Nantasket Beach-- countless summers spent here during my childhood. I remember when my grandmother would come here to see the live band on Sundays and line dance under the bandstand. There was a food shack at the pavilion and we would get fried clams after swimming in the water with my boogie board. Then my mom would take me to the playground, and end the day with some mini golf, a carousel ride, and some ice cream. I came here yesterday for the first time in a while, and the renovations are very prevalent. Mini golf is gone, as well as the arcade and fascination. Many new restaurants, none of the ones I remember. Lots of new housing being built. Same sand, same ocean. I see a lot of hopeful developments that will energize this place, but I miss the nostalgia it had when I was a kid. We came here yesterday, May 17th, which has been the nicest day of the year so far. I didn't think it would be this crowded. Never in my almost 30 years of coming here have I seen the beach this crowded. Wow. We all had the same idea. And, it was free parking since it was before the "official" season. So it was a while of circling around and around for a spot. But then we found one. The sand is nice, no rocks. Water is warm. Good for families, or groups of friends, or solo beachgoers. Food nearby, not too many gift shops anymore, but hopefully more to come. A beachfront resort if you want a getaway. No more live music, I hope it comes back. Still have bathhouses to use, they look the same as when I was a kid. One of the best beaches in the South Shore. read more

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Nantasket Beach is the beach I go to for convenience. It's located in Hull & for me, I personally like to set up towards the Cumberland Farms & park in one of the two open lots there because this side of the beach is less rocky & sand is better! I know some people like to stick to the side by the bathrooms & showers but whenever it's high tide, there's no where to set up & many times, people end up pulling their stuff to the sidewalk lol. There's a couple different food options available too, some are takeout quick eats like hotdogs etc or you can also do sit down dining. There's parking lot by the bathrooms is cheaper; ~$15 cash for weekdays & $20 cash for the side of the beach I like. There's also meter parking spots scattered! Water is WARM, which is much different from the beaches up north (Gloucester, Ipswich), so very swimmable & for the most part, pretty clean. There's some waves here and there, which I can see being great for kids to come w: their boogie boards! Overall, I always end up coming back to this beach at least once or twice each summer haha. Not too shabby & parking prices aren't bad. read more

Nantasket Beach - Beaches Near Me - Hull, Massachusetts

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Enjoy this beach this summer wonderful place to soak up the sun with kids n family aswell as enjoy the local restaurants read more

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Definitely the best beach in the whole area. There's ACTUAL SAND HERE. Most other beaches in Massachusetts don't have sand, just tons of rocks. Come here in June, because July Jack's up the prices, n it's packed. Not much people today because high school is not closed yet. read more

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We find ourselves getting to the cape less now that we have little ones. Nantasket beach is a convenient location for families with little ones. Easy to access with a load of items. Plenty of parking. Lots to do at high tide. Beautiful views, sunsets/sunrises/ seashells, Carousel ride, large arcade, flying kites , ice cream breaks, lobster rolls, a beautiful ocean front fenced in playground, bathrooms and showers. Ramps/ or staircases to the water, musical performances, picnic tables. Dozens of awesome restaurants, with both in door and outdoor seating with a beautiful Ocean front view. Nantasket beach has it all for all ages. We frequently visit Nantasket every season. read more

Nantasket Beach - Mom and Me beach day - Beaches Near Me - Hull, Massachusetts

The beach is awesome and there's plenty of parking just have to worry about the tides and it's close to home

I have a lot of fond memories of nantasket beach. From childhood until now in my adult life it's always been tried and true. Parking isn't really a problem, weekdays was $15 parking for MA residents you can pay at the meter kiosk. Weekends i think the rate is higher but haven't had a chance this year. There's the lucky lemon food shack on the beach side. Further down plenty of restaurants. My favorite was Da Lat, sad they closed their doors after all these years. Rona did a number. The beach itself does have alot of rocky areas but overall plenty of space on sand for tanning, lounging, beach games and good vibes. The Atlantic waters seem to always be freezing but you get adjusted quickly. There's also fresh water showers and foot washes on the boardwalk. I rock with nantasket, no need to buy permits for entrance like some of the other "nicer" beaches but each has its charm. read more

