Plum Island: A Hidden Treasure Beach Near Boston in Ipswich

One more trip to the beach before summer ends 🌊 This time, I wanted to find a beach to lounge around all day to the northeast of Boston. Unexpectedly, many public beaches were closed due to bacterial contamination. The remaining beaches near Gloucester were small, expensive, and required advance reservations. Luckily, we finally discovered Plum Island, which was a pleasant surprise! 🚗 Drive to the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Gatehouse, which is about an hour’s drive from downtown Boston. Plum Island is a long stretch of coastline, with the northern and southern parts managed by different “parks”; we went to the south side. 🅿️ Pay a $5 entrance fee to access the entire Wildlife Refuge. There are 7 parking lots in total, from north to south, where you can freely choose. The distance to the beach is about the same for all. Beware that after Parking Lot 4, the road is unpaved, so friends with low car clearance should be cautious.‼️ It’s advisable to go early (arrive by 9 AM) or plan to arrive in the afternoon around 2 or 3 PM for a better chance at finding a spot. 🏖️ As you can see from the picture, the sand is extremely fine, and the coastline is very gentle, making it comfortable for wading or swimming. The bonus was seeing so many large, white scallop shells for the first time; kids would have a blast here. 🦜 On the other side of the beach is a wetland, which, as part of the Wildlife Refuge, is also a great spot for bird watching. There are wooden walkways and observation platforms to explore. Friends interested in bird watching can also search for regular bird watching events organized by the park. #BeASpiritOfNature #BostonOutskirts #plumisland #BeachWalks #OutdoorAdventures #WeekendGetaways