I moved to DC 3 years ago, and have long been looking for a local beach to go to. I've always been told there's no local beaches, and I'd have to drive to Ocean City or Virginia for a beach. I don't like long distance driving, so that was never really going to happen unless I planned it out in advance. Recently, my sister in law mentioned I check out North Beach, and it was about a half hour away. I couldn't believe no one had mentioned it to me before, specifically those who had lived in DC for years or who were locals and raised here. As she stated, it was exactly a half hour away and it was in Calvert County, MD. I've never visited this side of MD before and I really liked it. It reminded me of beach towns in MA. The beach, itself, though is more of a local beach for residents and quite small. There is also a $25 out of county fee for non-residents, so that was a bit of an annoyance. I don't know that I've paid a beach fee that high before for any beach I've ever visited. I will say I enjoyed my day there, though, and just laid out on the beach with my headphones in while I read a book. It's definitely a family beach and the water is not deep at all. They almost fence it off so you don't go in too far and the water reached knee level for most people. I went in to wade for a bit and saw jelly fish and there was lots of moss. After the beach, I walked the board walk and got some nice photos. I also checked out the local ice cream shop and saw they have little boutiques and a few restaurants. I defiantly would come back again, especially once I have children. read more

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Day trips to nearby beaches from the DMV, put it on your to-do list. Our weekends are usually spent marking off bookmarks and going to eat at places our Yelpies recommend. We ended up in North Beach this past weekend, how pretty! Small but nice! Boardwalk and all! There is a private beach but it's for locals. Very very cute quaint neighborhood surrounding the "beach" area. Looking at water will never get old. If you're a water baby, or just love looking at water (lakes, oceans, ponds) then this is it! Super beautiful. Love this! Romantic for couples! read more

North Beach - Saturday Stroll with my Bestie - Fishing Near Me - North Beach, Maryland

Beautiful, charming, small town in the midst of the Western shore of the Chesapeake and nice alternative for those who cannot or do not want to deal with the hassles of heading out to Ocean City or Sandy Point. Sandy Point is way too crowded and can be over stimulating for people wanting a relaxing yet local beach getaway. North Beach punches above its weight by having that peaceful, charming presence and vibe for you to relax. It is a year around destination, in that sure the beach (sand) might not be open, but the boardwalk is free all year around. I have found myself walking the boardwalk on gorgeous Spring and Fall days not during peak season enjoying myself. There are nice restaurants, eateries, food trucks and other charming venues around to grab smoothies, ice cream, and other delectables. My only gripe is the price of admission for the beach itself for non-county residents is a bit steep and has risen. You can rent an umbrella too, but that also costs more money. However, you do not always need to head to the actual beach and can enjoy the boardwalk and the local venues without having to pay that and get some sightseeing in. This is one of my favorite day-trip destinations in the DMV especially to wind down and relax with some good ole therapeutic peace and tranquility. NB is peaceful and slower paced than a lot of the faster paced locales in the DMV, folks should at least give the beach and town a shot to visit. It is a DMV day-trip destination for sure! read more

$105 for our family to enjoy the beach with a run down play area for kids. First time for everything to have to pay for a beach. read more

North Beach - Run down playground - Fishing Near Me - North Beach, Maryland

I really liked this beach. Not much to say, but I would definitely go back! Nice vibes throughout the town. read more

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I've visited North Beach many times growing up and was looking forward to a relaxing weekend, but the customer service was terrible. I mentioned the high out-of-towner fee to the cashier, Marykate, who sarcastically said "sorry." When I asked if she even cared, she replied, "No, I don't." What made it worse is the manager, Thomas, was standing right there and didn't intervene. I later spoke with him, and although he said he'd handle it, his silence during the incident was disappointing. The experience felt dismissive, unprofessional, and left me feeling unwelcome. For the price visitors are paying, basic respect should be a given. read more

