Hampton Beach State Park
Categories: Swimming Pools, Music Venues, Beaches, Parks, Bars, Hotels & Travel, Food [Edit]
Hampton BeachHampton, NH 03842 (603) 926-3784
- Price Range: $$$$
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Coat Check: No
8 Reviews for Hampton Beach State Park
I've had some amazing times at Hampton Beach over the course of my lifetime, and while most of them revolve around things like me riding on the handles of a beach cruiser at 3 am and drunken skim boarding and people watching from the decks of The Sea Ketch, I realize it's complete trash and wouldn't give it up for the world. THA WORLD.
Don't bother trying to park along the boardwalk, just park behind the water slides and get it over with. So what if it costs $10, it'll save you the pain of trying to pull out into traffic later. Go see a trash metal band at the Casino, stop at Casino Fast Foods and say hi to Terry (Hi!) and then play the Uncle Fester electrocution game in the arcade. Oh Hampton, I've spent many a night drunken falling down your boardwalk ogling girls with too tight booty shorts that say Angel and debating the cost vs. humor level of buying my boyfriend a piece of rice with our names on it encased in a glass tube with glitter and water, while someone looks over me in a pair of Jokleys paired with an airbrushed Tupac tshirt. I got no beef against Tupac, California is my anthem.
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i wasn't sure if i had the right hampton beach. the reviews here were way too high!
its TRASHY! i cannot describe the trashiness that is hampton beach. guys trolling the beach looking for young girls, teenage girls pretending they are older than they really are. i'm no prude, but i swear on my life i saw a girl wearing legit UNDERWEAR in replace of shorts one night. did i mention she could not have been older than 15? people drive in their cars down the boardwalk playing their music so loud for the soul purpose of people turning their heads to look at them and their tricked out cars (and sometimes not even tricked out cars. pretty shitty cars that they think are cool).
it's crowded. parking is hella expensive not to mention an absolute nightmare. bring your own food because it's all overpriced there. not to mention the deep fried twinkies. they should be renamed "heart attack waiting to happen!"
i only give it 2 stars because it is a beach in close vicinity to where i lived. i came here all while growing up. bah! i cant imagine myself coming here on my own free will ever again!
When I tell you that I'm "summering in the Hampty Hamps", this is probably what I mean. I come here at least once every summer to play Skee-Ball until a morass of sweat and sunscreen streams directly into my eyes, drink really bad lemonade, people-watch (at last you have a chance to use all your best burns, such as "check out Adonis over there," etc.) and browse stores full of "Irish Yoga" t-shirts, sexually precocious children's clothing, and Crying Eagle resin sculptures. Conveniently located a few miles from the Seabrook Nuclear Power plant, where sea lions constantly get sucked into the turbines, apparently. My main observations from my last visit are as follows:
1.) The employees at the Dunkin Donuts on this "seedy" strip of beach were 1000 times more courteous and competent than those at the Newbury Street Dunkin Donuts.
2.) What happened to all the Reagan Era video games with the "winners don't use drugs" seal that flashes at the starting screen? I couldn't locate a single one.
3.) Look, I know being ripped off at the prize counter is part of the arcade experience, but it's getting ridiculous. If you have less than 1000 ticket points to turn in you will start feeling like you're at an 1890's country store where the shopkeeper is a surly 15 year old. "Excuse me sir, may I have one of your dolphin lip gloss necklaces? The yellow one. What do I have left? Ok, give me a miniature frog, a pink one, and a ring made out of neon colored string that will probably give my finger a chemical burn by the end of the day. " No, you don't really want any of it, but you can't afford anything better and need to justify the $40 you just blew at Skee-Ball. Of course, if you save them all up maybe you can finally win that dune buggy.
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Misplaced your Def Leppard mirror? Can't find the roach clip with feathers attached to adorn your feathered hair? How about your favorite pink half-shirt with the fringes and beads and an adorable silkscreened kitten? Fret not my fine friend! All can be found here at the boardwalk on Hampton Beach! Throw in some old school arcades, Harley mamas everywhere and don't forget jellos shots at the aptly named bar Guido Murphys! How could you NOT have fun?
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As a beach Hampton beach itself gets a lot of stars for being a long stretch of white sand in s generally rocky coastline.
As a walking area two words:
HONKY TONK
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Hampton Beach is much more than just a Beach. It is a place to spend the day. From its interesting shops, to variety of eateries, to entertainment such as arcades, and hotels/bed and breakfasts right on the beach, Hampton is a true resort town. The wide open beach is beautiful any time of the year, but comes alive in the summertime. The water is kinda chilly but refreshing on a hot day. Waves are moderate size here, Big at times, and there is a nice sidewalk the entire length of the beach stretching for over four miles perfect for a bike ride or rollerblading session, or a jog/walk. Good place to walk the dog as well.
Hampton Beach is accessed from route 1A , route 1 or route 95.
TIP: To avoid the tolls. Take the Salisbury Exit toward Massachusetts and then go up 1A through Seabrook beach to Hampton. You can park at the parking meters and just come back and feed the meter again when you need to. Or if you're lucky enough you might get a free space. More parking is available down the north end of Hampton Beach. Though it is a bit further walk from the central business district and arcade area.
Enjoy your day at Hampton Beach! Don't forge to bring plenty of sunscreen!
ATMS are available along the main street in some of the businesses.
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We just went to this wonderful beach yesterday. The beach itself is gigantic - approximately 3 miles of lovely, wide, sandy beach. Unfortunately, we were there in the middle of a weekend afternoon, and it was extremely crowded. There was certainly room for everyone, and the people watching was fun (the beach draws people from all over the US and even Canada), but it was a little crowded for my tastes.
One of the big draws of this beach is the very long "boardwalk" (actually a sidewalk), with food and games and more food and palm reading. It's a fun place to spend an afternoon and about $20 on entertainment. Also, they have a large theater that houses many nationally-recognized musicians every day of the week.
Overall, a good place to go if you're looking for a great beach experience. But, get there early, because parking can be terrible (we saw a lot advertising $30 for the whole day!!!), but we just parked on a side street for free and it worked out for us.
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Go on a Wednesday. Here's why...
Less people crowding the beach
Cheaper hotels due to lesser demand mid-week
Free fireworks show at night
About halfway down the beach there's an outdoor stage right by the beach which has free live bands every night. After Wednesday's show is over there is a fireworks display to rival a 4th of July display in most smaller towns.
Lindsay B's review mentioned parking being expensive. If you go early enough in the day you can park all day for less than $5 in some lots Ashworth Street (Rt 1-A South) and you can always park at metered spots where $10 will buy 8 hours (basically all day).
Free fireworks, Free music, $3.00 parking, countless resturants and shops on the "boardwalk" get Hampton Beach, NH a 4 / 5
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