If you live in the Boston Area and don't want to drive over an hour to Cape Cod for crowded…read morebeaches, Plum Island is the spot for you. The beach is very clean and the sand is nice. It is never crowded and you can almost guarantee yourself a nice beach spot to set up camp and have a great day. The water is never too cold and you can always count on a fun time in the water if you find yourself hot and ready for a cool down. If you plan to visit this beautiful beach, be prepared to drop some $$ on parking as it is scarce throughout the island. Also, If you are into wildlife, the $5 entry to the Plum Island Refuge can provide a fun time with many different boardwalks and beaches.

Plum Island Beach, in Newburyport, is a great & lowkey beach on the North Shore to go to!…read moreThe beach is clean & pretty quiet, mostly locals. Much less congested compared to the popular beaches in MA & no traffic jams. I usually only come here if I'm planning a trip to see my friends in Newburyport ;) Not sure how much the parking is; I park at a friend's house. Very calm beach ONLY THING IS, avoid going in the month of July, OR be very careful of the greenhead flies! They are everywhere here during that month & their bites hurt lol. Not sure if greenheads are only specific to this beach in particular, however, I've only really ever experienced this here.

Parking is affordable and just a short, very short walk to the beach. Bathrooms are close and very…read moreclean for beach bathrooms. Little beach shop/store is usually open in the summer for some yummy treats.

Do you like relaxation -- maybe with a lil sand snuggled between ur toesy-wozies? If yes, grab your…read morecrockpot + maracas, lather ur bod in dat SPF protectant, and get over to Wallis Sands State Beach for a little R&R&RT (rest & relaxation & rad times). Yes, yes -- get to dat beach + plop ur dump truck down in that flimsy Walgreens beach chair that has been rotting in your garage for, like, 9+ months now. Breathe it in: yes, yes dat fresh salt air. Salt! Mmm, yes... Also politely ask that person on the beach blanket next to you to crank up "Daisies" by Justin Bieber from their portable JBL speaker just a smidge louder. That's right -- set the mood for ur ultimate New Hampshiran beach day. Smack a beachball, David. Slurp a wine cooler, Darlene. Hold a hermit crab captive (they don't have feelings, silly). And go on and say things like "ew, seaweed!" and "wow, look at that kite!" and "Ed Sheeran is one of my favorite artists!" Yay! Enjoy your day, Freddie + Barbara -- hopefully you trekked to Wallis Sands State Beach without the kids...ya know? They are, like, so annoying. Brutal. R&R&RT is best without juice boxes and bad attitudes. Children belong in front of YouTube. You belong in front of the Atlantic -- alone + unbothered -- left to simply worry about ur sun exposure. It's cute. Soak up the sun, Sheryl Crow! Enjoy da beach + ur yacht rock playlist, also. Cheers! Seashells! Toes! Crockpots!

This may be one of my favorite areas in Wells next to the Estuarine. But def my fav beach. Plenty…read moreof space and tho popular not over crowded. There is town parking 1/3 mi from the beach at $5/hr or just ride your bike. We actually had a whale pod sighting today!

If you want a quieter beach than the madness of Ogunquit, then come to Drake's Island beach,…read morequieter, more locals and very laid back, I spent a whole day here by myself. Kennebunkport, Wells, Ogunquit and York are all side-by-side seaside communities along the Maine coast and they all have their own beaches as well. It really depends on what you're looking for but if you want a locals-only beach then this would be it. Also if you plan on swimming and not just dipping in quickly, try to find a spot on the estuary side as opposed to the ocean side, the water is easily 20 degrees warmer on the estuary side. Parking here is at about $5 /30 minutes and paid by machine and credit card only.

The nicest beach that we visited in the Kennebunkport area. Clean and spacious. Parking is limited.read more

Beautiful and private (at least in late September). So happy to have randomly discovered!read more

Canoe Beach is rated number one if you love the ocean and rocks this is the place to come…read more The beach is very small with the feel of being on a tropical island. Both sides of the small sandy beach are very rocky almost Cliff like. This is the type of beach if you want to get away from everything and everybody it's definitely the place to hide out for a day and enjoy Mother Nature. If you like to explore bring some really good rock climbing shoes as the rocks are slippery and dangerous make sure you do not climb alone. Remember if you do not have a resident parking sticker there is absolutely no parking for blocks and blocks however with a resident sticker there are seven parking spots that's right only seven. If you're lucky enough to come here you can enjoy the view from four park benches located on the grassy area overlooking the beach. For the dog lovers please leave your loved ones at home as no dogs are allowed on this beach it is strictly enforced. I love Canoe Beach as it is one of the last beaches on the North Shore that you can count on nobody being there when you arrive. You will have a private beach all to yourself. So please remember if you plan on climbing on the rocks have somebody with you because they are slippery and dangerous. This is a great beach to enjoy a sunrise or sunset. The local police usually will not bother you on during a sunrise but they will ask you to leave as the sun sets especially if you're parked illegally. Canoe Beach easily gets awarded 5 Stars ‼

