moreall are easy and on flat so no big hills to climb. Plus there is food at Sullivan's!

It can get very busy here but if you get there at a good time its nice. There is a large parking…read morelot and there is a long time resturant where you can get some basic food items. Hot dogs, fries and what not. Picnic tables and benches all around there is also multiple access points to the beach in the area. It's always a very enjoyable day when we come here.

Best beach on the Cape national seashore, hands-down!!!…read more Calm water, semi lazy river in front of the ocean, beautiful and pristine crystal clear water!!

Out of all the beaches in the outer Cape area, this has quickly become our favorite. They have…read morerestrooms, changing rooms, and showers very close to the beach. The beach area is so clean and never too crowded the times we have gone. Like previous reviews have mentioned, it really does matter when you go here--if it's during low or high tide. As I love to scour the beach for sea glass, low tide is best. During high tide, the sandy beach area does become a little smaller, but don't worry plenty of room to still put down your beach towel and/or umbrella. Starting Memorial Day weekend, they do start charging $25 per car. Or if you're on a bicycle/and or walking to the beach, then it's $15. Luckily, we went prior to Memorial Day, so entry was still free.

This is such a beautiful beach! It was definitely crowded though being it was the Fourth of July…read moreweekend. The water was clear and sand was great, more exfoliating than I'm used to :) The drive in to the parking lot was beautiful too with driving through the state park forest. Parking is limited so you may have to park on the outskirts but we were lucky to get a spot upfront, you do need to pay for parking but we had a local resident pass through family. They had changing stations, showers and plenty of port o' potty's before heading onto the walkway to the beach. I really loved this beach experience!

An under-rated beach. Lots of sand. Not too many boulders underwater. Great place to spend a few…read morehours.

Good Harbor is still one of my all-time favorite New England beaches, but I haven't been going as…read moreoften since they switched to the app-based reservation system and we moved further away. I understand why they did it, as it's one of the most popular beaches in the area and for good reason. Our recent visit was amazing. We arrived while the tide was low and crossed over to the island, and what an amazing view it was. It was fantastic, but don't stay too long or miss when the tide is coming back, or you might have a hard time getting back and get soaked. If you haven't visited, do yourself a favor and enjoy!

Great beach! We love coming here for the soft sand and fun waves. During low tide there are tide…read morepools and a river the kids can explore, plus an island you can reach via a sandbar. During high tide there's still plenty of beach. The parking is great - plentiful and stretches across the whole beach, making it easier to spread out and you never have to walk far.

Some street parking along the seaside drive. A nice small beach with classic New England scenery.read more

This is such a good option for an easy beach day if you live in the area. There is usually always…read morefree parking and it's walking distance to shops. There isn't a ton of nice sand, but again, it's good for a quick and easy beach day without major costs or hassle.

This beach has a beautiful view, some lovely dunes and has never been crowded in the four years…read moreI've been visiting (the beach that is, the parking area is always overflowing). It is a favorite amongst nude sunbathers so stick to the crowds if you're bringing the kids along. Parking is difficult after 11am and requires a beach sticker (or take a chance with a ticket). Two portable toilets are usually clean (as clean as a porta-toilet by the beach can be), but there are no changing facilities at this beach.

How do you keep the tourists away from a beach? First, have no signage anywhere. None on Rt 6. And…read morenone when you arrive at the actual beach! Limit parking. There are maybe 40 spaces. Have no facilities - no restrooms, no trash cans and no food service. Have no stairs to the beach - just a giant sand dune to climb up and down. In return for the inconvenience - you get small crowds, beautiful sand and seals frolicking in the water.

Three years ago we happened on this beach pretty much by accident. It impressed us for many…read morereasons. First of all, there was a ready supply of parking, and no officials there to bother us for being out of state visitors. Secondly, the surf was more magnificent than my pictures can capture. Then there are the seals, which seem to be there at all times. Signs tell you to avoid them because there are also sharks in the area, and you may tragically be mistaken for a seal. On our second visit three years later, it was all as we had remembered. We'd forgotten the name of the beach, but got an accurate tip from the wine pourer at the nearby winery. Seals, surf and the good cheer of the sparse group of people on the beach. I hope we will have the chance to go for a third visit.

A pristine, unspoiled beach with an unofficial nude section to the right as you face the ocean…read more Wish I lived closer!

My husband and I found this cozy little beach area years ago. Parking is along the water but get…read morethere early. We have in the past brought a small grill to cook hotdogs on the sand or rocks, not sure if this is still allowed? The water is super clean and cold! Oh yeah the parking if you find one is free but again get there early. It is a very quiet spot, not sure if kids would enjoy it much. Trish

Dangerous beach, this beach experiences very dangerous and out of control shore-breaks, when there…read moreare waves their basically hazardous large waves smashing up against the rocks on shore, strong undertow could knock you off your feet pull you in before getting wrecked in shallow water full of pebbles by massive wave crashing on the beach, do not surf or swim here on larger surf

Crane Beach is one of my favorite beaches in MA! It's…read morelocated on the North Shore, Ipswich specifically & requires purchase of parking pass ahead of time, so definitely book ahead & you won't regret it. Sand is very clear, minimal rocks, & water is clean! It's kid friendly & overall, just a great beach to go on a nice, sunny day in the summer. Every visit has always been super pleasant, the only caveat is that you just have to purchase a pass in advance or you won't have beach access.

First of all please respect the No Smoking rules! Could smell it from a distance after establishing…read moreour space! Major trigger. Igloo coolers with wheels will struggle with the beautiful powdery sand. Good crowd of people. Alert lifeguards. The stairs on the boardwalk can be hard for some. Very clean bathhouses!!!