Maine Beaches

People the world over know of Maine's coastline, the rocky shores and picturesque lighthouses, the lobster, sailing and fishing heritage. But Maine is also home to some of the world's prettiest beaches. Maine's Southern coast is like the Riviera on New England. Maine's coast is blessed with a variety from soft sandy beaches, from tidal pools and gentle surf, to Downeast beaches comprised of smooth stones, formed by the pounding of the Atlantic waves on the shoreline.

Famous sandy beaches in Maine like Old Orchard Beach, Ogunquit Beach and Popham Beach, are great family beaches. Acadia National Park's Sand Beach is possibly Maine's most scenic beach, but its northern waters are also some of its coldest. So grab your pail and shovel, your sunscreen and boogie board and check out these beautiful Maine beaches.

York Beaches

Harbor Beach l Scenic sandy beach with gentle surf in York Harbor. Parking is free but limited for this small beach off Route 1A at the entrance to Harbor Park. Portable restrooms are available at Harbor Beach Road. Lifeguards on duty end of June to Labor Day.

Long Sands Beach l As the name implies this is a long sandy beach with designated surfing area. Metered parking is available along Route 1A for the entire length of beach. Restrooms available at the Bathhouse near Oceanside Ave. Lifeguards on duty end of June to Labor Day.

Short Sands Beach - Sandy beach with gentle surf. Metered parking in the lot off Rt 1A. Showers, changing area and toilets. Easy to walk to shops and amusements adjacent to beach. Lifeguards on duty end of June to Labor Day.

Ogunquit Beaches
Ogunquit Beach l Soft white sand and warm surf. Popular with families. Accessible by trolley and several parking areas. Restrooms and snack bars. Considered one of the prettiest 3.5 miles of peninsula beach in the country.

Footbridge Beach l Beachgoers walk over footbridge to get to this less crowded section of beach. Snack bar and restrooms. Lifeguard patrolled.

Moody Beach l Mile-long beach between Ogunquit and Wells. Public parking at end of Ocean Avenue. Restrooms. Numerous access points for kayaks and boats. Bourne Avenue in Moody.

Wells Beaches
Drakes Island Beach l Great waves for body boarding, skim boarding, and swimming. Limited parking at lot on eastern end of Drakes Island Road. Toilet facilities and lifeguards.

Wells Beach l Long, sandy beach. Parking stickers available at Town Hall. Toilet facilities and lifeguards.

Crescent Beach l Lesser-known section of beach located between Wells and Moody. Parking at Gold Ribbon Avenue lot, from Webhannet Drive. Lifeguards.

Kennebunk/Kennebunkport Beaches
Mother's Beach l Short sandy section of perfect sand beach which is well protected. Playground. Stickers required, available at Town Hall. No facilities. Lifeguard on duty. Pictured right.

Gooch's Beach l Largest part of Kennebunk Beach, along Beach Avenue, with talcum powder sand. Parking sticker required, available at Town Hall. No snack bar. Portable toilets. Lifeguards.

Middle Beach l Rocky section of Kennebunk Beach between Mother's and Gooch's with pretty black stones. Sticker also required.

Colony Beach l At the mouth of the Kennebunk River lies this 150-foot beach. Walk on breakwater rocks for harbor views and good fishing. Limited parking. No lifeguard.

Cleaves Cove Beach l Secluded and scenic beach off Ocean Avenue. No parking. No facilities. No lifeguards.

Goose Rocks Beach l Very soft sand, great for walking. Scenic and beautiful. Parking sticker required or trolley access. No facilities or lifeguard.

Kennebunk/Kennebunkport Beach Parking Stickers available at Chamber of Commerce, Town Hall and Police Station.

Biddeford/Saco Beaches
Biddeford Pool Beach l Two mile sandy beach in Biddeford. Great for watersports, walking and jogging. Lifeguards. Parking Fee/Permit.

Fortune's Rocks Beach l Small sandy beach. Lifeguards. Parking Fee.

Ferry Beach State Park l Sheltered from wind, natural sand dunes. Facilities, picnic area and nature trails.

