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Beaches

Duxbury Beach Park

260 Gurnet Rd, Duxbury, MA 02332, USA

781-837-3112

http://www.duxburybeachpark.com

Owned By: Duxbury Beach Reservation Inc.

Duxbury Beach Park is the northern section of the Town of Duxbury’s public beach. It is only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and requires a cash fee for parking. Enter from Marshfield, following Canal Street to Gurnet Road.

Blakeman’s a seasonal restaurant and snack bar, provides restrooms and sustenance. Fires, horses, dogs, alcohol, & kites are NOT permitted at Duxbury Beach Park.

Note: right next door is Duxbury Beach Reservation. Pedestrian access is permitted, but parking requires a resident sticker. Or park in the very small (no fee) lot at the western end of the Powder Point Bridge.

Features

Duxbury Beach is a 7.5-mile long barrier beach that extends from Marshfield in the north to Gurnet Point and Saquish in the south. It is a clean, beautiful, family-friendly, and accessible place, nestled between Duxbury Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Seasonal shellfishing requires a permit from the Duxbury Police Department.

The Duxbury Beach Reservation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation, owns approximately 4 miles of Duxbury Beach. It leases most of the beach to the town of Duxbury for use by Duxbury residents and the general public.

Some history: This land is within the region of the Patuxet Wampanoag tribe, who for centuries have inhabited the area around the Jones River now known as Duxbury, Kingston and Plymouth. Numerous artifacts have been found on Clark’s Island, nearby. To learn more about local Native American tribes, we encourage you to interact with their members. The Mashpee Wampanoag and the Herring Pond Wampanoag share information on their websites.

After the advent of the automobile, over-sand vehicles became common on Duxbury Beach. Unfortunately they tore up and flattened the dunes. Hurricane Carol (1954) served as a wake-up call, and citizens became concerned with beach preservation. The dunes were rebuilt, snow fence was installed, and beach grass was planted to help prevent sand from washing away. Eventually a summer traffic patrol was approved.

Back then, the beach belonged to a group of private owners, known as the Duxbury Beach Association (DBA). (Fun fact: In 1964, a beach sticker was $1 for residents and $2 for non-residents.) In 1975, the beach’s management was reorganized as a nonprofit, becoming the Duxbury Beach Reservation (DBR). Its mission statement included the equally-rated points of restoring and preserving the beaches in their natural state, and maintaining access both for Duxbury residents and the general public. Like its predecessor, the DBR leased the beach to the town.

In 1978, the infamous blizzard caused 26 major wash-throughs, plus numerous partial breaches. Some dunes were flattened, and deep drifts of sand and stone covered the main parking area. The road to The Gurnet and Saquish was completely destroyed in some sections. After that, beach conservation efforts intensified. It took several years, but a right of way along the bay side of the beach was constructed, sharply delineated by post and cable fencing. Snow fence and grass planting efforts were stepped up, and over time the beach was significantly restored.

The No-Name Storm of 1991 was even more destructive. Again, there were breaches and numerous washovers; many dunes were obliterated, and the road to the Gurnet and Saquish sustained major damage. Grass planting and snow fencing proved once again to be effective remedies. And added to the mix this time was a crackdown on over-sand vehicles.

Prior to 1992, vehicles could drive almost anywhere on the beach, but beginning that year, the DBR began restricting traffic to a single lane, east of the dunes. Two crossovers provided access to the beach, and parking was permitted only in a single line in a designated area (this is on Duxbury Beach itself, not Duxbury Beach Park). The DBR measured the beach to see how many cars could fit. They set the limit at 500 at any one time, and divided this into 250 resident and 250 non-resident admissions.

You may ask, “Why so many non-residents?” The fact that Duxbury Beach has always been accessible to the public is one of the primary factors in its continued existence. In the 1950s and 60s there were a number of attempts by the state to take the beach by eminent domain. Because the DBA could prove that there was public access to the beach, it was able to maintain ownership. It’s worth noting here that it’s the parking and access fees that pay for beach maintenance – not property taxes. In addition, the town is obliged by the state to keep the right of way out to Saquish open at all times.

Readers may be surprised to learn that the shorebird monitoring program, which protects two threatened species — piping plovers and least terns – actually helps to keep the beach open to the public. Funded by the annual lease, this program ensures the protection of these birds as required by the Federal Endangered Species Act. Were it not for the presence of the town’s Endangered Species Officer, even more of the beach would be closed during nesting season. (There are often partial closures in June and July.)

