Crane Beach, a wildlife reserve and recreation area in Ipswich, is a rare gem. White sand, tide pools, and sand bars abound as far as the eye can see. The beach front itself is nearly 4 miles long, making for wonderfully long and peaceful walks. While some areas of the beach can get a little crowded, there is plenty of room to spread out and find some solitude. I found mine while taking a walk along the shore. The lapping waves pushed my thoughts into exactly the right place.
Fellow safari travelers, Crane's is T accessible. Before summer's end, make a promise to yourself and visit. Your only regret will be leaving Crane's at the end of the day.
Some Helpful Tips:
- Getting to Crane's Beach. Catch a Newburyport/Rockport line train from North Station to Ipswich. From the Ipswich train station, take a CATA shuttle to the beach.
- Facilities - Crane's offers food service from burgers and hot dogs to salads and made to order sandwiches. The concession stand accepts cash and credit cards. Restrooms, changing booths and showers are also available.
- Pets - dogs are not allowed.
- Cost - if you drive, it is $25 to visit, including parking. Walk-on visitors pay $2. The shuttle (mentioned above) will drop you at Crane's, so your entry fee would be at the walk-on price.
I'm so glad you enjoyed Crane's Beach! It's definitely my favorite beach in the greater Boston area.
ReplyDeleteHere's another tip (for people who really like the beach and want to go on numerous occasion and with car)! With a $45 tax-deductible donation, you can become a member of the Trustees of Reservation, which grants you free & discounted access to many beautiful reservations throughout MA. Specifically for Crane's, entry with car is reduced to $15 on the weekends and $10 on the weekday. http://www.thetrustees.org/places-to-visit/northeast-ma/crane-beach-admission-prices.html