Reid State Park
Georgetown, ME
Reid State Park in Georgetown has two long sandy beaches, Mile Beach and Half Mile Beach, with dunes, a rocky headland, and a sheltered lagoon behind. It is one of the best sand beaches on the midcoast, with room to spread out and calmer water for small children. A state park entry fee applies.
Some of the best sand on the coast, with dunes and a lagoon, though the entry fee and summer weekend crowds are worth planning for.
How we score beachesIf the ocean is too cold, take kids to the sheltered lagoon side. Go on a weekday to avoid the summer fill-up.
State park lots serve the beaches, and an entry fee applies. They fill on hot weekends.
Short paths lead from the lots to long stretches of soft sand.
July and August are the warmest, and the lagoon is calmer than the ocean. Fall is quiet and clear.
This isn't one entrance, it's a stretch with a few. Here's where locals actually meet up.
Mile Beach
The longer of the two main beaches, with open ocean surf and broad sand.
Get directions →Half Mile Beach
The shorter beach beside the rocky headland, with the sheltered lagoon behind it.
Get directions →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.