Duxbury is bound by state law to keep the road open, and bound by federal law to protect the birds. All of this requires money, and the money is generated by parking and access fees. Without recreational access to the beach, there would be no money for ecological concerns. Without tireless efforts to preserve the beach, there would be no beach left to enjoy. It’s a delicate balance. Amazingly, the ecological damage from vehicles is negligible.

Duxbury Beach is one of the most beautiful places on the South Shore. An occasional visit is absolutely worth the non-resident parking fee. Knowing what the beach and its caretakers have sustained over the years makes it seem even more precious. If you don’t like crowds, try visiting at off-hours. It’s just as spectacular on a sunny spring or autumn day as it is midsummer.

To learn more about Duxbury Beach, read the excellent Duxbury Beach Book by Margaret M. Kearney and Kay Foster (2007). Much of the information in this listing was gleaned from this book.

Trail Description

4 miles of sandy beach provide plenty of room to roam. Also consider walking on the unpaved road that runs south from Marshfield on the bay side of the property.

Habitats and Wildlife

Waters flowing from an extensive salt marsh in Green Harbor and along the Marshfield-Duxbury line, as well as from the Cut River and the Duck Hill River, join together form Duxbury’s Back River, which enters Duxbury Bay at the Powder Point Bridge, and empties into Cape Cod Bay. The Back River is visible from the “back” (as opposed to oceanfront) side of Duxbury Beach Park.

A 2018 survey indicates that the numbers of species observed on Duxbury Beach are as follows. Birds: 127, Mammals: 8, and Plants: 36. Some notable residents are the Snowy Owl, the Piping Plover, and the Least Tern. The latter two are considered to be threatened species by state and/or federal law. The Duxbury Beach Endangered Species Program, enacted by the Duxbury Police Department, offers protection during the spring and summer.

Like all barrier beaches, Duxbury Beach is dynamic. Sand arrives and departs at a slow pace. Here at Duxbury, the beach is moving westward toward the mainland. Unfortunately, due to heavy armoring of beaches to the north (sea walls), Duxbury Beach is not receiving its natural nourishment of sand.

There are seasonal dynamics as well. In the winter and spring, the beach is rocky, as northeasterly winds pull the sand out. In the summer and fall, the sand returns, carried in by gentle waves.

  • A photograph of an entrance road with property signs. A marsh and a bridge are in the background.
  • A photograph of a sane beach and shoreline with grasses and fence.
  • A photograph of a snowy owl on a post.
  • A photograph of an entrance road with a property sign.
  • A photograph of a beach entrance path with mist and hazy sunshine.
  • A photograph of a small seal on ice.
  • A photograph of the entrance to a park, with fence and property signs.
  • A photograph of an owl on a post.
  • A photograph of a sandy beach and shoreline, with scattered beachgoers.
  • A photograph of a small bird on dried grasses.
  • A photograph of a sandy beach and shoreline, with dunes and fencing.
  • A photograph of a large flock of birds flying close to the water.
  • A photograph of a sandy beach and shoreline.
  • A photograph of a red wooden building with nautical decor.
260 Gurnet Rd, Duxbury, MA 02332, USA

Historic Site: No

Park: No

Beach: Yes

Boat Launch: No

Lifeguards: Yes

Size: 4 miles of beach

Hours: 9am to 8pm daily (weather permitting), Memorial Day until Labor Day only.

Parking: Large on-site parking area requires $25 cash fee.

Cost: $25 per car to park (cash only)

Trail Difficulty: Easy

Facilities:

Duxbury Beach Park is only open Memorial Day to Labor Day. In season, it offers a handicap access ramp. In addition, a beach wheelchair is available by request from a guardhouse attendant at the Powder Point Bridge entrance.

The Duxbury Beach Park Pavillion offers restrooms and showers, as well as food and beverages throughout the day, in season. Blakeman’s Restaurant (Noon – 8:00pm) offers full service dining in a casual environment.

Dogs: No

Boat Ramp: No

ADA Access: Yes

Scenic Views: Yes

Waterbody/Watershed: Duxbury Back River / Atlantic Ocean

Other Things to Do at This Site