First time here. Must reserve $40 parking ahead of time during the day, free parking after 5pm. You'll be turned around if you don't have reservation. Small walk from secondary lot, residents of the town have priority and cheaper rate. Beach is super clean, keep it that way please and pick up after yourself. Sand is smooth and fine, very minimal rocks or pebbles. Water during high tide makes the cover feel intimate, then when low tide hits BOOM the water rips out of the area for a Mile kind of wild to see. My lady introduced me to this beach and boy I'm glad she did. Add it to my favorites list! They have a food hut with actual meals to be purchased, not sure about showers etc we couldn't find them but think they close at 5pm either way. There's hermit crabs, fishes and snails to be found in the water for the youngings to learn and see! Great beach, great sun, clean and clear, water is also crystal clear. Nothing in the sand to step on and hurt your feet. Nice sandbar to swim over to and explore. Definitely looking forward to the next beach day! read more

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Hands down, the best beach on the north shore or even all of New England! We spend a lot of time in Gloucester over the summer and this is our go-to beach. The beach is flat and gradual, ideal for kids. There are fun rocks to climb on and tide pools to jump in. The sand is soft and fluffy. Lines can get long and you now have to book in advance, so be sure to plan ahead w/r/t your visit. There are life guards on staff and I feel the beach is very well maintained overall. We are usually on the "boat side" where dogs are allowed, which makes for a fun family experience. We like to go early (get there by 9am if not before) and leave early (in time for lunch), which I would recommend, to avoid the crowds. read more

Wingaersheek Beach - Beaches Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester is one of my favorite beaches to go to in MA! This summer's daily parking fee is $40/non-Gloucester residents for weekdays, and payment made via the Blinkay app. No longer take cash payments. Parking pass for weekends/holidays is $45. It used to be $30/day in previous years. Any time after 5pm, parking is free, so you could definitely come to just chill & watch the sunset. It's smaller than the other beaches in the area (i.e. Good Harbor Beach, Crane Beach, Plum Island, etc) but nothing can beat the white sand & clear, clean water here! The sand is free of annoying rocks & just feels like walking on marshmallows! Now, they have a separate parking lot for Non-Gloucester residents, that is a short walk from the entrance to the beach, while residents are able to park in the main lot closer to the beach entrance. Note: bathrooms & showers are open until 6pm daily. read more

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My favorite beach! When the tide is out there's a huge sandbar you can walk onto - finding snails, crabs, and sand dollars . The sand is soft and the water gets pretty warm since the tide exposes so much shallow water when it goes out. There's loads of rock clusters to explore too, making it perfect for kids. read more

Wingaersheek Beach - Wingaersheek at high tide - A family of five stands in shallow water at Wingaersheek Beach, with rocks on the right and a distant shoreline, under a blue sky. - Beaches Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

Returned to this beach after 5 years. Parking had to be reserved about a week in advance, but was glad for this option vs. the old days of trying your luck only to get shut out at arrival. Nice sand and decent bathroom facilities. Fun to see the tide change. The food shack's prices are indeed ridiculous. No prices listed so I just ordered some snacks to see what would happen - pretzel $8, Orange snowcone $4, pina colada smoothie $10. For the quality, it's not worth it. Definitely recommend bringing your own food to enjoy. read more

Nice beach in the off-season so you don't have to pay for parking or book in advance. The sand is white powder, very flat and sandy going into the water, clear water and lots to explore at low tide. read more

Wingaersheek Beach is about an hour's drive from Boston. Parking was $42.80 before 4 PM when I went (August 6). We arrived around 2 PM, and it wasn't too crowded. There are lifeguards on duty until 5. The sand is incredibly soft and white & the water is clean, and there are fun rocks to explore. Definitely a summer must visit spot!! read more