I'm guessing that the negative reviews have more to do with the price than anything else. After Labor Day, it doesn't cost anything to visit the beach, and parking is free and easy, too. I thought this was a great place to spend the day. My five year old loved making sand castles and playing on the cool playground right on the beach. The pier gives you a nice view as well, and there are bathrooms, changing rooms, and outdoor showers. It was all very convenient and easy. As of 9/25, the water was pretty tolerable. We went in up to our waists. Everything was very clean, too! Maybe charging admission helps with upkeep. There was even a free yoga class on the pier, and it's there every Monday and Friday at 10 AM! The boardwalk is also nice. My daughter enjoyed scootering up and down. There are many places to eat nearby, and there's an enormous playground about a block up from the beach near the senior center. I don't know if the people reviewing this place one star were expecting something more like South Beach or Santa Monica...but for a quiet small town in a Maryland that's only an hour from Nova, I think it's a pretty decent option. read more

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The beauty. So serene. I love watching the sunset and the cool ocean breeze at night. Take a stroll down the boardwalk and enjoy a nice rooftop dining experience overlooking the ambience! Take a day trip or stay at the beach front resort. Nice restaurants around whether you like Italian, Mexican, Seafood and American. North Beach is such a vibe! read more

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One of my favorite beaches in MD. I was first introduced to the beach on a date. My gentleman said, "let's go for a ride. I want to show you somewhere you haven't seen before." I'm thinking yeah ok, I've seen all beaches close to me. Nope. The boardwalk was the perfect length for a romantic stroll no matter the weather and l was lost looking out into the water. I've been here a few times before, once even catching a movie on the sand. Make sure to come before 7pm if you want deep fried goodies. We arrived around 7:40 right before sunset and the smell of funnel cake was still in the air taunting us. read more

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NON-RESIDENTS ARE CHARGED LOTS OF MONEY FOR ENTRY ON SAND! This should not be called a beach. There are two very small dirty sand areas on the bay behind residential buildings. Both are well-guarded by the town staff to ensure no one gets on the sand without a heavy payment if you are not a county or town resident. Parking is also PAID. Don't waste your time if you are thinking this is a closeby "beach". Head to real beaches like Rehobeth of Virginia Beach or Ocean City. Don't say you were not warned. read more

Wife and I walked around town and out on the boardwalk after eating dinner there were actually a lot of people walking around. If your in the area stop and check out everything that is around. It looks like they finally have started to parking garage across from the boardwalk they really need this. read more

North Beach - Fishing Near Me - North Beach, Maryland

Super cute beach! Great place for a date. Positives = there are food and beverage vendors and cute little boutiques centrally located in proximity to the beach. Negatives= it's costs $25 per adult to sit on the beach and $15 to rent an umbrella. I assume the price is so high because there's limited space at the beach and of course to keep up with the maintenance of the beach front. Outside of that there's a cute pier to walk and sit at and you should certainly try a slurpie bomb at the nearby ice cream parlor! read more

Such a quaint, cool beach town! One of my best friends grew up here and recently moved back. I came to visit for Memorial Day Weekend. There's so much to do! Located right at the Chesapeake Bay. There's a boardwalk, beach, tons of restaurants. Everything to eat from Crabs, Mexican to Ice Cream. So many cute shops and houses. I loved sitting and just people watching. I'll definitely be back many times. read more

North Beach - Koi pond - Fishing Near Me - North Beach, Maryland

Wanted to check this area out cause it was only an hour away. Got the kids all ready for a day in the water and sand..... Pros: - Only one hour away. Cons: - Unless you're a resident there, they charge around $20-$25 a person. HELL NO! Last time I remembered paying to enter a beach type of area was NEVER. Thanks but no thanks! I prefer driving further for the real beach. read more

It's extremely overpriced. ($25/adults and $10/kids). And a mandatory $2 credit card fee. And they don't take cash. They have some weird rules about cooler sizes. My normal sized cooler was "too big" to go on the beach. The shore line is about 50ft. So it's extraordinarily tiny. Which makes the exorbitant prices even more insuting. Once you're in the water the sand is slimy and slick. It's quite disgusting. Not to mention the ton of jellyfish. I can't believe this little trash county is able to charge anything for this "beach". It should be free because it's a an absolute joke. Long story short, it's a complete waste of time. AVOID AT ALL COSTS. read more

