Nahant Beach / Nahant, MA

Nahant Beach is located in Nahant, MA which is the next town over from Lynn and Saugus. Once you get to the Nahant Causeway the beach is right on your left. There is plenty of parking either in the parking lot or alongside the street. The parking lot costs $5 and parking in the street is metered. There is only a fee for parking from 8 am to 6 pm, May - September. The beautiful four miles of waterfront is viewable from all directions.

 

http://activerain.trulia.com/blogsview/178236/salisbury-beach-camping

The beach itself is gorgeous. The smooth and wet sand is easy to walk in. A beautiful view is in front of you with boats and a clear blue sky. Huge sand dunes align the parking lot with the beach. Nahant is always packed so arriving early in the morning is necessary to get parking and a spot on the beach. Whether you want to ride your bike along the bike path or run along the sandy beach shore, you are free to do so. A great place to bring children and family, Nahant offers a park, tide pools, and plenty of sand to play with. There are many activities to do at Nahant. Some include, tennis, biking, kayaking, boating, and hiking. Nahant is also a reservation area in which there is a Lynn Shore and Nahant Beach Reservation Trail. The trail starts at one end of the beach which would be the Nahant Beach side and follows Lynn Shore Drive all the way to the Swampscott end where King’s Beach is. You’ll find many people biking along the trail or running. This trail is great to bring children for a bike ride.

 

http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/massachusetts/nahant-ma

The Nahant Beach Reservation is protected by the DCR. It is a very clean place so you must take care of it as well when you visit. Rarely, is there ever trash flying around. Nahant Beach is one of my favorites especially on the south part of the North Shore. There isn’t just a beach, there’s more to it. With the walking trail and different activities, it brings energy and excitement to Nahant.

Compared to the other four beaches, Nahant Beach is the most similar to Crane Beach. Although Crane is more North, both beaches are used for recreation and conservation use. They both have trails and large sand dunes. Also, there may be different types of sea creatures that you’ll find and that's the cool part about visiting all kinds of beaches especially in different areas of the North Shore. Nahant Beach is a fun place to soak up the sun and experience an exciting beach day!

Salisbury Beach / Salisbury, MA

If you are looking for an out of the ordinary beach day, you should visit Salisbury Beach located in Salisbury, MA. Driving to Salisbury is very easy. You can either take the scenic drive up Rt. 1A or take the closest exit off the Rt. 95. Salisbury Beach is only about 10 minutes from 95. At the end of 1A and Broadway Street, you will find a boardwalk filled with shops, arcades, and different food places. This is just the beginning of Salisbury Beach! You can access the beach from Broadway Street and park at the nearby meters. There are also parking lots where the maximum cost is $10. Sometimes you’ll get lucky and you won’t have to pay for parking. The atmosphere is fun and exciting for young families and kids of all ages.

The beach itself is beautiful and has plenty of warm, soft sand to set up a beach towel or build a sand castle with friends. Also, on any given day people can grab a surfboard or longboard and ride the waves at Salisbury Beach. When you look out at the ocean there are kayaks gliding along the waves, people fishing from row boats and seagulls soaring through the blue sky.  People are kayaking along the shore and there are also people fishing from their row boats or from the beach shore.  There are miles of sandy coastline with cottages along the street side of the beach. Striped blue kites are flying through the air and children are yelling and having a good time.

http://www.best-beaches.com/us/massachusetts/massachusetts-beaches/salisbury-beach

When you are looking for a break from the beach, you can stroll along the boardwalk and see everything from children playing in the arcades to people shopping in the boutiques. There are plenty of fast food shops to grab a bite to eat. Most people love the go karts that are just down the street. Lines and lines fill up the sidewalk to have a turn driving around the speedway. This part is great for families because not only do they have the beach to visit, but also arcades and other activities for their children to keep busy.

http://activerain.trulia.com/blogsview/178236/salisbury-beach-camping

Salisbury Beach also has a State Reservation where you can find beautiful wildlife like on Crane Beach. You can camp overnight at the reservation as well as fishing and boating. At the tip of the beach, 3 bodies of water meet: Black Rock Creek to the west, the Merrimack River to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Sometimes the water can be rough with 3 bodies of water meeting at one point, but other than that the beach is beautiful and a must see. Salisbury Beach is fun and exciting!

