11 of the Very Best Maine Beaches for 2025

All the Prettiest Beaches in the Pine Street State for Your Next Getaway

Maine may be famous for its charming small towns, but its beaches are pretty spectacular, too. Here are 11 of our favorite beaches in the Pine Tree State, from popular coasts to underrated state park gems.

Here are 11 of our favorite beaches in the Pine Tree State, from popular coasts to underrated state park gems.

Long Sands & Short Sands Beaches

These two beaches stand among Maine’s finest. Long Sands Beach (also called Long Beach) stretches for a mile and a half, making it York’s largest beach. Walk along its shores morning or night while taking in the scents from the century-old Goldenrod’s saltwater taffy. Browse various shops, play at the beachfront arcade, or visit Maine’s biggest zoo and amusement park, which houses a white bengal tiger. Since it faces the open Atlantic with no appreciable harbor, Long Sands offers excellent waves.

Short Sands Beach sits between rocky cliffs in York Beach village, spanning a quarter mile. Located in Ellis Park, it offers everything beachgoers need: public restrooms, seasonal lifeguards, metered parking, a large sandy playground, basketball courts, a gazebo, and a large grassy park area. 

A promenade walkway lines the beach with plenty of benches. Throughout summer, the Ellis Park Trustees organize free concerts and entertainment. 

Wells Beach

Wells, a resort town in York County, Maine, United States, holds the distinction of being Maine’s third-oldest town, established in 1643. Among its seven miles of sandy shores, including Moody Beach, Crescent Beach, and Drake’s Island Beach, Wells Beach draws the most visitors.

Wells Beach spans over a mile and a half, running from Crescent Beach to the Wells Beach Jetty. Sea grass and sand dunes line this sandy stretch, and you can watch the boats come and go as it overlooks Wells Harbor. 

Visit at sunrise or sunset to hunt for sea glass and listen to the ocean. The beach has lifeguards and sits within walking distance of shopping and restaurants.

Main Beach

The Algonquin Indians named Ogunquit, meaning “beautiful place by the sea,” for its 3½-mile sandy shore on southern Maine’s coast. Main Beach forms one part of Ogunquit Beach, alongside Footbridge Beach and North Beach.

The water stays consistently calm and clear, always perfect for swimming. Low tide reveals extensive sand bars and tide pools during long walks, and you don’t even need footwear thanks to the soft, sandy, rock-free terrain.

You can reach the beach by foot in 10 minutes from town without paying entrance fees.

Goose Rocks Beach

Located in Kennebunkport between Cape Porpoise, Maine to the southwest and Granite Point to the northeast, Goose Rocks Beach offers New England’s closest match to Caribbean white sand. 

While the public accesses the beach freely without fees, the entrance area belongs to The Tides Beach Club. Instead, you can walk one minute to reach public sections. The beach stretches three miles, with rare white powder sand replacing Maine’s typical rocky shore. Its width accommodates crowds even on hot summer days, letting everyone find their space along the two-mile walk from entrance to the beach’s far end of the crescent.

Biddeford Pool Beaches

Biddeford Pool, a neighborhood within Biddeford city, takes its name from a large tidal pool off Saco Bay south of the Saco River mouth. 

The Marie Joseph Spiritual Center, a late-19th century seaside convent, preserved Biddeford Pool Beach through strict zoning laws that prevented almost all development on the beach and small town center. 

The beach stays untouched, with limited public parking managed through town hall permits. Beach-access points appear as small trails barely carved into the forest. Pack supplies for the day since you won’t find beachfront services. Bring towels, umbrellas, food, coolers, and (if you’d like) your dog.

A special perk: visitors can build beach fires with daily town permits.

Old Orchard Beach

Old Orchard Beach (OOB), located in York County, forms part of Maine’s Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. Its seven-mile beach and lively downtown attract tourists to streets filled with restaurants, ice cream parlors, burger joints, and souvenir shops.

Two main attractions define OOB: the beach pier and Palace Playland. Built in 1898, the pier once extended 1,800 feet, today’s 500-foot version houses souvenir shops, snack bars, sit-down restaurants, and hosts live bands.

Palace Playland, established in 1902, covers four beachfront acres. The park features 25 rides, including a Ferris wheel and swings, plus an arcade. Summer nights light up with regular firework displays.

Crescent Beach State Park

Since opening in 1966, this park has become famous with its mile-long, crescent-shaped beach. American beachgrass dots the sand dunes, while ocean breezes carry calls of herring gulls.

You can enjoy picnic areas and views of fishing boats and offshore islands. Open daily 9 AM to sunset unless posted otherwise at the gate, the beach prohibits dogs from April 1st through September 30th.

Activities include swimming, sunbathing, fishing, sea kayaking, hiking, and cross-country skiing.

Higgins Beach, Scarborough

This half-mile gem sits within a historic neighborhood dating to the late 1800s.

Higgins Beach welcomes families, walkers, anglers, and surfers with pristine white sand and clean water that stretches forever. During low tide, you’ll be able to see an old shipwreck and scattered shells.

Some of the best things to do here are sunbathing, walking, surfcasting, hunting for sand dollars and shells, and boogie boarding.

Ferry Beach

Ferry Beach State Park connects Old Orchard Beach to Camp Ellis in Saco. It is a white-sand stretch along the Scarborough River channel, sheltered from ocean waves by the channel’s jetty.

This 117-acre park provides beach access, inland walking areas, a small nature center, picnic spots, and a rare northern grove of tupelo trees. 

Popham Beach State Park

Popham Beach State Park sits at the Kennebec River’s mouth as one of Maine’s rare geological landforms. This park features a long sandy beach for sunbathing and shell collecting. 

From here, you can view Seguin Island (home to an 1857 lighthouse), plus Fox and Wood islands. You can walk to Fox Island at low tide but must watch the changing tides carefully.

The park also provides picnic tables, charcoal grills, and bathhouses with fresh water showers to complete your beach day.

Sand Beach

Sand Beach offers Acadia National Park’s only swimming-friendly ocean beach. This horseshoe cove, flanked by high cliffs, rivals Hawaii’s best beaches in beauty.

Unlike Maine’s typical gravel and cobblestone shores, Sand Beach consists of 70 percent crushed shells, creating soft sand. Plan ahead if you’re going this summer.

Buy park passes in advance at visitor centers or at the Park Loop Road Ranger Station near the beach. You can also ride the free Island Explorer shuttle (#4 Loop Road bus) stops at Sand Beach and other popular sites along the loop, including Thunder Hole, Cadillac Mountain, Jordan Pond House, and more.