What a beautiful beach! I've been looking for one like Wingaersheek where the waters are bluer and clearer, where sands are a bit finer and whiter and where there are rocks that form tidal pools and ease out the waves. What prompted the search for this kind of beach was that wishful thinking of traveling to Hawaii or really another place with a nice beach haha but we all know Covid by now and what it has done so lets just leave it at that. Anyway, this beach is not really the typical beach you'd find in the East Coast (NJ specifically) where beaches are usually so open and not always safe for kids as it may suddenly become too deep if they swim even just a few feet away from the shores but here, the stretch of shallow waters is just like a playground of kids and kids-at-heart. We came on an August saturday but it was a chilly day so thats probably why the parking lot wasnt as full like how the other reviews mentioned. Too bad as i was really looking forward for a swim. My family and I did enjoy a nice stroll through the sandbar which was visible during low tide. By 2-3pm the tides have starting to return and gave a different view of the entire area. There are stores by the parking lot selling food/snacks and other beach items, the restrooms are well kept that day and the beach was really clean and maintained well. Im hoping to visit again maybe in the next summer or so. Definitely a must-see beach! Did people keep this place a secret? I wouldnt blame them of thats a "yes" though. read more

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Abs, great beach I love it a lot me and my family come here all the time and it's such a fun time at Butt. The only thing is the food is way too overpriced for me to wait and the food doesn't even look that good or taste good and another thing that really ruined this speech for me was the customer service giving by the cleaning service me and multiple other women were waiting outside of the bathroom for over 10 minutes and the person inside would not step out would not let us go into go to the bathroom we tried knocking we tried talking him, but he would not let us in. He told us to get out push the girls out of the way and shut the door in our face while yelling at us to get out. read more

Absolutely beautiful beach! We came from Wisconsin to see family that now lives here and had a beautiful afternoon. Soft white sand, beautiful clear water and we found hermit crabs, snails and clams that were still tucked in their shells! Lots of abandoned shells that you can take home too ;) Awesome waves when the tide rose again which is nice for the surf shop they have! read more

Beautiful beach with great views. When the tide is low you can walk out to the lighthouse. The water is clear and not too cold while the sand is white and incredibly soft for us being in Massachusetts, lol. This is truly a hidden gem of a beach. You will need to purchase a weekday or weekend beach pass. No just dropping by if you're in the area without a pass, you won't get in and they do not let you pay to enter. I also suggest packing a delicious picnic or stopping by Whole Foods for drinks and snacks to bring with you prior. Why you ask? See my review of Ann Marie's Surfside (the beach food shack). read more

One of the best beaches in MASS! Now that they're in forcing parking reservations, going in and out is so smooth! Before it was such a hassle and packed. The traffic was also crazy! This beach is such a calm and relaxing beach. Great for families with little kids because there is barely any waves. They also have clean bathrooms and whole kitchen that services hot food like hotdogs, cheeseburgers, lobster rolls, and etc. Overall, I've been here 2x in the past 3 weeks lol. Will definitely try to go again before the summer is over! BTW - when it's low tide, there's pretty much a sandbar everywhere. You can go so deep out in the ocean. read more

Came here for the tide pools at low tide and it did not disappoint. Kids had a blast, there's water, sand, some rocks to climb around. As others noted and down-starred for - you do have to pay for and reserve parking in advance but it does help keep it from being overcrowded. We had a great day - full beach but still plenty of room. The lot adjacent to the beach entrance was full but the second lot was a very short walk from the beach. read more

I took my new girlfriend here today on Sunday in August. I told her Gloucester ma. Has some of the best lobster around so we waited over one hour in line. I ordered 2 lobster rolls. The woman told me 73 $ so I paid it trying to impress my new date. After another 40 minutes I got 2 boxes on the way to the car I opened one box and noticed there were 2 hot dog rolls with lobster in them and one pickle. Opened the second box and same thing. So I thought they just have charged me for four lobster rolls at this point I did not want to wait another hour in line to explain to them. The lobster was so bad we could not even eat it. It was like chewing on a tire I ended up giving it away to the enormous amount of seagulls that are relentlessly this beach. Anyway I never seen my beautiful date again you can try the beach for your self but just needed to share my experience at Wingaersheek beach. God bless read more

Beautiful beach - soft sand, clear shallow water for miles, and large rocks that provide great views! This is a great spot for kids. Parking is a tad bit expensive at $30 for non residents. No dogs allowed. Overall this is a really great beach and perks of a heat wave is the water temp is 70 degrees! read more

BEAUTIFUL little hidden gem in Gloucester! Very clear water, NO WEEDS OR SHELLS, and soft white sand! There are some BIG rocks to climb on and the beach is medium-small, so if it gets crowded it's not too bad!! Love! Will be back for sure!! read more