North Beach is about an hour's drive from NE DC. It is very easy to get to and there are multiple beach areas to partake in. I was able to find free parking and the beach after Labor Day did not have a fee. The beach was clean and the board walk was long enough to enjoy a nice stroll. Bathrooms were closed. The boardwalk and pier have excellent pier fishing areas and areas to dock a boat. Do note that you can only fish from the pier in certain areas. Beach was friendly towards children as it had a ship playground area. The surrounding shops were perfect for everyone's needs: ice cream, frozen yogurt (also lactose free options), a farmers market area, wine bars, antiques and more. Will be back! It is a very pleasant place to sit and relax while wading in the water. read more

***NOTE*** As others have mentioned, the price of admission is only in effect from Memorial weekend through Labor Day. So, we almost didn't take my grandkids here. My daughter saw the name and looked at their website, and declared it was a good day trip from our home near Ft. Meade. What a disappointment, as we got closer, to come across information that said they charge $18 per person! Initially, she didn't see the "fine print" which states the season when they charge. So there we were, 90 minutes from home, with two kids who just wanted to play on a real beach. As an aside, being from California, we are just flabbergasted by the lack of free and/or public beaches on the East Coast! We're like, WTAF?!?!? Anyway, we decided at last to just stop and check it out. Glad we did because the kiddos had fun. For me, though - meh is being generous. This is a tiny beach, with a lagoon that is maybe 2' deep, with zero amenities besides very well-kept restroom and changing rooms. I mean, that's it. There is an extensive boardwalk and a nice pier, but I'm used to room to walk a ways and explore and I would never in my life pay that outrageous price to be here in the season. The thing we have noticed most of all on the East Coast, is that beaches are mostly reserved for the privileged with money, and while I get that they don't need tourist trade and are jealously trying to keep this little spot for themselves, it is just ... sad. read more

We left too late to get to Ocean City, so we decided on North Point. Growing up in a state that had free access to several beaches, I was quite shocked to have to pay $34 for admission for my family. There is also a limit (set by ordinance) on the size of the cooler you can bring. The coolers are subject to search. Once we received our wristbands (required for reentry), we realized that the beach itself is no bigger than a small park. We brought our own chairs and umbrellas, but they were available for rent ($15 - pretty steep for the size of the beach). The ladies restroom was very hot and humid. Only three shower heads to rinse and two changing rooms. I noticed a foodstand, a Chinese restaurant, and an Italian eatery. I didn't notice offhand any seafood restaurants. We brought our own food so it wasn't a bother. I gave two stars because it didn't take long to find parking. read more

North Beach - Beach area. - Fishing Near Me - North Beach, Maryland

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It's an ok neighborhood beach. Water breaks control the surf hitting bathers. Pier is nice but really very little stands out. The price is somewhat predatory. $17.00 for a non county resident is out there. I mean the whole beach may be 1/10 of a mile split by the pier. A few snack shops. County residents better not be complaining about any prices around IMS in Indy. Payback and all. read more

North Beach - Beach - Fishing Near Me - North Beach, Maryland

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Fabulous, serene, relaxing area. love it so much we bought a condo here. lots of nice walking, good food choices, nature, 10 miles of water view, launches from the Wallops island site, and none of the noise and chaos of Ocean city. great place to chill. contrary to all the cranky poor reviews, people love it here. First Friday is great, the koi pond, you name it. read more

My review of North Beach could be a bit partial - as I have family near but this is really my little getaway. I've tried to resist sharing a review - as I don't want it to get too crowded. LOL I love coming here. It is indeed very small - maybe 2 blocks long so nope there is no strip to cruise, no Ferris wheel, no action but that's what I love - I love the relaxed and laid-back appeal. As mentioned, you pay for beach access and it is relatively small. I enjoy coming when there's Farmers Market and local vendors on Fridays - I ways get plenty to take home. If you're in the city and looking for a small and quiet getaway - maybe take in a stroll with the honey, North Beach is cool. Restaurants are limited but there is a great Mexican one we love. read more

North Beach - Fishing Near Me - North Beach, Maryland

Not really my ideal beach experience, but it's a cute, quaint, quiet little bayside town that is perfect for those days when you just want to soak up a little sun and be near the water, but don't want to spend half a day sitting in traffic trying to get to the bigger beaches. The "beach" areas are very, very small. On super hot days, expect people to be packed on the sand like sardines. The wading area goes pretty far out, and is relatively shallow for most of the way, so that might give offer a bit of a reprieve from squealing, splashing kids. There are a few small shops on the tiny boardwalk to buy snacks like ice cream and funnel cake (in the warmer months). In the winter, there's a huge Christmas tree, complete with elves, and toy soldiers standing guard, on the pier. There is a fee to enter the "beach" area in the summer. I don't think I'd pay to wade in those crowded, shallow, sometimes murky waters, but it is a nice place to visit and spend a few hours away from the big city. read more