The most beautiful place on the Universe! Angelic and the home of Mother Nature. Hidden Gem.read more

This is really quite a nice little trail. You get a bit of coastline, and a bit of forest all in…read moreone. You turn onto granite point road off of route 9 near Biddeford pool. You follow the road all the way down, there is very limited parking. By limited I mean 4 maybe 5 spots, including 2 handicapped parking spots. The road and parking area are patrolled by BPD. After parking you walk along the dirt road, after the trail entrance sign and information board. You go by a few structures and viewing decks. The trail takes you all the way out to the coastline across the bay from goose rocks beach. In low tide, you can walk all the way out to timber island, but be aware of how slimy and slippery it would be. Also be sure you know the tidal chart for the day you take your walk. It's very important to know, as rescue would be costly if caught on the island. The Ewing house is the last part of this trail and it's so worth the trip. If you've never seen the house itself, check it out, it's pretty cool. They have a layout of what the old colonial style house looked like in its prime. It was a large house, and had several rooms and out buildings through the property. It's really very interesting and so worth the trip. It's not a long trip at all, maybe 1.5/2 hours if you really mosey about. An hour's if you're speed walking. Kids

Beautiful scenic trail to hike on. Very level flat pathway through woodland area and side paths…read morealong the waterfront. Smaller beach area full of rocks and shells. Amazing views and lots of birds to watch. Bring binoculars! A few benches to sit and enjoy....

Ogunquit Beach is a wide stretch of soft white sand. The…read morehistoric downtown area is filled with charming local shops, great spots to eat, and classic New England buildings. Walking along the scenic Marginal Way cliff path gives you breathtaking views of the crashing waves below. It is a wonderful, lively destination for a relaxing getaway by the sea. The welcoming coastal vibe makes it a place you will want to visit over and over again.

One of my favorite beaches in the world! Love walking the entire stretch of the beach from Ogunquit…read moreto Wells, about 3.5 miles in each direction. Ogunquit beach has a very gradual slope which makes it perfect for long walks - you don't get the feeling that you are walking on a slant. It's absolutely gorgeous, with large sandy expanses, especially at low tide. There are often flocks of sandpipers, which I love to watch as they run so quickly over the sand and search for food. Ogunquit Beach is especially nice in the off season - the crowd spreads out over the area so you never feel as if people are on top of you like you might in the peak season. There is a parking lot that is free from November-March, and you can also easily walk to the beach from in town. Next to the parking lot there is a covered area with chairs and benches which are perfect for just relaxing by the ocean. There are also a couple of restaurants, a snack bar, a beach store, and an ice cream shop very close by.

Really cool beach - great for walks too. Traffic can get wonky in sumner but thats usually the way…read moreit goes.

The beach itself is beautiful and the staff is friendly and helpful. The restrooms are fine…read more However, please beware of the parking stations that have difficulty with credit cards, fail to provide receipts, and require the estimated hours you think you will spend.

What a beautiful beach. So clean and a wide area of sand to stretch out on. The sand near the water…read moreis hard which is nice to take a stroll on. The sand further away is soft and power like. The parking is also easy and close to several entrances. You do have a pay to park.

Best swimming beach in Kennebunkport, ME!…read more Plenty of clean, soft sand with water temps in low 70's during summers. However, be prepared for a $40 street parking charge (payable via the passport app) or risk an $85 parking ticket. - I did see a meter reader issuing tickets. BYOB / FOOD as none is available nearby

Lovely beach in Rockport. I visit every year with my family. Great place in the summer to get some…read moresun and avoid the heat in the cities.

By far my favourite beach in New England great family beach, wide soft sand, calm waves, shallow…read moreincline & to boot no stones, pebbles or sand biting bugs, even at dusk... If you can rent one of the quaint cottages directly on the beach, it adds to the experience. Nothing beats opening your front door, sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee and watching the world idly wake up... At the end of August, Long Beach Day is held with a host of family fun activities for the kids to enjoy and the adults to bring out their competitive sides for wheel barrow racing, 3 legged racing etc... And one thing that makes me happy, happy... is my departure from Boston on a summer Friday @ 5.30pm and arriving at the beach in Rockport by 6.15/6.30 max... It beats the trip south to the Cape, hands down...