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Today myself, my mother, and grandmother all ventured out about an hour and a half to kick off our first beach day since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The beach was pretty packed and parking + food was a tad bit expensive, also we did have to move our chairs back a couple times because of the tide. However, we had a nice time sunbathing and dipping our toes in the water, and I wouldn't mind returning! read more

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Clean, white sand beach with cool tide pools when the tide is low. There's no smoking on the beach which is really nice. Carry in carry out trash. Love it here! $30 to park on 8/30/2019. Short walk from lot to beach. read more

Wingaersheek Beach - Beach time! - Beaches Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

It's finally beach weather! Wingaersheek Beach is one of my favorite beaches near Boston and it's my go-to beach. As a Floridian, I know beaches and Wingaersheek definitely meets my criteria: 1. The sand is amazing. Beaches have GOT to had feet-friendly, clean, white sand. Wingaersheek has powdery sand that sparkles -- who doesn't love sparkles?! 2. The water is amazingly clear. Now, I'm a bit picky with the ocean; I love it, but I have an innate fear of water that I cannot see through. Wingaersheek has translucent water that allows me to see straight through to the bottom; even when it get a little deeper. My only sadness is that the water is cold. My boyfriend, who has lived here his entire life disagrees and says that it's one of the warmer beaches he's been to, so...I guess it's really what you're accustomed to. My feet were pretty numb in the water, but it became bearable after awhile; just plunge yourself in. 3. TIDE POOLS! Now, these don't really exist much in Florida. It's so cool to be able to climb rocks and look at all the critters that live in these little ecosystems. As a science teacher, I approve. Also, the sandbar is amazing. At low-tide, the water gets really shallow and it's super fun to walk the sandbar, jump in the tiny tide pools (that are empty of life), and play with the quicksand. 4. Driving and parking is pretty easy. Wingaersheek is about an hour away from Boston and has a paid parking lot. It can get pretty pricey, but if you carpool, it's easy to split the cost. From 8:00 am - 3:00 pm, it's $25.00 on weekdays and $30.00 weekends and holidays; from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm, it's $15.00 weekdays and $20.00 weekends and holidays. Though, when I went this most recent time, I arrived at 4 pm and parking was free. So, I guess I lucked out! 5. The concessions and facilities were super convenient. They have a concession that sells food, drinks, floaties, sunscreen -- basically anything you might need at the beach. The restrooms and showers were clean, but they all close at 6 pm, which may be a bit inconvenient. PRO-TIP: They are a carry-in, carry-out beach which means NO trashcans on the beach. So bring your own garbage bag to carry out any trash you bring with you. They have a dumpster with recycling in the parking lot. read more

Wingaersheek Beach - Beaches Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

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I'm local, so I know the deal! This beach is GORGEOUS, with the softest sand, shallow water (thus a little warmer than most beaches in the area), a ton of tide pools, pretty views of the Annisquam river and boats coming and going, dunes, it's really great. There are serviceable bathrooms, a snack bar, and showers for a rinse. From the parking lot you don't have to lug your beach stuff too far--its a quick walk through the dunes on a path to get to the beach. This might just be the most beautiful beach on the north shore. Pro tip: sometimes you can find sand dollars on the left side of the beach. The parking lot is small and gets crowded quickly, so you have to be there really EARLY to get in--locals with stickers have a special section of the lot, too, so it's tough for out of Towners (and on weekends, residents often get turned away, too, if they don't get there as early as possible). They will sometimes post signs on the highway saying if the lots are closed so look out for them, but you have to wait in a long line to get in and sometimes you get there just to be turned away. Good Harbor has a bigger lot, and Stagefort Park does, too--and sometimes Stagefort runs shuttles to other beaches from there. I recommend trying to come during the week if you're able--much better chance at getting a spot. CASH ONLY for parking here--crazy this day and age, but true, so come prepared. Carry in carry out, no trash cans so be prepared. Seagulls are AGGRESSIVE and will go into your open bags looking for food, so don't leave your stuff unattended or open. Greenheads are rampant here during July. Check twitter for greenhead reports because they usually last one high tide cycle (full moon to full moon) and no bug spray works--they use their eyes not nose to find you. read more

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I loved it. The water was clear and not that deep so was good for the kids and I like that even though it's public it's still pretty much reservations required which keeps it to limited amount of people. I would definitely go back read more