Nantasket Beach in Hull, MA, is a great destination with a relaxed, family-friendly vibe. The beach offers plenty of space for lounging and strolling along the shore. Plenty of paid parking and restaurants to keep you occupied. The water can be a bit chilly, but it's perfect for the kids to dip in and warm up during the summer. The beach is well-maintained, with clean facilities and convenient parking, though it can get crowded on weekends. Merry Go Round and classic arcade around the walking area. I enjoy the police presence there are a lot of families to make it more welcoming. read more

Nantasket Beach - Beaches Near Me - Hull, Massachusetts

Good waves on certain days, long stretch of beach; some trails in certain parts of the beach read more

Nantasket Beach - Waves breaking at sunrise at Nantasket Beach - Beaches Near Me - Hull, Massachusetts

Great beach. But when they took paragon Park away and put all the condo's up it change for the worse. Don't like going there anymore.

Cute beach, decent bathroom, but crowded! Parking was $40, traffic getting there and out was awful. Any street parking is supposed to be for residents and they were giving out lots of $50 tickets. Tide came up and we were faced with sitting on top of other people, in the water, or leaving, so we only stayed 90 min :( read more

Nantasket Beach - Crowd behind us - Beaches Near Me - Hull, Massachusetts

Abstract: an A-OK beach with a decent area and space for walking. However, expensive parking and rocky sands make it less than ideal. I thought I'd get some heat for this, but it seems other Yelpers are more or less in agreement. Not bad as far as beaches go, but there are better options nearby in my opinion. I'm originally from the North Shore, where is go to the beach in Lynn (and some in Nahant) by Red Rock Park, King's, I think. Nantasket does hold a candle to it, but it's like a candle to a torch. First, the parking situation is, well, expensive. Call me what you will, I don't particularly want to pay $20 (I think) for parking, especially since I'm not one to spend a whole day at a beach. Somewhat rocky as well, not the proverbial rockslide that is Wessagusset, but still a field day for geologists. Finally, I have a confession: for me the beach is either sinking my feet into the sand and reading, or walking/biking along the boardwalk. It's not a bad walk, but not quite as nice or long as it is in Lynn/Nahant. read more

Nantasket Beach - Beaches Near Me - Hull, Massachusetts

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I am clearly misguided on this beach. Upon reading other reviews, I learned so much. "The two stars are for maintenance and room service." I will have to go and try room service on this beach. I just did not know that a beach could have room service. Now I know that some do. "there are better options nearby in my opinion." Indeed, the north shore is only 90 min. away, and 90 min. is nearby to me when I fly in *my* helicopter. NC is also very nice. As noted, the beach is very short, only about 3.9 miles long. It only runs from Long Beach Rock to Point Allerton. I need a beach that I can walk not just for hours, but for days. The sand at low tide could be easily 50 yards, but low tide comes but twice a day, and when the tide comes in, the beach does disappear. to be fair, at high tide, there is not much beach left. and, you do have to walk over rocks and down steps to get to the beach. (This is not a great beach, but it does not have room service, it is about 4 miles long, there are of course tides, and there are rocks but they don't tend to be in the beach sand, but at the high tide mark. ) read more

Nantasket beach is great ! After a beautiful walk , Stopped in at Crave behind the hotel for an amazing açaí bowl, and a hot latte. Yum

A-OK is Nantasket, and Nantasket is A-OK. The biz along the Paragon boardwalk add flavor to what otherwise amounts to an incredibly flat beach that goes from 50 yards of soft sand and polished rocks at low tide to absolutely submerged at high. Which begs the question: why is parking so expensive? There are tons of spaces, and sunbathing off of a sidewalk during high tide is simply silly. The beach becomes unusable, and rather quickly, so setting up a spot early or later for a little sunset light is a fool's errand. If you plan on going more than 3-4 times a season, get the full season parking pass. I think it's like $60 and is gives you unlimited time in the lots. Otherwise, plan your trip to tide clocks, and crush a two hour space like a boss. Still, it's got lots of charm, is a dream for people watching, and the gazebos will occasionally play host to live bands. And by bands, I mean the brass and woodwind type, which may disappoint the hipsters and headbangers, but my two year old got a kick out of the tuba players. read more

