popham beach state park

What a magnificent place for a walk in any season! See pics attached.. Ice flow over sand, sunsets, vistas, beach shells, sand dollars, lighthouses, the colors of blue....

There is a small fee to enter the parking lot but in my opinion, it is well worth it. There is about three miles of beach if one likes to walk. Often one can find sand dollars. The sand is nicely textured for building sand castles, walking, or wading. It is seldom warm enough for swimming but often has enough surf to body surf. The view is amazing-light houses, islands, lobster boats, and often fiery sunsets. It opens at nine and closes just after sunset. The facilities are relatively new. No more outhouses (in the summer), individual changing rooms, picnic tables. It is such a special place, I almost did not review it for fear of too many crowds. We visit in all sesons.

Fabulous beach and views. Modern, clean facilities. Excellent walking and climbing on 'island'. Just a small charge to park but worth it.

we went this year not knowing what to expect. We visited the fort 1st, then returned to park. Very nice beach,clean restrooms and shower facilities. Excellent for walking or riding horses.get there at low tide, so the islands can be accessed. Need to be careful to watch tides, as you could get stranded .will return next year

This beach is a gem! I have travelled to many top beaches in the world and this one holds a special place in my heart. The views are amazing, at low tide it seems to go on forever and you can walk around on the rocky island. You can bring your dog in the off season or a horse! loved watching all of the horses trotting around on the beach. Great place for kids to build sand castles, I would recommend digging a deep hole waiting for the water to warm up and enjoy!

This is the widest beach I've ever seen. The expansive view is stunning, dotted with tiny islands and lighthouses one way and inland marshes the other. There is even an island to walk out to at low tide and a cute little store called Percy's with amazingly fresh lobster rolls and awesome staff. Definitely a place to stay for a while and take in slowly.

It's well worth the 30 minute drive from Bath to get here. Parking is limited so arrive early. It's a huge, beautiful, natural beach. The view and the available beach to explore change constantly as the tide comes and goes. It's amazing how it feels almost secluded even when the parking lot is full. There's so much space (except for cars).Walk on water's edge; it's good for you. Breathe the clean fresh air. Turn your face towards the sun and close your eyes. Soak it in. This is where the big, deep Kennebec River meets and embraces the powerful Atlantic. It's lovely in a sometimes gentle and sometimes crashing kind of meeting. Popham is great for families who need room for the kids to run, for couples who stroll, for the athletic who want to bravely swim in the cold, or climb the edges of the terrain, for those who want to sit in a beach chair. Arrive early. Bring water to drink, food for lunch, beach furniture, clothes for cooler temps if the sun hides behind the clouds. There is a large changing room with toilets near the parking area. Don't miss.

Huge beach, especially at low tide. For this area of Maine, it's surprising to find such a fine sand beach stretching out as far as we could go in the water. It's fun to walk out to the offshore islands at low tide. There are outside showers and 2 excellent bath houses (one for each side of the beach) with toilets and changing rooms that were in good condition and clean. Wonderful beach for kids as the drop off is very gradual.

It has always been on my bucket list to ride my horse on a beach-- coming from Montana, that's never been a real likely possibility. But on a year-long stay in Maine, my dream came true at Popham Beach! This gorgeous place is all but abandoned once summer is over. Regulations allow for horses and dogs on the beach between November and March (check local restrictions, and be aware riders must use poop bags or clean up the manure after your ride). I visited twice, and both times saw only a handful of people walking their dogs. This meant I could gallop along unbothered for more than a mile, into the waves and through the sea air, just my horse and I! Talk about a dream come true. It is best to visit at low tide, when more remote stretches of the beach open up, and one can hike or ride out to a low island. Don't neglect to follow the beach all the way to the old stone fort, down at the mouth of the Kennebec. Although not every visitor had excellent voice control over their dogs, all the dogs (and people!) we met were friendly, and our own dog loved the freedom to be off-leash. One caution: it's always much windier than you think it will be, so bring something to cover your ears. Pro tip: November and December tides tend to send more sand dollars into the area, which we found plenty of on our several visits.

We visited Popham Beach State Park while on vacation in Maine, and it was definitely worth the ride! Though we visited mid-week, the parking lot was nearly full, so we were surprised at how few people were actually on this huge beach! The beach has level and soft sand, with a sand bar that folks can walk to the nearby 'island' to climb rocks during low tide. My one warning is to be careful if you are eating on the beach. The seagulls are watching from afar, and will divebomb you to get at your food. One of the people in my group had a seagull fly in close and beaten about the face with wings till he dropped the piece of cheese that he was about to put into his mouth. The same thing happened to a little boy who had been trying to eat a sandwich-the bird came in close and snatched it right out of his hand-and left marks on his face (from beak? feet? wings? not sure...). Other than the seagulls, this beach rated a 10!

Beautiful, broad Sandy beach, not easy to come by in Maine. Not overly crowded on this hot August day, though by the time we left at 1:30 p.m., the parking lot was full and folks were parking on the road, so e distance away. There were no lifeguards on duty this particular day. Beach seems to attract primarily families. There's a nice, modern bathhouse with showers, toilets, and changing rooms. Clean in the morning, not so clean by early afternoon. Lovely beach and a refreshing retreat from the heat of a late August day.

We just stopped at the beach to have a look. I was mesmerized, wished we could have put out beach blankets and stayed awhile. I had a great walk along this mostly rock and shell free beach. A great family place.

Beautiful unspoiled Maine beach located where the Kennebec River meets the ocean. Great views of several islands. Bathroom and changing facilities provided at the entrance area. We also visited Fort Popham, so we parked near the fort at Percy's General Store for $10.00 and were right at the entrance at the end of the beach. We were there on a day that was not very busy, but we have heard that when the beach parking fills up, Percy's is a good alternative. Percy's sells basic foods, supplies, and has a small restaurant. There is also Spinney's Restaurant next door.

My wife, our two teenage daughters, and I thoroughly enjoyed our late afternoon visit during low tide on a weekday, when the beach was quite empty and felt very secluded. We loved walking the expansive tidal flats and wading in the tide pools. The little rocky island that you can walk to during low tide was fun to climb and provided wonderful views at the top. Best beach on the Maine coast!

What a wonderful family friendly beach! It's HUGE and easy to find a great spot even when parking is in the overflow areas! It costs $6 pp for non Maine residents and $1per child age 6-12 I think. There are a few large tidal pools that are no more than 1 foot deep which kids love to play and splash in and safe for parents to sit at a distance and watch. The ocean is cold but refreshing and again, the water is shallow so children can play safely a good distance into the water. At low tide, you can walk to a little island and climb up to the top for fabulous views of the beach. Everyone is very nice, polite and appear happy. There was barely any litter and the bathrooms were large and clean. Look out for the seagulls! They will swoop down and grab a sandwich right out of your hand if you let them! We will be back, Popham!