BEACHES > MAINE
Crescent Beach State Park
Address: Rte 77, Cape Elizabeth, ME
Phone: 207.799.5871
Web: www.state.me.us/cgi-bin/doc/parks/find_one_name.pl?park_id=4
A classic saltwater beach park. Located south of Portland, it features clean, sudsy surf. There’s a picnic area with tables and grills, playground, snack bar, and cold showers. Open daily from sunrise to sunset. Admission fee.
Ferry Beach State Park
Address: Off Rte 9, Saco, ME
Phone: 207.283.0067
Web: www.state.me.us/cgi-bin/doc/parks/find_one_name.pl?park_id=8
This 117-acre park of white sand between the Saco River and Pine Point gets its name from the ferries that once lined the beach. Some black gum trees, rare at this latitude, grow here as well. Nature trails accompanied by a listening guide explain this phenomenon. The rest of the park's facilities are fairly primitive, offering only a drinking fountain and pit toilet. Open from sunrise to sunset. Admission $3, $1 for seniors and children five to 11. Open through Sept..
Kennebunk
Address: Rte 9, Kennebunk, ME
Phone: 207.985.2102 x 1335
Email: info@kennebunkport.org
Web: www.kennebunkport.org/beaches.htm
Kennebunk beaches can be accessed via Rte 9, which hooks up with infamously congested Rte 1. Beach permits for nonresidents are available at the Kennebunk police station and cost $10 per day, $20 per week, and $50 for a season pass. Parking available only from 9 am to 5 pm.
— Colony Beach, on Beach Ave, is a soft, sandy beach at the mouth of the Kennebunk River. It's a short walk from Gooch's Beach and easily accessible from hotels and inns, but it has limited parking and no facilities or lifeguard supervision.
— Gooch’s Beach, on Beach Ave, links up with Mother's Beach and Middle Beach, both on Kennebunk's ocean shoreline. This is a beach with fine sands but lots of noise from the crashing waves and the hovering seagulls. Ideal surfing waves. Lifeguards on duty and portable toilets available.
— Goose Rocks Beach, Rte 9. This is a quiet, secluded beach with soft sand, gentle waves, and tidal pools. No facilities or lifeguard on duty, but the general store is only a short walk away.
Ogunquit
Address: Rte 1, Ogunquit, ME
Phone: 207.646.2939
Email: Info@ogunquit.org
Web: www.ogunquit.org
Ogunquit is known for its art galleries and restaurants. Beaches are near Rte 1.
— Footbridge Beach, on Ocean St, boasts white sands along the Atlantic oceanside. One mile north of the village center, this is a relatively uncrowded area. Restrooms available. Public parking available, as well as trolley service.
— Ogunquit Beach, on Beach St., offers more than three miles of soft sand. The water’s cold, but you can’t find a better place to watch the waves. Lockers, changing rooms, and restrooms are available, and you can rent beach chairs, umbrellas, and floats. Not far from markets and restaurants. Lifeguards on duty. Accessible by trolley.
Old Orchard Beach
Address:
Phone: 207.934.2500
Email: info@oldorchardbeachmaine.com
Web: oldorchardbeachmaine.com
Two hours north of Boston at Exit 36 on the Maine Turnpike (I-95), this seven-mile stretch of beach offers amusement-park rides, a mini-golf course, arcade games, nightly entertainment, and a boardwalk chock full of shops and restaurants. For the ocean savvy, canoe and kayak tours and rentals are available, as well as lobster-boat tours and deep-sea fishing. If nothing suits you here, Old Orchard Beach is only a short drive from Funtown, USA. Garage parking available $4 per hour.
Scarborough
Address: Rte 1, Scarborough, ME
Phone: 207.883.2416
Web: www.scarboroughbeachstatepark.com
Scarborough is home to some of the most famous surf in the world, thanks to painter Winslow Homer, but there are also a few sunbathing spots within the rocky coastline.
— Higgins Beach, off Rte 77, is a flat sandy beach with large waves and a rocky coast. Attracts mostly surfers and teenagers. No lifeguards or facilities, but you can walk to Scarborough Beach. Little public parking available.
— Scarborough Beach, off Rte 207, is a long sandy beach with dunes, marshes, and warm ocean surf. Popular with locals. Lifeguards on duty, changing rooms and toilets available. Parking for about 400 cars; rates vary. Admission $4 for adults, $2 for children five to 11, free for seniors.
Thomas Point Beach
Address: Brunswick, ME
Phone: 207.725.6009
Email: summer@thomaspointbeach.com
Web: www.thomaspointbeach.com/
Off Rte 24 in Brunswick, Thomas Point offers campgrounds, a playground area, arcade games, a gift shop, and a snack bar, in addition to the beach on Thomas Bay. Open daily from 9 am to sunset. No pets allowed. $3.50 admission charge, $2 for children under 12, $2 for seniors on weekdays. Free parking.
Wells
Address: Rte 1, Wells, ME
Phone: 207.646.5113
Web: www.wellschamber.org
Take Exit 2 off I-95 and follow signs for Rte 1. Parking $15 between 8:30 am and 4 pm. Ten-visit punch cards can be purchased at the town hall for $50. Lifeguards on duty during weekends until July 1, and then daily until Labor Day.
— Drake’s Island Beach, on Drake's Island Rd, is the home of the Wildlife Bird Sanctuary, which makes it more quiet and significantly less crowded than Wells Beach. Good fishing toward the end of the beach. Restrooms available. Limited parking.
— Wells Beach is nearly swallowed by the high tide, but it's a great place for tide pools and rocky ridges at low tide. Near plenty of restaurants and motels. Restrooms available.
York
Address:
Phone: 207.363.4422
Email: info@yorkme.org
Web: www.gatewaytomaine.org
York is an old colonial town, rich in Victorian culture and architecture. Beaches are off Rte 1A. Take Exit 7 from I-95.
— Cape Neddick Beach (a/k/a Passaconaway Beach) is located at the mouth of the York River, where it meets with the Atlantic. This is a small, relatively uncrowded rocky beach with no facilities, but it's good for beachcombing. Parking meters near the beach.
— Long Sands Beach is a very popular beach with more than a mile of white sand and a designated surfing area. Food is available at the nearby shops and restaurants. Lifeguards on duty. Changing area and restrooms available. Metered parking along the beach.
— Short Sands Beach is a family-oriented beach with gentle surf, a large bathhouse, and outdoor showers. A playground, arcade, bowling alley, and basketball courts are available; a zoo and amusement park is also nearby. Regular nightly entertainment. Lifeguards on duty. Metered parking lots near the beach.
Lamoine State Park
Address: 23 State Park Rd, Ellsworth, ME
Phone: 207.667.4778
Web: www.maine.gov/doc/parks
Outdoor activities such as fishing, camping, and boating tend to be more popular than swimming here. No lifeguards on duty. Facilities include restrooms, a playground area, a bathhouse, and a boat-launching ramp. Open through Oct 15. Admission fee $3, $1 for children ages five through 11.
Roque Bluffs State Park
Address: 145 Schoppee Point Rd, Roque Bluffs, ME
Phone: 207.255.3475
Web: www.maine.gov/doc/parks
Located six miles off Rte 1, this versatile beach offers a pebble shore on the ocean side and a freshwater pond on the other. Picnic tables, grills, a bathhouse, restrooms, and a playground area available. Open through Sept 30. $3 admission.