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Nantasket is my favorite beach. I've been coming here since a kid. We drive over an hour to get here but It's worth it because parking is free on the street if you go early enough. The beach is always clean, as is the boardwalk. I've never had problems with the public restrooms either. For the most part, people keep their distance on the beach and are friendly. I wish they had more of a poppin' boardwalk with other things to do and more of a selection of non-high end restaurants. Let me tell you though, the carrousel used to be my favorite thing when I was a kid. I'm pretty sure it's still up and running during the summer season. An added bonus is the nice scenic roads a few miles away from the beach. It's always a tradition for us to drive around after spending some time at the beach. Overall, it's a nice place to have a fun day! read more

It's a pretty beach but gets very crowded on hot days. One of my favorites in the south shore area. A few restaurants across the street. Enjoy going for walks here. read more

Beautiful! I came on a Saturday on a double date. It was low tide so we walked all the way down to the water. Tons of people were scattered all over the beach having a grand ole time. We walked from one side to the other and then went over to the arcade across the street. The arcade was a LOT of fun. Also, it's extremely cheap, 50 cents a game! By the time we got back to the beach the tide had come in. It was great to be there for both high and low tide. Will be back :). read more

Nantasket Beach - Beach! - Beaches Near Me - Hull, Massachusetts

Love the Beach... Have been coming for years... Alot quiter then the beaches in my area (Revere, Nahant, Lynn) also somewhat cleaner... Have enjoyed coming & will continue to visit... Dont have all the luxuries that most beaches have but do have a little arcade & food stands... If you go to visit check out the Carousel!!! read more

Nantasket Beach - Beaches Near Me - Hull, Massachusetts

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Maybe I'm a bit of a beach snob, but I am surprised by all the rave reviews of Nantasket. I've been several times, and just am not a fan. The boardwalk area is seedy and rundown. Food takeout options are very limited and leave much to be desired. On my two most recent trips to Nantasket, there have literally been beachgoers having sex in public view, on the sand and in the water. Really?! The sidewalk that runs along much of the beach is nice, although typically too crowded to do anything other than walk - running along the beach is a challenge given people walking two or three abreast. The beach itself is beautiful, and actually fairly clean - but the surrounding area makes Nantasket low on my list of local beaches. read more

Nantasket Beach has everything I admire in a beach: 1. It's LONG. It's maintained by DCR and at some point it turns into a private beach, but it's totally long enough for many many people seeking cool refuge from the humidity of the city. 2. It's clean, didn't see any trash lying around and they must have recently finished renovating an old Art Deco style bath house. However, the beach isn't sandy per say, it's got a lot of silt fines. And it's ridden with fist sized pebbles. 3. It's only 25 miles from Boston. Sadly, there is no water taxi to Hull on the weekends, but what a great option for the weekday! Maybe. 4. Plenty of shanty-style food places along the boardwalk serving up fish n chips, fried clams, and ... who cares what else! Fried clams are awesome! 5. $3 all day parking! This is great, especially if you arrive around 9 AM. 6. During low tide, there is an endless soppy-clayey flat area perfect for frisbee, skin boarding, football, running, and paddle ball. All these make a great beach, but just to warn you, there are a few things you need to know as a non-local. CHECK HIGH TIDE because at high tide, the beach kind of disappears. Arrive about 6 hours before high tide to get a good spot in the parking lot, on the beach, and to enjoy the low tide while it lasts! BRING A LOUNGE CHAIR because the beach is pebble-y and sometimes moist... not the best for blankets unless you're there early enough to grab a dry spot. BRING FRIENDS to play volleyball, frisbee and other stuff. WEAR SUNCREEN of course. read more

