Trip Planner: USA / Massachusetts / Ipswich / Crane Beach

Crane Beach, Ipswich

4.7

#1 of 7 in Things to do in Ipswich

Enjoy 6 km (4 mi) of sandy beach, with dunes, clear water, and a maritime pitch pine forest at Crane Beach. Play in the water, sunbathe, or walk the 9 km (5.5 mi) of trails and boardwalks through sand dunes, forest, and salt marsh. A bar, restrooms, showers, and changing facilities are open during peak seasons, and restrooms are available year-round. To visit Crane Beach on your trip to Ipswich, use our Ipswich online sightseeing planner .

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Crane Beach Reviews

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473 reviews

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4.8

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4.7

3,903 likes

By Ron T On January 27, 2018

We got really lucky: a 50 degree sunny day in late-January. It was $10 to park, but there were restrooms open and beach patrols. Spacious parking lot but go slow, plenty of potholes. Miles-long beauti... more »
By Jake_MA_11 On January 15, 2018

Beach is beautiful anytime of year! A great place to walk and think. dunes are beautiful. An Ideal place to spend the Afternoon more »
By bdofa1 On November 11, 2017

We came from Maui to the area for a medical summit, Crane Beach was about a 20 minute drive from our hotel in Peabody. The beach and surrounding area was beautiful, it looked like there are hiking tra... more »

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By Ali T On December 11, 2017

This is the best beach in the greater Boston area. It is very well maintained by the Trustees. Ocean in this area is warmer compared to nearby beaches. The waves are also shorter here which makes it possible to enjoy swimming. Parking price is steep and it gets full very easily. There's an annual donation option that comes with free parking which you might be considering if you become a regular.

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By Annie Kim On September 4, 2017

Plenty of soft sandy beach to set up post and relax in the sun for hours! Snack bar with an open grill sometimes and a small gift shop with mostly clothes and some beach chairs. Get there early to get a parking spot, which is $25 but worth it. Check their twitter feed for updates on current parking capacity and any possible weather limitations. It'd be awesome if the beach didn't have strict hours but I guess that's what they've gotta do to keep it as clean and maintained as it is.

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By Kimberly Gauger On July 17, 2017

Worth every penny... $30 to get in on the weekends :( Very respectable composting toilets and bath house. Friendly people. Most gorgeous beach hiking trails I've ever seen. Lather up on tea tree oil the mosquitoes are do or die. Great waves.

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By Aditya Chivukula On December 7, 2017

Fantastic long beach with less crowds. There is a fee to enter the beach which is definitely worth it.

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By Pete Rylander On August 29, 2017

It's super nice and clean, with bathhouse, bathrooms, snacks and a small store. Very large beach with plenty of room if you want to walk a little. Parking can get expensive unless you buy a pass. Watch out for the flies in July.

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