Imagine this: your car is packed with beach chairs, umbrellas, coolers, toys, and a wheeled cart to transport you to your final destination. Your family and friends are slathered in sunscreen and ready to brave the cold waters for some much-needed sunshine.
It’s finally time to depart.
But the journey comes to a screeching halt when you pull into the South Shore beach parking lot and realize you need a residential beach sticker to park there.
From beach slacker to total loser.
Don’t let that happen: Here are eight South Shore beaches where you can park for free or for a small fee, plus information on where and when you can get a non-resident beach sticker.
Wollaston Beach, Quincy
Starting at the northernmost tip of the South Shore, Wollaston Beach It is managed by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation. It is part of the Quincy Shores Conservation Area, along with Moswetuset Hammock and Cady Memorial Park.
Free parking is available along Quincy Shore Drive. Beach wheelchairs are available and lifeguards are on duty in season. There are two clam shacks, a taco restaurant, and a plant-based restaurant nearby. Picnic tables, gazebos, and best of all, a shaded play area are located across from Quincy Shore Drive at the intersection of East Elm Avenue and Sachem Street.
more:How many beaches can you name in Quincy? Here’s a quick rundown of them all
Fire Station Beach, Quincy
Near Germantown you’ll find this small, secluded, no-frills, sandy beach. Fire Station BeachFree parking is available near the Quincy Fire Station Engine 8. Wooden boardwalks and beach mats lead to the beach on the Weymouth Fore River, located at the end of Doane Street.
George Lane Beach, Weymouth
Across the river George Lane Beach Located in Weymouth. Daily parking is $10. This beach is a bit rockier than the others and can be accessed with a beach mat. There is a basketball court in the parking lot.
Nearby are the smaller Wessagussett Beach, as well as Great Hill Park and Webb State Memorial Park.
Hingham Beach
Another beach with free parking is in Hingham on Route 3A or Otis Street. Beach There are restrooms, picnic tables, a gazebo, and a snack shack called the Beach House.
Online reviews say the spot can be a bit muddy and the water murky, but it offers views of Hingham Harbor and World’s End, and lifeguards are on duty during the season.
Nantasket Beach, Hull
Among the popular beaches, Nantasket Beach Parking in Hull is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Parking fees apply from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Massachusetts residents pay $15 to park and out-of-state visitors pay $40 – residency is determined by license plate – and of course, those with DCR’s $60 annual pass don’t have to worry about parking fees.
Lifeguards are on duty weekends only from Memorial Day through June 18, and daily through early September. Beach chairs and beach mats are available on-site, and restrooms, a playground, shops, and restaurants can be found along Nantasket Avenue.
Wrexham Beach, Marshfield
Daily Pass Wrexham Beach The snack bar at the end of Standish Street is open to non-residents for $25 Monday through Thursday, $30 Friday and Saturday, and $35 Sunday and public holidays. Please be sure to bring cash for parking and snack bar fees.
Lifeguards are on duty from 8 AM to 7 PM, and the snack bar is open from 10 AM to 6 PM. Restrooms are available on-site. For more information, contact the Beach Supervisor at 781-563-0063.
Duxbury Beach Park, Duxbury
Cash-only spots for non-residents are Duxbury Beach Parkis owned and managed by Duxbury Beach Reservation Co. Take Route 139 through Marshfield to Canal Street to Garnet Road in Duxbury. Access to the park from Powder Point Bridge is not guaranteed.
The park is open from 9am to 8pm, weather permitting, and has lifeguards on duty, a snack bar and restrooms.
Plymouth Beach, Plymouth
The southernmost point on this list is Plymouth Beachis managed by the town at 130 Warren Ave. There is a $20 fee for non-residents and residents who do not have a beach sticker.
Lifeguards will be on duty at the beach from June 24 through Labor Day daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Beach wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis during these times. The bathhouse is open during the hours of Sandy’s Restaurant, a cash-only beach food spot with an ATM.
Note: A red flag here means there have been confirmed shark sightings and swimming is prohibited at the beach. A yellow flag means there have been no confirmed shark sightings and swimmers should exercise caution, according to the town.
Where and When to Buy South Shore Non-Resident Beach Stickers
Fortunately for the residents of Cohasset and Scituate, but unfortunately for the rest of us, beach stickers are tightly controlled in these coastal towns.
Cohasset No parking tickets will be issued to non-residentsBut in Scituate, it only happens once a year: Beach stickers are required to be displayed from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Beach stickers for Skutate residents will never run out, but the town allocates a certain amount for non-residents, and they sell out quickly. Released in mid-February We purchased two different stickers: one that gave us admission to all six beaches in town Monday through Friday for $350, and one that gave us admission only to Humaroc Beach, seven days a week for $100.
that It took just over an hour to get to Kingston. Non-resident Gray’s Beach parking stickers, which went on sale April 1 for $40, have sold out.
Hopefully next year we’ll have better luck.
“Out of town” day beach passes are also available for purchase Tuesdays and Thursdays only at Peggotty Beach in ScituateThey must be purchased on the day of use and are available at the Port Authority for $20. If you don’t have a beach sticker, you can try your luck at one of the few two-hour parking spaces near Humaroc Beach on Marshfield Avenue.
Duxbury Beach stickers for non-residents were offered for $330 until April 30, and $350 after May 1. The stickers are valid until March 2025.
Weymouth They offer non-resident season passes for George Lane Beach and Smith Boat Launch for $65.
Hannah Morse covers growth and development for the Patriot Ledger. Contact her at email address:.