Nantasket Beach - Beaches Near Me - Hull, Massachusetts

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There's a reason everyone you know goes to the Cape, and not to the South Shore. OK, there's probably several reasons...as far as the beach itself goes, it's not particularly rocky, but if you're expecting the Jersey Shore, or even something like Ogunquit in ME, you'll be sorely disappointed. Yes, the tide tables are crucial, since high tide rolls all the way up to the retaining wall. Now, why else do you go to the beach? If you're daytripping from Boston, and want reasonable food and a beer, I'm sure this town suffices. If you want more in terms of amenities - again, if your concept of "beach town" is more Avalon than Wildwood - hell, even if your ideal is Wildwood - this place will seem like the back woods in comparison. Hull is caught in some no man's land between condo-land upscale redevelopment and it's gritty exurban blue collar roots. The tension is fascinating and bewildering at the same time. read more

Pure, endless sands. The Beautiful Atlantic. This is definitely one of the nicest beaches on the South Shore. The beach is so big - it easily takes almost an hour to walk a slow walk from one end to the other of the beach. The beach seems even more bigger when it's low tide - one of the best things about the beach. So it's best to plan a visit if you know the timing of the tides. The sand is clean and not rocky besides the sea shells of course. The water is generally calm and ideal for swimming especially for the kids. I have never seen the waves to be wild here unless there is a storm coming. In season, it gets very busy. On street public parking is ample but gets full rather quickly. The beginning of Nantasket Ave is ideal for parking because those spots do not get full first. There is also on street meter parking behind the resort and the restaurants. Else, there are a couple of lots that charge about $10 if you don't find any of the free spots. But I have always found a spot at the beginning of Nantasket Ave because that's the stretch most people miss driving in because there is a red light and the public lot is kind of hidden slightly to the right of the lights. (If you are driving via Geo Wash Blvd, take the Rockland Cir road to meet Nantasket Ave, you will find all the spots that easily get missed!) Quite a few dining options - many with lovely live music. Again, they get busy especially during the evening hours. I have never been to the fair but again, it always seems more busy at the other end where the Ferris wheel and the fair is. We usually find a quieter spot and enjoy our books and an occasional dip in the water in between. The bathrooms and outside showers are plenty and very well kept. The beach has 3 handicap accesses as well. Given how big this beach is and given how many people visit in season, it still never seems too crowded. There is just enough space for everyone. All in all, a very friendly beach, very neat and clean, with a great crowd. read more

Nantasket Beach - Pure sands. Beautiful Atlantic. - Beaches Near Me - Hull, Massachusetts

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I love Nantasket Beach. It is beautiful. It is clean. It is natural (yes, some parts have rocks). The sand is soft. There is no walk on fee, though there is a fee to park (I think it's 10 a day?). You can get there from Boston, Hingham, or Quincy via ferry, take the bus, or take the commuter rail (stop is Nantasket Junction) and it's a reasonable walk or cab ride to the actual beach. The beach runs the length of the town (about seven miles) and is walkable if that's your thing. If you go on a holiday or a 90 degree Saturday afternoon, yes, it will be crowded. Hint: it's seven miles, so you can walk to a less crowded part without getting lost. If you want to park and take the first chunk of sand nearest to your car, yes, it may be crowded around you. Solution: move to a quieter part. The tides vary, so check that ahead of time when you plan your day. They also vary by which section of the beach you're at, so even if the tide where you are is coming up high, you can just walk a bit and move to a different section. Note: There are public restrooms along the beach, which is good to know if you're staying for the day or have kids. There's also a boardwalk with restaurants, mini golf, shops, ice cream, etc which parallels the beach. My personal favorite part of the beach is actually Gun Rock, which is a private part and quite small. There's no parking, but I know people will often walk on. Be quiet, be clean, and be respectful -- most of the people on that part of the beach have summer homes right there (literally, right there) and if you piss them off, they won't hesitate to tell you to get the eff out, but I've never had an issue. I think Nantasket is beautiful, peaceful, and very safe. It is absolutely gorgeous, and I can be quite the beach snob, so I really do mean it. read more

Nantasket Beach - Nantasket Beach at sunrise. No filter, no flash. Gorgeous. - Beaches Near Me - Hull, Massachusetts

I'm rating this lower since it is not a convenient beach to get to in the off season. The tide has brought truckloads of rocks up on the walkway and stairs going to the beach. I enjoy walking on the beach looking for occasional shells and rocks and it was difficult getting to the sandy beach. The grandkids had no problems but grandma did. I'm sure my rating will be higher when it's closer to vacation time. I was there before Covid and the steps had few stones on them. read more