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When we first arrived after searching online for public beach access we paid $9 to park in the parking lot. We walked toward the beach, to find out you have to pay $25/adult and $10/child to go to the beach and the boardwalk for the whole day. Which really isn't worth it since we ate before we came and we were there for a few hours. You don't get a great beach view when on the beach because you have a boardwalk and a pier blocking the view. We weren't allowed to use our shade tent, they were happy to rent us an umbrella for $15 though. We weren't impressed and were very disappointed by this location and won't return. It's also not pet friendly if you're looking to bring your dog to the beach with you. read more

We love living here. I love to walk and ride my bike at sunrise and sunset. The Osprey are fascinating to watch as they build their nests and raise their young... even if the rob the fish pond now and then. We are getting more restaurants which is nice to have more variety. The farmer's markets on Fridays is always crowded and a great time. read more

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This place doesn't have much to offer for active swimmers. Sea gets a little bit deeper during high tides, but that's it. Swimming outside the jellyfish net area is another story, can be annoying. Drive: It was a beautiful drive to get there from College Park. Parking is free. What they have: There are showers, at least something. It doesn't get much crowded on saturdays, mostly families and little kids. What's around: There are good wineries and seafood restaurants around. Overall, I found this place very peaceful, excellent to read your book under your umbrella. Price is expensive, only for this purpose. read more

North Beach - Horseshoe crabs - Fishing Near Me - North Beach, Maryland

Quaint little town with plenty of shops and sites to see, plus fresh seafood to buy and cook at your rental

To charge $25 per person (!!!)to sit on a tiny patch of sand is ridiculous. Not only that, they had a whole section blocked off as 'private' with nobody allowed to sit there until the other two tiny patches were filled. No one ever did go there. Clearly out of town residents are being expected to subsidize something but my family won't be returning. Disappointing on so many levels read more

Not a beach that I will come back for another trip. Beware that you have to pay to enter the beach and the price is steep! $25 per adult and $10 per kid as of July 2021. They are also very strict on what you can bring in and charge $15 to rent an umbrella. I was in shock about the price and limitation but we already made a trip here so decided to pay. The beach itself is very very small but not too crowded (again, how many people would pay such a steep price to go to a beach). Kid friendly since it's the bay side and wave is very small and water shallow. Food option is almost non-existent. There are couple ice-cream places and a funnel cake place but definitely not a broadwalk with a variety of restaurants like other beaches nearby. read more

So you've heard--steep admission. But I thought it was totally worth it. My mom got in with a senior discount for $12 and my two-year-old was free. The beach and surrounding areas seemed well maintained, and there were plentiful staff nearby to assist, from directing to setting up umbrellas. Granted, I think they should just be charging $5, but the higher prices probably help to keep crowds at bay. And maybe people generally behave better when they have to pay more for an experience? Just a thought. Beachgoers all seemed to coexist in harmony on the small but atmospheric patch of sand. As others may have also mentioned, this beach is very family-friendly and safe for little ones. Besides loving the cleanliness of the beach itself, my family also appreciated the nostalgic feel of this seaside town. Could be described as quaint and old-timey. The buildings awash in pastels and the mom and pop type businesses made for great pictures. They also have lovely flowers along the boardwalk. Just really pretty. It's not Ocean City, but for DC area folks, it means an hour drive versus 2.5 or more. Perfect daytrip destination for families and groups. read more

honorable place to go I paid for everything there $25.00 a person to the sand ha-ha parking fee and very small private beach we didn't do any activities no surfing not swimming just waste our day. read more

