What are your favorite beaches in Mass? (Plymouth, Revere: buy, live in)

[Coolhand68]

I lived in the Bedford/Lexington area, and in past summers I've shlepped all the way to the Cape to find decent beaches. However, I'm wondering if I can cut the 90 minute drive in half and still find nice beaches in areas like Ipswich, Plymouth, Duxbury, Scituate etc. I've tried beaches at Salisbury, Revere, and Hampton Beach in NH but didn't care for them. I typically go to Craigsville Beach in Centerville, so I'm looking for something nice like that with bathrooms, parking, and maybe even a small ice cream stand or burger shack. A clean, sandy, pleasant beach within 40 minutes or so. Any suggestions?

Any thoughts on other Cape beaches that are nice are welcome too.

[Cliff Clavin]

My top pick would be Plum Island. Others I woud recommend would be Singing Beach in Manchester, Devereux in Marblehead and Crane Beach in Ipswich.

[Beachcomber4]

Wingaersheek Beach on the North Shore

Duxbury Beach on the South Shore (if you have a 4WD you can buy and oversand pass and drive out onto the beach for BBQ's etc)

Scusset Beach before the bridge in Sagamore

On the Cape but closer than Craigville:

Sandy Neck Sandwich/Barnstable (another where you can drive on)

Old Silver Falmouth

[gf2020]

You can save a lot of time by going to Good Harbor or Wingaersheek in Gloucester.

Even Wallis Sands in Rye, NH is an easy drive from Bedford/Lexington.

[felicitev21]

I also agree with Devereux beach. Not even a far drive from where I am. Great snack bar, parking, and also great for kids. Also has bathrooms and outdoor showers. I also love Crane's Beach. Absolutely gorgeous, big, and relaxing.

[Champ le monstre du lac]

Plum Island is my favorite beach in Mass off the Cape. About 45 minutes to an hours drive from Lexington. It's an 8 mile long barrier island, 6 miles of it is undeveloped and part of a refuge. Down at the end of the Island at Sandy Point it is breathtaking. Clear clean water, lots of sand bars to walk out on at low tide, and never crowded.

[missionhill]

Horseneck, in Westport, is a bit of a schlep but it's a lovely beach in a beautiful area that's less crowded and closer than the Cape, and the water's warmer than at the north shore-NH beaches.

[LeavingMA]

I would second Plum Island. If you want to go a little further Old Orchard Beach in Maine and many beaches in RI are much better than the Cape Cod beaches. Of course with summer traffic most any beach will take longer to get to.

[in_newengland]

One thing though, lots of those beaches only let you in if you have a beach sticker and live in the town. The ones in Gloucester I go to after 4pm when you get in for free. Crane's in Ipswich -- go really early, although they do have a shuttle bus now that takes off from downtown Ipswich.

Singing Beach -- I usually wait until after 4pm when I can walk in. You can't park there unless you live there. They do have that little parking lot in the center of town but I don't know about parking there during the day, if you can or not.

Deveroux--very easy to access. Just park there and walk onto the beach. Hard to find though (for me anyway, I always got lost).

Salisbury Beach if you go to the right where it's a park. To the left is ticky tacky (but ok if you want that.) And any beach that has salt marsh will get BLACK FLIES that bite a chunk out of you in part of July into August so watch out!!!!! (Crane's, Plum Island) You can check online for black fly season.

[DiJay]

We stayed in Sagamore last summer and went to the state beach there. It was fantastic but on the weekends it tends to fill up early. Great place though...