To enjoy Nantasket Beach, you have to time it right. During high tide most of the sandy areas available to lay on are covered up by the ocean. I have at times, had to lay a blanket out on one of the concrete walls dividing the parking lots and the rocky ocean below. This is certainly not the most desirable of options. When I go to a beach, I want to go whenever I want and lay in an enormous amount of sand/not be located too close to anyone else. Beach security is pretty hardcore here. You cannot get away with alcohol unless you disguise it immensely. They are very thorough and I guess I have to appreciate that, they are just doing their jobs. The rocky shore is great for climbing along and lounging on to simply watch the waves. Parking can become horrendous on a busy day, but if you visit during the off hours you are in a much better place to park. Several restaurants on the boardwalk to visit both sit down and quick take out. An old fashioned carousel sits near the beach and patio areas. A bathhouse is available to the public. Beautiful views on a stormy day/night. A pleasant beach to visit, but not the best or most relaxing I have encountered. read more

Spent Saturday afternoon at Nantasket Beach. The word beach seems a stretch because of the complete lack of sand for most of the day. Not a place I would recommend visiting other than for a walk down the boardwalk area. Quality: Nantasket Beach was a pretty big disappointment. Visiting a New England beach, the assumption is the water will be cold, but in early summer I was uncomfortable even entering up to my ankles. The larger problem however is the utter lack of space. When you arrive you will see a line of rocks, which gives a sense of where high tide will reach. But even if you plan accordingly, don't even expect to stretch out on the sand for any length of time without waves crashing into you. Quantity: The beach stretches for a significant distance, but even when the tides are low, very little sand is available to relax on. Value: The beach is free to visit, but you do have to pay for parking. Ambiance: Nantasket Beach is located in Hull, Massachusetts, about an hour from Boston. The quaint beach town is beautiful, and the views from the boardwalk area are wonderful. However, as a true beach to swim and relax it is a disaster. Freezing cold water, rocks everywhere, and barely enough sand to lay out on. And when you do get sand, it will be damp and cold. Not sure if there is some hidden area where more space can be found, but that definitely is not near the main parking areas. Crowd: Even with the restrictions in place to reduce visitors, the small size of the beach meant very little personal space. Service: The parking attendants were extremely friendly and the beach was very clean. Parking: $15 to park in the lots near the beach. Because of COVID, half of the spaces were blocked off to limit beachgoers. read more

Very rocky, but really nice overlooking that. Make sure it's low tide when you go, otherwise the beach is gone! Go early and get street parking, or parking in the lot by Red Parrot. We ended up paying $20 to park by the ferris wheel, which is steep if you're not there all day. Public bathrooms were well maintained, which surprised me read more

Nantasket Beach - Beautiful day - Beaches Near Me - Hull, Massachusetts

The two stars are for maintenance and room service. My GOODNESS, they ruined our entire vacation. I won't say names and I won't go into details. I'll just tell everyone to stay away. read more

I grew up on this beach my whole life and to this day, this is my favorite spot in the whole world. Whenever you feel like you need a breather, just sit or take a stroll here. Whether it's on the beach or by the parking lot. There are a ton of rocks with tidal pools hidden in them to search for sea life. The water is clean and free of pollution like other beaches. A lot of times they charge during the summer but it's worth it. One of the closes beaches around and always a fun time. There is even a boardwalk nearby where you can get some great food. So pull up a chair, take a deep breath and enjoy a break from the world for a while...you'll thank me. read more

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It's our go-to family beach! This place has everything you need for family fun. Good food, accessible bathrooms, and enough parking (If you get there early enough). read more

Pretty good beach area. I would highly suggest the letter street area, meaning the A Street, B Street, C Street, D Street, etc, etc, area. It is much less congested and there is easier and better parking, as well as Dunkin Donuts / Tedeschi Deli. Overall, a great place to go in Hull, plus, why else would anyone be in Hull if there weren't at the beach! Only 30-50 minutes from Boston, depending on where you are. Definitely but this destination on your "to-do before summer is over" list. :) read more