Wingaersheek Beach / Gloucester, MA

Wingaersheek Beach is located on the western part of Gloucester, MA at the end of Atlantic Street off Rt. 133 and Concord Street. Just like Good Harbor and Crane Beach, the cost of parking is $20 during the week and $25 on the weekends. Dogs are not allowed during the summertime hours. Wingaersheek has a huge parking lot, so parking can be plentiful and easy to find. The beach is easily accessible with 16 handicapped spaces in the parking lot. Once you arrive, it’s time to enjoy a summer beach day!

http://papadunesphotography.smugmug.com/Photography/Cape-Ann-North-Shore-of/i-nqwW4rX

Personally Wingaersheek is my favorite beach on the North Shore. The beach has the most beautiful features, homes and the prettiest ocean water. With different areas of sand and water, it makes for a fun time playing and building sand castles. There are a few concession stands available and many bathrooms and changing areas. On the beach itself, there are slush and ice cream carts. When you first walk in, to the left are huge homes and to the right are rocks and a little cove of water. The shoreline is curvy and can be rocky. Ahead of you is a long sandbar at low tide that you can walk for miles and houses straight ahead. The scenery is beautiful especially at low tide with the beach running along the Annisquam River and Ipswich Bay. In the rocky area, you'll find tide pools and ocean creatures. Finding a crab will make a little boy’s day at the beach! Sometimes it is helpful to pack water shoes especially if you are going to climb the rocks and search for sea creatures.

Another great feature of Wingaersheek is the beach runs along the Annisquam which allows boaters to drop anchor and enjoy the picturesque sandy beach. Whether you are having a picnic lunch or fishing from your boat, boaters have a great time at Wingaersheek. The atmosphere is fun and enjoyable.
My favorite part about Wingaersheek Beach is the scenic drive on your way to the beach. The winding roads of Gloucester take you through hillsides and cliff sides, up and down, as you slowly approach the beach entrance. Although I get nauseous in the car on winding roads, the scenery you pass by is truly astonishing and breathtaking. Once you arrive at the beach, the scenery is even more breathtaking especially with the ocean ahead of you. 

Come experience Wingaersheek Beach for yourself. You will fall in love with the beach!

Good Harbor Beach / Gloucester, MA

                                                 http://www.gloucesterma.com/Photos.cfm

Good Harbor Beach is located on Thatcher Rd, off of Rt. 127A in Gloucester, MA. The beach is very easy to find just by following the road signs once you get off the highway. Open daily from 8 am to 9 pm, beach-goers are able to enjoy a clean, white-sanded beach filled with beautiful, clear blue, ocean water. As you pull up to the entrance gate, the parking lot will be on your right. Parking can be extremely limited considering their lot is very small and the beach is very popular. Parking during the week costs $20 and on the weekends $25. Dogs are not allowed into the beach. Like most beaches, after sunset the parking cost lowers making it very cheap for people who don't want to spend the full price. It is necessary to arrive no later than 10 am to get parking for the day. Good Harbor is the perfect beach to bring children and families. The smooth and flat shoreline makes for an easy day watching your children play in the calm waves.

The concession area at Good Harbor is small but they offer food, drinks, beach toys, and other items for sale. The beach is handicapped accessible and there are plenty of bathrooms and showers for changing. After shuffling along in the sand and through the concession area, blue ocean water faces you. A couple of entrances have boardwalks while some are strictly sand. The beach can fill up quickly, so finding a place to sit can be tricky. The entire beach is open with a long shoreline and water to the left, front, and right of you. Children are allowed to bring beach toys and boogie boards to play with in the water. Most beaches do not allow water toys, so Good Harbor can be a fan favorite for young families.

