Minot Beach

Minot Beach, Scituate, MA, USA

(781) 545-8700

https://www.scituatema.gov/beach-commission

Owned By: Town of Scituate

• Directions

A sandy beach with beautiful views of Minot Ledge Light and Massachusetts Bay. Access at the corner of Gannett Road & Glades Road, via a passageway on the left side of the Minot Post Office, and from two lots on Bailey’s Causeway. View a replica of Minot Ledge Light at Government Island in Cohasset, where there are also some memorials and historic markers.

Features

Each year, Scituate sells a limited number of non-resident beach stickers, for Humarock, and for “all access” (which includes Minot). For more information, call (781) 545-8718, or visit this site.

The beach is named for Minots Ledge, which is located in the ocean, about a mile offshore. The rocky ledge was named for George Minot, a prominent Bostonian in the mid-1700s, after one of his ships was wrecked there.

After 40 vessels were wrecked at Minots Ledge, plans began to construct lighthouse there. The first one was built between 1847 and 1850, but it succumbed to a major storm in April 1851. Work began in 1855 on a second, more durable, lighthouse, with a 40-foot, solid Quincy granite base, plus massive iron pins holding it in place on the ledge. At the time, it was the most expensive lighthouse built in the United States (final cost: $300,000). It was lit for the first time on November 15, 1860. In 1894, the locally renowned 1-4-3 (I LOVE YOU, referring to the  number of letters in each word) flashing light cycle commenced. The lighthouse began automated 1947.

This land is within the region of the Massachuseuk (or Massachusett) Native American tribe.

Trail Description

No trails, but you can walk along the beach for quite a distance.

Habitats and Wildlife

A sandy beach on the Atlantic Ocean in North Scituate.