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Super fun beach! It's always really clean and great for walking. Tons of parking and super easy access. The boarwalk could use some help..BUT, it's still really fun! read more

Having grown up in Hull, yet escaped in adulthood, I consider myself an expert on Nantasket Beach. Let's start by responding to those of you complaining about rocks and cold water: Your 40 minute drive from Newton did not magically transport you to the Outer Banks or Honolulu - this is New England. It's cold and rocky. Buck up. And, yes, the tide will come in. Twice a day. It's the ocean. But, as far as New England beaches go, Nantasket ranks highly. The beach is long but will be crowded on weekends, especially holidays. That said, there's no better place to see the Boston, Hingham, Weymouth, even Gloucester fireworks on July 4th weekend. The farther down the beach you walk, the more it evens out and the crowds die down. Parking is resident only once you pass the HRA field, but, if you don't mind the walk, you'll have a much more peaceful experience down by Manomet and Samoset Avenues or the alphabet streets. Nantasket has everything you need for a great day at the beach: the public bath-house for bathrooms and showers; Victoria's or Beach Foods for great sandwich lunches; Saporitos or Bridgeman's for romantic beach front dinners; lots of shops when you run out of sunscreen; volleyball nets for the athletic sorts; playgrounds for the kids; the Clarion Hotel if you have one too many drinks at Bare Foot Bob's and can't make the drive home. And all without battling Cape traffic. While you're there, go mini golfing, ride the carousel, or stop by the arcade for some ski ball (who doesn't love ski ball?). Kayaks can be rented by the marina so you can tour the bay side of town or the Weir River Estuary. Fort Revere sits at the top of town, in the village, and offers impressive views of the Boston Harbor Islands. Ride a bike up to Sunset Point at dusk - you won't regret it. Hull has been a blue collar town since the Great Depression, and probably always will be. There are thousands of us who have been living there since long before the beach cottages started to become mammoth beach front mansions. This is home for us, and the beach is our backyard. So we will continue to sit in our beach chairs, even with the few extra pounds we packed on don't make us look as great in our bathing suit as we did last year. But, that's kind of why we love this place. I hope you will, too. Just don't stay too long - we like it when it gets quiet again. read more

We headed here for fourth of July because it is close to home. - We had breakfast at Toast around 8am -9-9:30 we parked by the beach, parking was filling up fast. Parking was $25 in this particular lot. The further ones that were full were $15. (Higher than other reviews prob because of the holiday). - Large beach. In the morning there wasn't much beach available because of the tide, but got progressively bigger as the day went on, and still managed to find a great spot - A lot of people but did not feel overly crowded -The water was WARM! First time ever I was actually able to get in the ocean haha - A couple ice cream, fried foods joints within walking distance (depending where you are) - Also has mini golf and a small arcade. They both look like they need updating. We played a few games of air hockey but the table is definitely old and didn't always register our goals. Overall we really enjoyed the day here. They are somewhat lacking in great restaurants and other fun activities, but we would come back. It was a nice beach, relaxing, and they also had trucks that rented out kayaks and paddle boards. Ultimately it had what we wanted and needed. read more

If you're overweight and wear a string bikini, like to litter, chain smoke and enjoy listening to ambulances and loud motorcycles this is the place for you. If this is not your cup of tea go elsewhere. This beach has so a lot of potential unfortunately the class inhabitants visiting here each weekend destroys all of the beauty. There are constantly ambulances / fire trucks along with loud attention starve motorcycle rider's giving off a cornucopia of noise pollution. Be careful of debris on the beach especially when the tide is coming in. It saddens me every time I come here and watch the tide come in. Most of the guests at this beach leave their litter for the tides to take care of. It can be a nice beach to walk at low tide, but I would recommend wearing some sort of foot protection unless you have had a tetanus shot. read more