Wingaersheek Beach - Clear - Two children, one in a pink outfit and the other in an orange shirt, sit on the sandy beach near the shoreline, wearing white sun hats. - Beaches Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

Beautiful New England beach with everything you can ask for - silky soft sand, tide pools in low tide, parking and a couple of shops out front in case you forgot something. Parking is by reservation only, so it's a must to reserve online beforehand. Reservation however is for the entire day and not timed. The beach takes on different personas in high and low tide, and each has its own beauty. The water was surprisingly warm and the depth increases very gradually, making this an excellent spot for the younglings. read more

Wingaersheek Beach - A crab on its evening stroll - Beaches Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

This beach was gorgeous!! The best beach i've ever been to in mass!!! I would totally recommend to a friend! The water was amazing, the sand was so soft, and there's a beautiful light house! The only down side is the seagulls are a little crazy. They had no hesitation getting a foot away from you trying to steal your food. But other than that it was a 11/10!! read more

Clear water Water isn't deep Soft sand Clean beach Food is okay get the chicken the pizza is mid, fries were sadly disappointing read more

Obsessed with this beach- I happily drive for an hour regularly from the city to sit on this beautiful beach- the rocks, the Cape Ann lighthouse, the sand dunes, the shallow waters. At low tide the waters go out so far that you could walk for what feels like forever- plus there are hermit crabs galore! I just couldn't give this 5 stars because we went two days ago (a very humid day in June) and there were bugs EVERYWHERE. There was no way to escape the little gnats. The life guards told us to go to Good Harbor because it has a better breeze to move the bugs along. So WARNING: on humid days in the summer, this is NOT your beach read more

Best Beach im New Engiand for kids. Shallow water at low tide. Walk your way out on the sand bank and then get refreshed-even September 22 this year we had an awesome day and enjoyed it. Super fine sand at the beach, nice people, peaceful place. read more

Wingaersheek Beach - Beaches Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

Tik Tok brought me here. Some of you might agree. I live about an hour away, and this viral video of Wingaersheek is what brought me in on 4th of July. Giving this beach 5 stars because to me it was absolutely worth it. The beach is like what you see online, big rocks to walk on, clear water, white sand. I truly felt like I was momentarily away on an island instead of an hour away from home. Parking is worth it as you have clean bathrooms, convenience store, and the Surf-side restaurant. They offer great food (lobster rolls, burgers, chicken sandwiches, fresh lemonade, ice cream, FRIED DOUGH!) If you're going to visit this beach, I guarantee you will love it. Be happy! read more

Parents of new swimmers - be aware of no water wing/floatie/swim aid rule. This is a beautiful beach. I love it. However, the overzealous enforcement of the 'no flotation device' rule resulted in me enthusiastically not loving it today My kid is 4. She wears a "puddle jumper" water wing, floaty, whatever you want to call it. It's a life jacket. She was having a great time playing in foot-deep water with me. Then some official (not a life guard, not a police officer...) came over and said she wasn't allowed to wear her floatie because it's against the rules "because if she were to go out so far that she can't stand up she could be washed away by the current." SHE'S FOUR. She would have had to go 50 yards in for this to be an issue. I was never more than a few feet away from her. She burst into tears, I couldn't get her to stop and we left. Not every rule requires 100% enforcement every time. Tempting to include the picture I took of her sobbing on her towel in the fetal position but I suppose I'll preserve her dignity and skip that. read more

25 bucks to park. I hate massachusttes. Beaches should Be free or 4-5 dollars, this whole state is nothing but a money grab. Thank God I am moving in 2 weeks. I will never be back. Take your 25$ beach parking and shove it where the sun doesnt shine read more

Loved it so much I live there! The new reservation system is a godsend for traffic and disappointment prevention...

