Best Beaches in Maine

How We Picked These Beaches

Maine has roughly 3,500 miles of tidal coastline, but accessible sand beaches that hold up for a full day in the sun are concentrated in a handful of spots. We evaluated each one on sand quality and length, realistic parking logistics, water conditions, facilities, and whether it can anchor a real beach day rather than serve only as a quick roadside stop. We also weighted beaches for how well they fit into a Maine road trip, since most visitors are moving up or down the coast rather than staying put.

A baseline fact to set before you pack the cooler: the Gulf of Maine is cold. At the southern beaches from York through Ogunquit, ocean temperatures peak around 64-67°F in late July and August, which is swimmable for most people. North of Portland the water runs 58-63°F even at peak summer. The southern beaches in the Maine Beaches region give you the warmest swimming in the state, which is one reason they draw the biggest summer crowds.

Ogunquit Beach

Ogunquit Beach runs three miles along a barrier strand from the Ogunquit River south to the Wells town line, and it is the best all-around beach on the Maine coast. The sand is fine and wide, the surf is mild enough for young kids on most days, and the town-run trolley shuttles from Ogunquit center to Footbridge Beach and Main Beach for about $2 per ride. That trolley matters: parking in the lots closest to the main beach fills before 9 a.m. on peak July and August weekends, and the closer lots run $20-30 per day in season. Street parking in the village and the outlying lots cost less but fill quickly after that.

Footbridge Beach at the north end of the strand stays a bit quieter than the Main Beach access point at the south end. After a morning on the sand, Perkins Cove is a short trolley ride or walk south and has the working lobster-boat harbor alongside a row of restaurants and shops. For lodging within walking distance of the beach, the Anchorage By The Sea on Shore Road sits directly on the Marginal Way coastal path with ocean-view rooms, or the Cliff House Maine in Cape Neddick, about four miles south on Shore Road toward York, offers clifftop rooms above the Atlantic. Browse the full range of options in the Hotels and Inns directory.

Long Sands Beach, York

Long Sands Beach in York Beach is about 1.1 miles of open sand right off Route 1A, and it is the first real swimming beach you reach heading north from the New Hampshire line, roughly 15 minutes from the Kittery outlets. Water temperatures here are the warmest in the state, often reaching 66-68°F in August because the beach is shallow and south-facing. Parking is mostly street-side along Ocean Avenue, with rates ranging from free in the quieter blocks to around $5-10 per day in posted zones near the center of the beach.

Short Sands Beach sits a five-minute walk around the rocky headland into York Beach village. It is smaller and more sheltered than Long Sands and stays slightly calmer, which makes it a better pick for families with toddlers. The village has ice cream shops, fried dough stands, and a small arcade strip right at the sand. York is a natural first or last stop on the southern coast loop, and it pairs well with a visit to York Harbor, one of the quieter spots in the region.

Old Orchard Beach

Old Orchard Beach has seven miles of sand, making it the longest stretch of beach in New England north of Cape Cod. Palace Playland, the amusement park and pier at the center of town, has operated since 1902 and still runs rides and arcade games all summer. The beach draws a large French-Canadian crowd every season, and food vendors sell poutine and fried dough alongside lobster rolls, which gives Old Orchard a boardwalk energy that is different from anywhere else on the Maine coast. The town sits about 12 miles south of downtown Portland via I-95 and Route 5.

Old Orchard is the most budget-friendly of the major beach towns. Motel rates within walking distance of the water typically run $80-180 per night in season, which is considerably less than comparable rooms in Ogunquit or Kennebunkport. After a beach day, Portland is a 20-minute drive north and worth the trip for dinner: The Highroller Lobster Co. on Exchange Street in the Old Port is one of the best quick-format lobster roll spots in the state, and Luke's Lobster on Portland Pier sits right on the working waterfront with harbor views and a full seafood menu.

Scarborough Beach State Park

Scarborough Beach State Park occupies the Prouts Neck section of Scarborough, off Route 207, about 15 miles south of downtown Portland. The beach faces directly south and picks up more swell than the other beaches near Portland, which makes it the best option in the state for body-surfing. On a southwest wind the waves are real and consistent. Day-use fees run about $8 per adult in season, and the lot fills by mid-morning on summer weekends, so plan to arrive before 8 a.m. if you want a spot. The park also borders Scarborough Marsh, the largest salt marsh in Maine at about 3,100 acres, which is worth knowing if anyone in your group wants to kayak or bird-watch alongside the beach day.

Crescent Beach State Park, Cape Elizabeth

Crescent Beach State Park in Cape Elizabeth is about 10 miles south of Portland via Route 77, and it earns its name: a sheltered arc of sand facing south-southeast, running a bit over half a mile between two rocky headlands. Conditions here are calmer than Scarborough Beach to the south, which makes it a better pick for families with young children. Day-use fees run about $8 per adult. The Cape Elizabeth headland is also the location of Portland Head Light, commissioned under George Washington and lit in 1791, and pairing a morning at the beach with an afternoon at the lighthouse makes for a complete day on the southern Portland shore. If the lighthouses along this coast interest you, our guide to the best lighthouses in Maine covers the full range from Cape Elizabeth to West Quoddy Head.

Popham Beach State Park

Popham Beach State Park is in Phippsburg, at the southern end of Route 209, which branches off Route 1 just north of Bath. The drive from Portland runs 55-60 miles and takes roughly 70 minutes. Popham is the finest sand beach north of Portland, a wide, south-facing arc that stretches close to a mile at low tide. The most notable feature is a sand bar that extends out to Fox Islands at very low tide, and you can walk across barefoot, though the bar disappears quickly on the incoming tide and you need to watch the schedule. Day-use fees run about $8 per adult.

The water at Popham runs cold, typically 58-63°F even in August, so this beach pays off most for people who want the setting and the walk rather than long swims. It is almost always less crowded than the southern beaches, and the drive through the Phippsburg peninsula on Route 209 past small farms, tidal inlets, and fishing docks is part of the appeal. On peak summer weekends, the lot fills by mid-morning, so arriving by 9 a.m. is the working rule.

Goose Rocks Beach, Kennebunkport

Goose Rocks Beach in Kennebunkport runs about 1.5 miles along a quiet residential shore reached via Route 9 toward Cape Porpoise. It is as close to an undeveloped beach as you will find on the southern Maine coast, with cottage-style houses set back from the sand and no commercial strip at all. Non-resident day parking requires a permit from the Kennebunkport town clerk, typically $15-20 per day in season, and available spots are limited. The practical move is to arrive before 8 a.m. when early access is easier. The beach is flat, wide at low tide, and calm, which makes it a good pick if you want sand without the crowd and noise of Ogunquit or Old Orchard. Kennebunkport is a strong base for exploring the southern coast, and our round-up of the best coastal towns in Maine covers it alongside Ogunquit, Camden, and the other towns worth a night or two.

Reid State Park

Reid State Park in Georgetown takes the most effort to reach of any beach on this list. The drive runs about 55 miles northeast of Portland via Route 1 to Route 127, then south down the Georgetown peninsula, for a total of roughly 70-80 minutes from the city. The payoff is two connected sand beaches, Half Mile Beach and Mile Beach, set between salt marsh and rocky granite headlands with almost no commercial development visible from the sand. Day-use fees run about $8 per adult. Water temperatures in summer hover in the high 50s to low 60s°F, cold but not unusual for the Midcoast. The dune grass, the pink granite outcrops, and the open Atlantic views look nothing like the southern beaches. If you are basing in the Midcoast and want genuine sand rather than rocky shoreline, Reid is the beach to make time for.

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