A bit of history...a mere few decades ago, Nantasket Beach was the destination of choice for young people from all over the South Shore. It was the Seaside Heights of Massachusetts; the Jersey Shore without Snookie but with plenty of local hotties. Behind the existing row of arcades and food stands stood Paragon Park, home of the Giant Coaster, the Rotor, and the Wild Mouse. At night, young people would throng to the Surf Nantasket to dance to the Rockin' Ramrods or the Pilgrims (two of whom would later turn up in Sha-na-na). The ocean-facing, angle parking across the street was primo for making out. These were the days of baby oil and reflectors instead of sun screen, but there was no hole in the ozone layer then. The water is actually cleaner now, and otherwise the beach itself remains about the same. read more

Despite reading reviews about it being hard to find parking before like 10am, I decided to come visit at 2pm on a Sunday. I had to do a few laps before coming across a lot that didn't have a FULL sign in front of it. I eventually found one with a sign saying $25 but the attendant only asked me for $20. The further you walk from the parking lots, the less crowded it beach is. I haven't seen any bathrooms but I also wasn't really looking. No seaweed and few rocks. I'd definitely come again. read more

Nantasket Beach - Beaches Near Me - Hull, Massachusetts

I was a little disappointed given the rave reviews, but overall a pretty good beach and beach experience. Go at low tide, and don't drive home during sunset. Arrived at 1pm, 87 deg, Sat, July 3'rd. To preface, I normally explore the North Shore beaches of Good Harbor and Plum Island (and Revere if forced to), so I can't speak to how Nantasket compares with other South Shore destinations. Parking: $7 in a city lot that said "full", but let us in and we quickly found someone leaving. $20 in what I believe were private lots that had tons of spaces but not as close to the water. Very reasonable, very close, I did not look for free neighborhood spots because I think parking for under $10 is always reasonable. Crowd: Crowded, lots of kids. This was a very disappointing surprise. The beach at hight tide is just a sliver of sand so people are squeezed close to the seawall. We had some kids playing inches from our heads, and I can't blame them, there was no where else to go. Not enough room to play frisbee or dribble a soccer ball. Running barefoot along the beach would be difficult. Bring headphones or ear plugs, not the beach for listening to the relaxing waves. Water: Warm, Salty, Rocky at spots. All things are relative, but by New England standards this was very tolerable temperature for sea water. For reasons I can't explain, all three of of us found the water to be much saltier than Cape Cod or Cape Ann. I would love for someone to disprove or explain that to me. The drive and Sunset: From Boston it's a long kinda boring drive past mostly strip malls and a few marinas. We had no traffic on 93 and it still took an hour. Driving further up the peninsula of Hull provides amazing views of Boston, the harbor islands, and plenty of cool houses. We didn't stay for sunset, and I wish we had. The summer sun sets right behind the skyline so instead or enjoying it we drove back with sun in our eyes. I recommend staying late, watching the sunset, then heading back toward the city. Beach Walk: There are a few clam shacks, ice cream stands, souvenir shops, an arcade, and a mostly ignored merry-go-round. Nothing exceptional but very convenient if you already have parking, have to manage a bunch of rug-rats, or want to eat junk food. Clean bathrooms and open showers to rinse off were a plus. This seems like a big plus for parents. I want to try this trip again taking the ferry and a bike. The beach is actually very long, but parking is restricted and patrolled to make most of the shoreline exclusive for locals. read more

The big crowds are gone now, the parking is back to being free, the beach is cleaner and the temperatures are comfortable. Bring your dog, the beach is yours again. Today was a perfect day for a long beach walk and Nantasket Beach is a great one on which to take that long walk, leash in hand. You feel like you can go forever. It was a crystal clear day with not a cloud in the sky. We could see across the water on one side of the beach clear over to Boston with the buildings shimmering in the sunlight in the distance. We sat for awhile on the sand and contemplated just how beautiful and peaceful everything looked today. It was nice to feel that peacefulness against the backdrop of difficult memories and thoughts of how unpeaceful and awful the world seemed 9 years ago today. It was easy to feel blessed and filled with gratitude. Although I think any month is a good month to go to the beach, September and October are two of my particular favorites. Too chilly perhaps to swim but just incredibly relaxing nonetheless. It's one of the reminders of what is so great about New England: being close to the ocean. Nantasket is a great destination for that nice walk then lunch or dinner somewhere nearby. read more