WingaerCheeks HAS to be one of the best beaches around. Softest sand it literally feels fake. Super blue water, and a large tide that creates these crazy big holes in the sand that have water in them... someone said they're called 'tide pools'???? Didn't know THAT was a thing. Anyways. The seagulls are particularly sexi here. Parking lot offers ample space to get booty naked and change from your oversize swim trunks to your clothes. WARNING: there are flies that BITE you in August once the sun goes down. But they only bite people with sweet blood and juicy dump trucks so if that isn't you, you are safe. 17/10 read more

I visited Wingaersheek Beach near the end of June and I had so much fun! Though it was a little cloudy and the water was pretty chilly the day I visited, it didn't stop us from doing all the ~cool~ beach things. We arrived around 2PM and parking was a breeze to find. It was easy to snag a spot on the sand, too, despite the fact that it was still pretty packed. The seagulls strolled up and down the beach intently and got especially close when we were eating Ritz crackers and french fries. Wingaersheek Beach was very cool for a multitude of reasons, aside from the fact that it was scenic and clean: 1. There were lots of rocks to climb! You can use them as stepping stones to get up to the taller ones. Everyone was doing it! 2. The tide pools!! There were mini ones scattered about and they were so cute and charming. 3. The beach, at low tide!!!! Once the water started getting low, we were able to walk very far out, where it was sunnier and the sand was soft and cool to the touch. The views were s p e c t a c u l a r. It was surreal, ethereal- it felt like standing in a completely new universe. You could see the vastness of the sky and the beach stretching on and on. Plus, I've never walked out during low tide before so it was a truly exhilarating moment for me! 4. The hermit crabs! We saw them trekking along in the sand (because the water is close to clear) when we were walking out further. We had to be careful not to step on some. There's also a couple of food options here, like french fries, burgers, and Italian Ice. I can vouch for the french fries, which had a nice crisp to them on the outside. They were fresh and piping hot. Wingaersheek Beach was a mix of charm and picture-esque. I'd love to come back to visit someday! read more

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Make sure you get your parking ticket in advance. Nice beach, they fill up quickly 30 to park for non residents. Sand is soft, water is pretty clear for New England, there are sand banks as well. read more

Nice beach. Had a hard time finding answers to my questions when planning my trip. Like, how long for beach amenities stay open (more on that in a minute), public vs resident admittance. Online there's no one stop spot to get all of those answers. There's also a lot of sites and forums with people weighing in, but the info is outdated in a lot of cases and it's not from reliable sources. That said, my biggest issue was that the bathrooms (aka, CHANGING ROOMS) don't post their hours. So, we got changed into our suits, went in the water, and then when we were leaving at 6p, oh look, the effing bathrooms were closed and we had NO PLACE to change out of our wet clothes!! It screwed up all of our plans for the night! One frigging sign could have solved all of that! Imagine, no sign with the hours. There were signs urging people to go to the gift shop though. Hmm. What a mess. Communication is not hard. One sign... come on. read more

The beach itself is nice (has been for millennia). I've been visiting beaches in the area for years. The majority of those who come here now are loud, dirty and BLAST music in the parking lot that no one wants to hear. Maybe some people like to hear other peoples music on the beach, however I think most prefer to hear waves and people enjoying themselves. It is very disheartening that they allow this to go on after you pay the ever rising cost to park there; I saw a ton of trash. read more

Beautiful quaint beach with soft gray sand and a few nice rocks that you can climb and sit on. Very family friendly and clean. Limited non resident visitors with $30 cash parking. Has a snack and toy stand. read more

Wingaersheek Beach - Beaches Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

The fried clam basket - extremely small portion; definitely would bring my own food next time read more

Wingaersheek Beach - The fried clam basket - extremely small portion - A serving of fried clam strips on a bed of lettuce, accompanied by tartar sauce and a pickle spear, in a paper-lined basket. - Beaches Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

Drove one hour to this beach and wasn't able to go to the beach. It was 1 pm and they didn't accept anybody unless you are a resident. If ur not a resident DONT even bother coming here. Your not alllowed to park even if you are willing to pay $35 for parking and there are no parking spots around here since there are a bunch of houses. Go to good harbor beach instead. Bunch of rude workers. read more

This beach was perfect for a summer day. The water was clear and the tide was so low, we were still waist deep at 50 yards out. On the main beach it was pretty crowded for a Thursday afternoon in July, but if you're willing to carry your stuff a little further out you can find a nice more isolated spot. The water was a little chilly upon entrance but not cold, and we were able to adjust pretty quickly. The sand on the shore is so soft, and all of our wading was on soft sand. read more

Wingaersheek Beach - Rock, beach, - Beaches Near Me - Gloucester, Massachusetts

Hey, prices went up a bit. $30 during the week and $35 during the weekday. Ask yourself: is it worth the drive only to find that a) you have to pay $35 to park? or b) that parking is full? So hard... I still LOVE this beach though. Great for littles. read more