Short Sands Beach — Attraction in York

I've been going to Short Sands for 30 years and I still love it. All throughout my childhood this was the beach that my family vacationed to. Today it's the ideal beach for me to bring my toddler to. It's a small beach, .25 miles long, but it has a lot to offer for children and families.

I have never seen big waves at Short Sands. The waves are perfect for buggie boards. There are rocks on one edge of the beach where children can look for little sea creatures (though climbing up the rocks is not advised--I think the lifeguards will ask you to come down). There is a wonderful playground right next to the beach (fenced in though its two doors are often kept open). There's also a nice grassy area great for picnics. On the same block as the beach there are plenty of shops to walk to for souvenirs, gifts, toys and beach gear. There is a great restaurant/candy store called The Goldenrod where you can see saltwater taffy being made. They mainly serve sandwiches, ice cream and candy that's made there. There is also York's wild kingdom which is a mini zoo/amusement park great for children. Parking is now pay and display and the lot does fill up rather quickly (often filled up between 10-11 AM). There are other parking options but the main lot is definitely most convenient. Short Sands is definitely worth a visit. I'm sure you'll fall in...

Great little beach. Soft sand and fairly shallow water for quite a ways out. Cold-ish, it's Maine, but I could still feel my toes, even walking from one end to the other in the water. Outdoor showers to rinse off but no changing rooms. Bathrooms were clean. Right near restaurants and shops. Old fashioned arcade with both new and older video, pinball and arcade games--skee ball--still uses quarters 😀. Bowling and small shop for beach needs -- chairs, umbrellas, sand toys. Go watch them make salt water taffy at The Goldenrod, literally a couple of minutes walk from the beach. Parking is limited, the lot is not huge. New pay system, no more meters. Go to a kiosk, type in the space# that you are parked in and you can pay with a credit/debit card. I paid $15 for 12 hours. $2 per hour and once it got past 8 hrs it jumped to 12 hrs and gave me a better rate. Better than the $30 it cost to park at Hampton the week before. Try this beautiful beach, you won't be...

This is one of my favorite beaches in Maine. They have recently updated the bathrooms and they were fantastic! Big, clean, and well lit! I noticed a few signs stating not to wash sand off in the sink because there was a shower located outside. I walked around the whole building and didn't see a shower however. Not a big deal because I didn't actually swim. The water was very cold for a day in July! Wear water shoes because the beach is very rocky in spots. Once you get out past the beach itself it appears to be more sandy. I saw places to eat, an arcade and playground all within sight of the beach. For $2 an hour to park it was a much better deal then old orchard beach! It was crowded but every public beach I came across during my lastest trip was the same. We will be back! (But during the...