Hen Cove Beach
Bourne, MA
Hen Cove Beach curves around a small cove in Pocasset, Bourne, and it is a favorite with families from the surrounding neighborhood. The shallow, protected water is easy for kids, and there is usually room to spread out. It is a resident-oriented town beach, so treat it as a local find rather than a destination.
Protected water and a local, low-key crowd are the draw, but resident-oriented access limits who can enjoy it.
How we score beachesLow tide leaves shallows that warm quickly in the sun, which kids love. Confirm Bourne's parking rules before you go, since resident access is the norm.
Bourne beach parking is generally resident-only outside Monument Beach; check with the town for current rules.
A small neighborhood beach; check on arrival for the path and surface between parking and the sand.
Cove water warms quickly, so mid July through August is ideal. Shoulder-season visits are quiet and breezy.
More Atlantic Coast beaches
Coast Guard Beach
Eastham, MA · Atlantic Coast
A National Seashore beach backed by grassy dunes and a tidal marsh, with clean Atlantic surf and one of the Cape's most scenic approaches on foot from the parking area.
Surfside Beach
Nantucket, MA · Atlantic Coast
Open Atlantic swell and a wide sandy shoreline about three miles from Nantucket town, popular with locals for its bodysurfing waves and quieter, less commercial feel.
Jones Beach State Park
Wantagh, NY · Atlantic Coast
A classic Long Island beach with six and a half miles of shoreline, a landmark water tower, boardwalk, and a large outdoor amphitheater that hosts concerts through the summer.