Best Camping Beaches in Massachusetts

Sandy Neck Beach is a scenic barrier beach located on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It stretches 6.5 miles along Cape Cod Bay and is known for its undulating sand dunes and picturesque salt marshes. This beach offers a variety of leisure activities, including swimming, hiking, and saltwater fishing. The dunes, reaching heights of 100 feet, are home to wildlife like red foxes, deer, and shorebirds.
Visitors can explore walking paths that cross the dunes and lead to trails that bypass the marsh. The area is rich in cultural and historical significance, with multiple antique dune shacks and the historic Sandy Neck Lighthouse.
Sandy Neck Beach Park covers 4,700 acres, offering a mix of dunes, maritime forests, and marshes. It is recognized as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern due to its diverse habitats and multiple endangered species.

Race Point Beach, on Provincetown's strip of beaches, is touted as having magnificent sunsets, soft, white sand and clear water. However, the water is known to be rough and should not be swam in too deeply.

Horseneck Beach State Reservation is a 815-acre public recreation area located in Westport, Massachusetts, offering a two-mile stretch of sandy beach along the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the most popular beaches in Massachusetts, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. The reservation features a diverse landscape, including salt marshes, a protected estuary, and the barrier island of Gooseberry Neck. Visitors can enjoy swimming, camping, fishing, boating, and birdwatching, making it a versatile destination for outdoor enthusiasts. The beach is known for its rolling dunes and is a significant habitat for wildlife, including rare piping plovers.
The area is rich in history, with the name 'Horseneck' possibly derived from the Algonquin word for 'a house made of stone.' The beach has been a popular spot since the early 20th century, with summer homes being built after a bridge connected it to Westport Point in 1893. However, many of these homes were destroyed by hurricanes, leading the state to acquire the land in the mid-20th century.
Today, Horseneck Beach State Reservation offers a 100-site campground, accessible trails, and various amenities, making it an ideal location for both relaxation and adventure.