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Life's a Beach!
Places to take a dip and soak up some sun (after you've applied some sunblock, of…
Plum Island Beach
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
14 reviews for Plum Island Beach
14 reviews in English
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Review from Aubri L.
Maynard, MA
9/5/2011
Love this beach! If you plan right, you can get great parking and a beautiful day in the sun. While there isn't much around the beach, a short drive and Newburyport is a great way to unwind after a day at the beach :)
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Review from Lisa O.
8/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
After reading MANY beach reviews, BFF and I decided to check out Plum Island for her birthday. We were here the very last day in July and the beach was GORGEOUS.
+ Bathrooms were clean
+ Parking was $10
+ I only saw 2 flies the whole time we were there
+ Lots of open sand
+Pretty quiet for a weekend in the summer
- Beach had a steep slope down to the water, but no biggie
- The water was COLD!
All in all, we made a good choice. She got to swim, I got to lounge, we picked up some cool shells. I'd come back for sure. -
Review from John A.
7/26/2011
If you want to enjoy this beautiful, secluded, 5-star beach then there are 2 vital questions that you must ask and answer before you even walk out the door.
1. Is it greenhead season? This beach is mostly impassable in July because of the overwhelming fly population. They will dive bomb you and eat your entire family. Their stings draw blood and it feels like getting shot with a BB gun. Trust me, just stay away until August rolls around.
2. Is parking lot 6 open? Parking lot 6 is at the far southern end of Plum Island and provides access to the most secluded and picturesque part of the beach. It is closed for most of the year due to nesting Piping Plovers but it's certainly worth the trip when this parking lot is open (check the website or call). There are only room for about 20 cars so get here early! The small parking lot is highly beneficial though because it doesn't allow for large crowds.
If you can get the logistics right then you'll be treated to one of New England's most beautiful beaches. -
Review from Jimmy H.
Boston, MA
7/19/2008
It's mostly quiet beach. Very minimum amount of stores or even bars. Surrounding is very low key/low profiled. I was a little concerned because the beach looked eroded a lot comparing to what I remember from 4 years ago. Is this another indication of global warming?
Only disturbance is people who sit next to you. If they were younger than mid 20 and sounding like locals, be aware. They just blossom their conversation with loads of local gossip and trip down to Boston and how bad they got shitfaced while they were down there. It was quite painful to listen to and I was thinking in my head "Duuuude... can't you guys just take a nap like I am?"
In my personal experiences, going to the beaches in Gloucester area is quite painful to get to because of the heavy traffic jam has been inevitable. But trip to Plum Island is consistently smooth. I would definitely prefer here if I weren't willing to sit through the traffic.
Parking ranges from $10-15.Listed in: Official List for Beach Rats
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Review from Jessica L.
San Francisco, CA
8/17/2007
Great beach. Literally, my new home. I can walk to the beach in 2 minutes.
The best part is the Plum Island Refuge and all the walking trails to explore. Sandy Point, the end of the refuge, is a landscape unlike any other beach on the North Shore. Watch out for the quicksand and be very alert to the tides or you could get stuck out there, though.
I just wish there were more tidepools. -
Review from Jon H.
Salem, MA
6/8/2008
This is a really excellent beach. I should start by saying I am no expert in beaches. I've been to the Outer Banks and to all sorts of Great Lakes beaches, but I'm new to the Atlantic coast, and aren't really a huge fan of beaches to begin with.
So Sunday morning I was just looking for a nearby beach to enjoy the first hot summer weekend at. I couldn't believe my eyes when I read that beaches around here (Crane, Singing) actually cost over $20 to go to! I'd never been to a paying beach in my life, and I didn't really feel like starting.
I had a hard time finding detailed information about Plum Island beach (some sites made it sound like it was closed April 1st for bird nesting). Turns out there are several different beaches, some inside the actual reservation on Plum Island, others not.
The beach you see when you first drive onto the island looked very crowded, so my wife and I paid the $5 for entrance to the reservation and parked in the only lot open, Lot 1. It was a quick two minute walk to the beach.