This review is not for the Beach itself but for the event that was held there. The Drink Maryland Craft Beverage Festival. It was Awesome!!! We purchased our ticket's thru living Social. The check in process was great!! They had a lot of different vendors.. wide selections to choose from. We usually check the Wine festival out yearly. This time they added Beer and Spirit's to the menu as well. They have several food vendors around for food purchase. The also have several Benches around for seating. This always include a band for entertainment. I just wish they had more shaded area near the water. We found a shaded spot behind some of the vendors that was selling their portraits and different items. I recommend checking the festival out . I would never get in that water though, Just people watching is enough for me. I would definitely be returning for the next wine event. :) read more

North Beach - This is what l call a good time! Drinking till I'm silly! I'm l crazy in this heat. Possibly lol - Fishing Near Me - North Beach, Maryland

Ridiculously expensive to get in, considering the quality of the beach. If you are an out-of-towner, it's $15/adult and I believe $8/kid ages 3 and up. Once you pay at the welcome center, you get a little paper wristband to wear - it's checked at the entry points to the actual beach. We've been to North Beach twice over the years (both times when our original plans were foiled and we wanted to make the most of having driven all the way out there). The beach is rather grimy looking, and the water even more so. Expect to see a fair amount of trash floating at the water's edge (bandaids! plastic bags! chicken wing bones!), and lots and lots and lots of seaweed. You can rent beach chairs and umbrellas ($5 and $10 each, respectively), and there are so-so quality bathrooms available. The boardwalk is nice for a little stroll, and there are some typical places around that serve beach-type-fare (funnel cakes, snow cones, ice cream, hot dogs, etc). On busy days when the parking lot fills up, street parking is generally easy to find. read more

North Beach - North Beach - Fishing Near Me - North Beach, Maryland

A cute little beach nestled about an hour drive from Washington, D.C. It's a far stretch from the beaches of Ocean City, but you can't beat the charm of North Beach. It's a great day trip where I suggest packing your lunch. Out of town guests pay a fee for beach access and beach umbrellas/chairs are available to rent. Note* no alcohol is allowed on the beach and only SMALL ice chests are allowed (9 quarts or less). Here is the website for specifics: https://www.northbeachmd.org/welcome-center/pages/beach read more

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I visited North Beach for the first time this week. The first thing I would like to mention is the the parking lot is free of charge! And it's right across the boardwalk/beach. The second thing, I had to pay $15 as an entrance fee for the beach since I was not a Calvert County resident. Out of County residents (doesn't matter where you're from) will need to pay $15. They gave you a wrist band and it allows you to walk in and out of the beach without a problem. I arrived towards sunset and the view was wonderful. The sand was nice and soft at first. However once you start walking along the shore, you'll find a lot more of little tiny rocks and stuff towards the water and it hurts your feet for a while (well it hurt mine at least). Recommend wearing shoes for little kids. And that kind of bothered me. Once you get in the water, maybe like a good 2-3 feet in, the sand is nice and smooth and it doesn't hurt your feet at all. However, the water is only like 2 feet high, no matter where you stand (you can only go so far in deep the water), so basically if you're looking for an actual beach resort getaway, don't come here. There aren't many waves and the water will NOT get past your knees/thighs. Something I loved was that the place was nice and calming. Once the sun is setting, I would definitely go out for a walk on the boardwalk because it's so nice and peaceful and super relaxing. It's good for distressing and just sitting there! :) *They do have a little truck with food and such but they closed at like 5-6. read more

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The beach proper is 2 stars. It's small, they charge $17 pp for out of county residents which is INSANE to swim in a very small area of the murky Chesapeake. The pier is nice, well maintained with benches and flowers. This area is nice, but if you want more traffic you MUST lower the pricing. read more

North Beach - Nice well kept boardwalk pier - Fishing Near Me - North Beach, Maryland

The beach area itself is closed off due to covid. Which is understandable. By looking at it, its a very small area of sand that I can see getting very crowded very quickly. People here were much nicer than over by Chesapeake beach and breezy point. There is a long boardwalk along the water so we were actually able to just park the car and take a nice stroll. We grabbed some ice cream and took a walk along the water. There was an area of the beach that was covered with ducks. My toddlers loved it. Probably wouldn't come back here to go to the beach, but its nice to know that if we needed a quick change of scenery and some salt water breeze that this place exists. Even on a Saturday evening for labor day weekend traffic in the area was almost non existent and the boardwalk was not overly crowded. Everyone there kept thier distance but were still very nice smiling and saying hello. It made for a nice day out. My mini road trip was not a complete fail. read more

