Paine's Creek Beach
Brewster, MA
Paine's Creek Beach is a small Cape Cod Bay beach in Brewster where a creek winds through the marsh to the water. The Brewster flats run out for a mile or more at low tide, exposing sandbars and tidal pools, and the sunsets here draw locals. Parking is very limited.
The creek, the flats and the sunsets make it a classic Brewster spot, but a tiny lot and no lifeguards mean planning ahead.
How we score beachesCome for the sunset, but plan around the tide. At low water the flats are the show, and at high water the beach is small.
Brewster beach permits are required from mid June through the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. The lot has only a few spaces, so arrive early.
The lot is close to the sand, and the beach is soft underfoot. The creek crossing is uneven.
Dogs are prohibited from mid May to mid September.
Summer is warmest, and there are no lifeguards on Brewster bay beaches. Fall sunsets are clear and quiet.
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.