The beach was ... well, a beach! Beautiful, expansive, with soft sand. Fairly crowded, but very easy to find a spot. I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking to enjoy nature without having to pay much for it. -
Review from Nate R.
Haverhill, MA
6/9/2008
Love the beach on Plum Island. It is very clean and there is plenty of room to keep to yourself. It is everything that Hampton Beach isn't.
I went with a group of a dozen friends or so and we were able to drink our beers and play "Bags" with out bothering anyone. I will be going back again this summer! -
Review from Linda M.
Haverhill, MA
7/15/2010
I just went to this beach this past weekend with my kids. I couldn't believe how dirty this area has become. We paid to park in a lot. The kids were hungry so we stopped at the convenience store at the beace entrance.It was so dirty that I couldn't believe they served food. Then we had to go the bathroom and there were only four porta-pottys. I still gag thinking about how dirty they were. They looked like they were not cleaned in a month. Hot month. None of the four had toilet paper and people were all wondering what the heck to do.
We started to go to the beach and saw the big sign: We have no lifeguards. That's not very good with the undertow there and with kids.
To top it off my kids started crying once they started getting bitten by the greenheads. They said: Mom, what are these green pinchy things? we want to go home. They never want to go home from the beach. I would really recommend any other beach over this one: Rye, Salisbury, Hampton..even Revere beach would be better. What happened to this area? such a shame... -
Review from Julia F.
7/26/2007
What the F is up with all those goddamned flies?! Other than that it was a perfect New England beach day. Great beach, cheap parking, just far enough away from the city, and not too many people on the beach itself.
Listed in: Life's a Beach!
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Review from Marcus V.
Brooklyn, NY
11/8/2007
This is the most peaceful beach I've been to in New England, and perhaps the most beautiful. The scenery is stunning all around, separated by the mouth of the Merrimack River on one side and Parker River, which flows into the Merrimack, and then flows into the sound. And there are great dunes that precipitously slope out to the shallow waters off Plum Island.
I actually used to live a few miles away and would often ride my bike across this barrier island, which vastly includes the protected refuge, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, with trails that cut through and eventually to the beach. It's such a beautiful place, and a great place to bird watch, and perhaps see other wild life too, like a white-tailed deer or even a shy red fox. Many migratory birds stop off on Plum Island, attracting a good portion to the estuary system and marshes that surround it. You'll see tree swallows, red-winged blackbirds, mockingbirds, piping plovers (which actually nest on the island and are a protected specie), peregrine falcons, and marsh hawks, and so many more. It's an amazing stopping ground for so many beautiful birds. There are boardwalks in the refuge that make it easy to pass the dunes and get to the beach. They are also good for sightseeing or birdwatching and photography.
It's been so long. I can't wait to visit this place again. It really is spectacular.
Note: the island gets its name because of all the plum bushes that grow everywhere. -
Review from Jessie H.
Somerville, MA
8/8/2009
This is as good as it gets when in Massachusetts. There are two parts of Plum Island. There is the nature refuge - gorgeous, but beware of the greenhead flies. Certain times in the summer they are out (July). You will not be able to sit still b/c they bite. The views and tidepools are gorgeous at the far end. You need to get there early b/c there is very limited parking.
Aside from the refuge, there is another beach that doesn't have flies - phew. The beach is clean and I liked swimming in the water. Check it out! -
Review from Kristine M.
West Newton, MA
12/17/2007
Lovely beach! Not too busy, but still lively. Clean and peaceful. Parking around there can be a pain in the butt but it's worth circling around a bit. Pack a picnic and enjoy the day!
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Review from Cee A.
Boston, MA
7/24/2008
If you park on the side streets, and walk through the dunes, you will find your self a nice and private beach. I have been going to this beach with my parents since I was five. I just recently gone with my fiance, and took him for the first time. He was very surprised as there was no one in 50 yards from us when we were picnicking and laying out.
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Review from Travis A.
Nashua, NH
10/24/2009
The nature side of the island is kind of unknown to most. It's not a very popular beach, even though it's clean and roomy enough for rows of beach-goers. Peaceful most of the time.
