One of the best things about Central Mass is that we are a short drive from so many family-friendly beaches. So we rounded up some of the best family-friendly beaches near Central Mass for your families to enjoy this summer. All the beaches listed came highly recommended by Central Mass Mom contributors and from our community of local moms in our Facebook Community Group!
In no particular order, here are some of the best family-friendly beaches near Central Mass that are a must-visit this summer:
Good Harbor Beach (Gloucester, MA)
Great white sandy beach that is flat, making it perfect for families with babies and toddlers. Restrooms and showers are available in season. Parking reservations are required for non-resident beachgoers and can be made via the reservation system. Cash is not accepted at the gate for parking.
Skaket Beach (Orleans, MA)
This beach has warm water, bright white sand, and an easy flat walk from the parking lot. Kids can swim out pretty far with it still being shallow. You can walk out about a mile during low tide. Great for sunsets. Great for accessibility as well. The parking lot is relatively small, so once it’s full…it’s full.
Mayflower Beach (Dennis, MA)
This is a great kid-friendly beach with an easy walk from the parking lot. It offers shallow waters with lots of tide pools and great sunset views. At low tide, you can walk for miles. It is a large beach, so it doesn’t feel crowded. Parking can be tough during the busy season. Parking fees are in place from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Brewster Flats (Brewster, MA)
This is a great beach for sunset views because you can walk out for miles at low tide. There are lots of sandbars and tide pools. There is a small parking lot, much easier to access off-season. Great for late afternoon/evening beach time. Pack a potty, as there are no bathrooms, but there are portable toilets available.
Roger Wheeler Beach (Narragansett, RI)
This is also a great kid-friendly beach. It has bathrooms and a playground. There is also food available. It has a large parking lot, so easy to park, but it can get crowded on a hot summer day.
First Encounter (Eastham, MA)
Great beach for sunset views. At low tide, it offers tons of tidal pools to find all kinds of sea creatures. Easy for kids to run around and enjoy. It does have a smaller parking lot, and it can feel crowded during high tide. Pack a potty; no bathrooms, but portable toilets are available.
Front Beach (Rockport, MA)
This is a gorgeous, smaller beach. At low tide, it offers many tidal pools to search for sea creatures and sea glass. It is close to downtown for shopping and food. There is access to public restrooms close by. There is no admission fee, but parking can be tough with metered parking close to the beach. It is within walking distance of hotels, so it can get busy.
Nantasket Beach (Hull, MA)
It has a playground and showers, easy parking, and there are lots of food places nearby. During high tide, the beach can be rocky, but during low tide, it offers lots of space for kiddos to run around. The water here can be on the colder side, but it doesn’t stop everyone from enjoying it!
Horseneck Beach (Westport, MA)
This beach is a short drive from Central Mass. It is a 2-mile-long beach offering plenty of space to set up. The beach is sandy and flat, and access to the beach is fairly easy for strollers and wheelchairs.
Salisbury State Beach Reservation (Salisbury, MA)
A family favorite beach that has a playground and bathrooms. If you go all the way to the end, you can explore the jetty and watch boats. Parking only costs $14 for MA residents.
Devereux Beach (Marblehead, MA)
This beach is great for families because it has bathrooms, a playground, and a restaurant. It does not have lifeguards, so swim at your own risk.
As always, we recommend double-checking on beach conditions to see if they are open before you go. Over the last few weeks, many beaches have had to close because of water quality. Another tip is that after Labor Day, many of these beaches do not charge a fee for parking/entrance, so if crowds and expensive parking aren’t your thing, wait until early fall to visit. We still have great beach weather in September/October in New England!
