Crane Beach

Crane Beach is the white-sand ocean front of the Trustees' Crane Estate, backed by dunes and the North Shore's largest pitch pine forest on Castle Neck. Lifeguards and EMTs are on duty from 9 to 5 daily between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and the beach stays open year-round from 8 in the morning until sunset. Book an advance pass for weekends, since the gate turns visitors away at capacity.

Directions

Photo: Vinphin · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Latest reading · SwimScore 71/100 (Good swim) for a typical swimmer: air 15°C, wind 28 km/h, waves 1.4 m, UV 1. Updated 23 Sept, 22:00 UTC.

Know before you go

Getting in: Trustees reservation at 310 Argilla Road; open 8 a.m. to sunset daily (the gate closes 20 minutes before sunset). Advance passes are required on weekends and encouraged at other times; at capacity, only timed-pass holders and Ipswich sticker holders get in.
Parking & transport: Parking at the beach lot with admission; 25 accessible spaces. On summer weekends and holidays, CATA runs a beach shuttle to the Ipswich commuter rail station (free in 2025).
Lifeguards: Lifeguards and EMTs on duty 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day, weather permitting; rangers on duty year-round.
Water quality: Massachusetts rules require marine beaches to be sampled for enterococci within 5 days of opening and at least weekly in season; beaches are posted when results exceed state standards, and some are posted preemptively after heavy rain.
Season: Full services Memorial Day-Labor Day; open year-round.
Watch for: Greenhead flies in summer; the Trustees post greenhead updates on the beach info line (978-356-4354)
Fenced piping plover nesting areas to avoid
Facilities: Bathhouses with toilets and changing areas · Outdoor showers and drinking fountains · Snack Shack and beach store (summer) · Umbrella and chair rentals · Mobi-mats and floating beach wheelchairs · 5.5 miles of dune trails