Crane Beach

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Water Fun

Official Website: Crane Beach
Location: 290 Argilla Road, Ipswich, MA, 01938 directions
Phone:978-356-4354
Hours: Open year-round, daily, 8am to sunset. Allow a minimum of 2 hours, 6.5 hours if also visiting Castle Hill (including Great House or landscape tour) and the Crane Wildlife Refuge.
Ages: Toddlers, Kids, Teens, Adults
In/Outdoor: Outdoor
Cost: $$$ see below

Others to Consider: Kahuna Laguna at the Red Jacket Mountain View Resort, Wingaersheek Beach, Singing Beach, Wollaston Beach, Wayland Town Beach

The white sands of Crane Beach stretch for miles along both sides of Castle Neck, forming one of the most picturesque swimming beaches in all of New England. Crane Beach also provides important habitat for myriad wildlife and is an important natural barrier that protects the Essex River Estuary and its inland communities.

Voted 'Best Beach' of Boston three years running with four miles of white sand and gentle surf. Amenities Include bathhouses, lifeguards, and concession stand onsite.

When to Visit:
Open year-round, daily, 8:00am to sunset. Allow a minimum of 2 hours, 6.5 hours if also visiting Castle Hill (including Great House or landscape tour) and the Crane Wildlife Refuge.

Check current admission fees & permits

Fees
Effective through Labor Day 2007, member admission prices at Crane Beach have been decreased from $11 to $5, per car. After 3 p.m., admission prices decrease by another 50 percent. For non-members, beach admission prices remain at $22 on weekends and $15 on weekdays.

Parking
Designated parking area surfaced for year-round use. 1,400 cars. The Town of Ipswich manages - for Ipswich residents only - a 350-car parking area located next to The Trustees' parking area. Ipswich residents are required to have current beach stickers to park in this area. From October 1 to March 31, horse trailer parking is located in The Trustees' main parking area.

About Crane Beach Conservation:
More than 1,200 acres of beachfront, dunes, and maritime forest are managed for both recreation and conservation. Elevated boardwalks, vegetation management programs, and fencing protect the dunes. More than five miles of designated trails traverse an extensive dune complex featuring swales that support amphibians and invertebrates. Cranberries and insect-eating carnivorous plants, such as sundews, also grow in these interdunal swales. Castle Neck is the site of the North Shore's largest maritime pitch pine forest.

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Location

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290 Argilla Road, Ipswich, MA, 01938 map

From Route 128 north (towards Gloucester), take exit 20A (Route 1A north) and follow for 8 miles to Ipswich. Turn right onto Route 133 east and follow for 1.5 miles. Turn left onto Northgate Road and follow for .5 mi. Turn right onto Argilla Road and follow for 2.5 miles to Crane Beach gatehouse at end of paved road.