Old Orchard Beach
Old Orchard Beach l Voted Maine's #1 beach every year by Maine's largest newspaper. Seven miles of great sand, amusement parks, food and games next to beach. Metered street parking and several lots. Lifeguards.

Scarborough Beaches
Pine Point Beach l The northern section of Old Orchard Beach, crosses over into the town of Scarborough. This section of beach is very wide in all tides, quiet and offers a huge of public parking area for a reasonable fee.

Ferry Beach l On Prouts Neck Point in Scarborough offers a protected stretch of sand directly on the Scarborough River. This beach also has a unique Western exposure for great sunsets and offers a boat launch.

Scarborough Beach State Park l A large stretch of sand on Prouts Neck. Great swimming, snack bar, restrooms, chair/umbrella/boogie board rentals. Located off Rt. 207. Lifeguards.

Crescent Beach State Park l 1-mile of beautiful sand. Picnic area with grills, playground, snack bar, and restrooms. 8 miles south of Portland, in Cape Elizabeth.

Higgins Beach l A quaint stretch of sand with little parking. Old shipwreck visible at low tide, good fishing, family-friendly. Off Rt. 77.

Freeport
Winslow Park and Campground - Staples Point Road, Freeport. Small tidal beach run by the town of Freeport. Small fee. (pictured left)

Midcoast Beaches
Popham Beach State Park l Perkins Farm Road, Phippsburg. 3 mile long sand beach encompassing 529 acres at the mouth of the Kennebec River. Sandbars and tidal pools at low tide. Bathhouses, freshwater showers, picnic area with grills, trails and wildlife watching. Many consider this Maine's finest most beautiful unspoiled beach.

Reid State Park l Seguinland Road, Georgetown. 1.5 miles of sand in 3 distinct beach sections. Choose from surf to protected swimming areas better suited for small children. Reid Beach facilities include changing and restrooms, cold showers, grills and picnic areas, and parking.

Pemaquid Beach Park l Route 130, Pemaquid. Beautiful quarter mile beach of sand, with a nice breeze overlooking John's Bay, considered one of Maine's cleanest according to Maine Healthy Beaches Program. Pemaquid Beach Park is owned by the Town of Bristol, operated by the Bristol Parks Commission.

Birch Point Beach State Park l Hogan Road, Owls Head (pictured right). Protected scenic stretch of sand located in Owls Head on your way to Rockland with great views of the ocean and islands. This beautiful Maine State Park offers parking, a generous sandy beach (also known as Lucia Beach) and picnic area, with restroom facilities. No lifeguards.

Crescent Beach l Owls Head (pictured left). This crescent shaped beach is another beautiful beach near Owls Head, though lined with beach cottages and not as private as Birch Point State Park, it offers the largest salt water sand beach in the area. Limited public parking - but if you score a space, sweet. The views of Penobscot Bay and the outlying islands are spectacular from Crescent Beach.

Ash Point Beach l Ash Point Drive, Rockland. Small sand and rock beach with great views of the Gulf of Maine. Limited parking, no lifeguard and no facilities.

Laite Beach l Bay View Street, Camden. Laite Memorial Beach is a small beach on Camden Harbor just a short walk from town. Great views of Camden Harbor, hills and Penobscot Bay. Great for swimming, with a picnic area and grills, a playground and restrooms.

Down East Beaches
Backshore Beach l Wadsworth Cove Road, Castine (pictured right). This protected cove provides a gentle surf and pebbly sand, with parking on the beach/street. Outhouse on site. A great spot for sunset on this western exposure beach.

Bar Harbor
Sand Beach l Park Loop Road from Bar Harbor. This famous beach, part of Acadia National Park, is small but stunning, surrounded by granite rock walls with an ideal southern exposure and views to sea. The sand is made from crushed shells, a result of the pounding surf. The water temperature at Sand Beach is chilly, 50-55 degrees, in prime summer. Visit Acadia's Sand Beach on your Park Loop Drive from Bar Harbor to Thunder Hole and Otter Cliffs.

Lamoine Beach l Route 184, Lamoine State Park, Lamoine. Lamoine is a popular Half mile beach for swimming with great views of Acadia National Park's Mount Desert Island and Cadillac Mountain. The Lamoine State Park offers grills, picnic tables and restrooms.