Unlike the wildlife at Crane Beach in Ipswich, Good Harbor is known for their beautiful white sand and clean ocean water. There is not much wildlife, but there are plenty of seagulls. Watch for your food and bags! Good Harbor asks that their visitors protect the beach from trash and you must carry out what you carried in. Therefore the entire beach is exceptionally clean. The scenery is immaculate along the water. With such clean, white sand, visitors are so attracted to the view. Some homes are along the shoreline on tops of rocks which makes for an even better view. The beach is child-friendly making it a great beach for families. With a mix of all age groups, the beach comes together and makes for a fun atmosphere.

The city of Gloucester is known as America’s oldest seaport making Gloucester a historic place. Good Harbor is just off the seaport welcoming many. The gorgeous ocean scenery makes for a relaxing and peaceful day by the water. Families are welcome to enjoy a hot, summer day by the ocean side. Bring lots of sunblock and possibly an umbrella to protect you from the hot sun!

Crane Beach / Ipswich, MA

http://takeadaytrip.com/great-places/massachusetts/crane-beach/

Crane Beach is a 1,234 acre property located in historical Ipswich, Massachusetts 35 miles from Boston. The winding roads from Ipswich Center to the main entrance of Crane welcome visitors with beautiful scenery and spectacular wildlife. Admission during the week is $20 and on the weekends $25. After 4 pm you can visit for a discounted rate with less of a crowd and the views are breathtaking at sun set. Whether you are going for a refreshing afternoon swim or having a delicious picnic dinner, any time of the day at Crane Beach is always enjoyable. Open year round to the public each day, dogs are only permitted from October 1 - March 31. Although Crane can be expensive, it is worthwhile for families with young children during the summer. It is essential to arrive before 11 am on hot and sunny days because parking is limited. Sand dunes, clean ocean water, and a clear blue sky await you.

As soon as you open the car door, fresh air surrounds you while hot dogs and hamburgers cook at the nearby concession stand. Ice cream and slush are also available. Bathrooms and a changing area are easily accessible. The narrow and wooden boardwalk takes you past the concession area and down crystal-like sand dunes. Ahead of you is the dark, blue ocean water. Young families fill the shoreline with teenagers grouped throughout and older adults lounging in the sun. On a beautiful, 80 degree summer day crowds fill the 4 mile stretch of the sandy shoreline.

 

http://blog.windhillrealty.com/2011/07/13/top-10-beaches-in-massachusetts/

Astonishing wildlife surrounds Crane. They are known for their famous bird called a piping plover. A piping plover is a small, tan like shorebird that feeds along the coast in North America. Crane has an enormous amount of beautiful piping plovers. The beach itself is part of The Trustees of Reservation which welcomes both conservation and recreation use. Five mile trails border the many sand dunes. Known as the Bay Circuit Trail, the 5 mile trail covers the Ipswich Bay as well as the Essex River Estuary Sides of the Castle Neck peninsula.

Not only do visitors come for the beach but for events and special occasions as well. Many people don’t notice the Crane Estate which owns the 1,234 acre property. Events are held outside of the enormous and gorgeous estate. Plenty of events happen during the summer like Kayak Fox Creek, which welcome families to kayak Fox Creek, a small tide water canal off of Crane Beach. If you are looking for something else to do at the beach, there are a different variety of events held throughout the course of a day. A drive-in movie is being offered at the Crane Estate on Friday, August 21st and Friday, August 28th for family fun. Another fun event is called Tidepools and Wrack Lines in which families can discover the different sea creatures that live along the shoreline. Lastly, is the sand castle contest held during one week in July.

    

http://northshorekid.com/story/thursday-night-picnic-concerts-castle-hill

Crane Beach is a fun and enjoyable place for families. Open year round, each day there is always something new and exciting for visitors!