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Do not waste your time coming to any of the beaches in this area. They all charge you $17 just to walk to the beach. I have never heard of paying to go to the beach! They make you park so far away and walk to the welcome center before disclosing this little gem. Then they tell you that ocean City is the only free beach. Yeah, it's three hours away!!! I will never come back here again!! I'm so disappointed to not have been able to enjoy the beach today!!!! Ridiculous!!!! read more

I've been to better beaches. The pier was nice to walk though & it was convenient walk from where I was staying. Price to get on the beach was pretty ridiculous for how little beach there actually is. Why am I being charged this much to experience nature? read more

North Beach - Fishing Near Me - North Beach, Maryland

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It was really hard for me to choose how many stars to give. I went with 4- but it's really more like 3.5. We live just outside of DC and tried to find the closest/nicest beach to us, and North Beach was recommended. After reading other reviews I wasn't totally sure what to expect- people seem to love it while others nothing but negatives. I was kind of middle of the road, so I'll try to share my thoughts honestly. I would say it's definitely worth checking out, if you have less than an hours drive. It was an easy 45 mins for us, anything longer and I think we would have been disappointed when we got there. There are a few restaurants and cute little shops that are near the water. And we found free street parking close by. We walked everywhere we went that day. To access the beach it's about $17- we chose not to actually go down onto the beach because it was fairly crowded (Memorial Day weekend). As many others have said, the beach is short but I didn't know what that meant exactly until we got there. But from the top of the beach, to the water it's maybe 1/4 mile stretch (that's probably being generous). The beaches stretch fairly wide along the water, but they're divided by small piers/docks so there are a lot of people packed into small areas. Pro Tip: the farther you can walk from the entrance to the beach the less crowded it is. We chose to walk on the sidewalk above the beach, you have a nice view of the water and there are deck areas that you can walk out over the water. It was a nice way to spend an afternoon, but probably not anywhere I would recommend to stay for a weekend. Unless you/your family love spending time in the water or on the beach it would be hard to spend an entire day here in my opinion. Worth checking out if you live nearby! read more

North Beach - Fishing Near Me - North Beach, Maryland

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I think it is a bit of a stretch to call this a proper beach, but for what it was and on the day we visited it was fine just to lay out. We, unbeknownst to us, visited on the last "free" day before they begin charging out of county visitors $17/pp. I'll say that if I paid $17/pp to visit here, I'd have been disappointed. The beach area is divided into smaller areas and the swimming areas are roped in, guarded by a wall of rocks. I am thinking this is a man-made beach due to the coastline and the way the sand felt in the water. The swimming area is quite shallow (I don't think it ever went higher than my waist and I am 5 foot 1) so I see why this would be an ideal location for those with younger kids, which there were a lot of on the day we visited. There is also a wooden boat playground type thing for kids too. The water is murky, which is not my cup of tea, which is why I ended up only going in once despite the 90 degree temps. Unfortunately the showers were not turned on yet and the changing rooms were also locked but as of 4/30/17, everything is up and running (including the $17/pp charge). My advice is to visit ONLY if it's before they start charging as it is really not worth it otherwise. The beach also is not pure sand and has lots of rocks, etc. I've never been to a beach outside of Florida, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Mexico, and California so I'm not sure if that is typical for the east coast beaches or not, but it's not what I am used to. Parking, from what I heard, is free all year round. We parked for free across from the beach with no problem. There is a boardwalk, but there isn't much there except residential houses. A few shops line some of the main streets. They have an ice cream shop (Hershey's ice cream), some antique places, a paint/wine place, a country market, a Mexican restaurant, and a wine shop. We stopped in the wine shop (separate review) and enjoyed ourselves. We got to talking with the owner's husband and he recommended a restaurant called Neptune's Seafood Pub for anyone in the area. We thought about it, but we were so exhausted from the heat, we decided to head home (plus we had to watch the NHL game!). You can bring snacks on the beach, but there is also a concession stand that sells typical "fair" food. North Beach is a cute place to visit for a bit, but I do not recommend visiting when the fee is enforced-visit on a hot day before April 30! read more