A Guide To The Best Beaches In Marshfield For A Fun Day Out!
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Marshfield is a small coastal community in Massachusetts, located on the South Shore: somewhere in between the Massachusetts Bay and Cape Cod Bay areas. It’s a great little place with many hiking trails, dining and shopping options, two wildlife sanctuaries, and several small forests to explore.
But one of the main attractions for visitors are the beaches in Marshfield: there’s five miles of Atlantic sea shore inside of the town’s territory.
In fact tourists often fill up the beaches and almost double the community’s population during the peak season (from Memorial Day through to Labor Day).
Still, it remains a relatively unknown location among the general American public, and even within Massachusetts itself.
But that, more often than not, is actually a good thing. The beaches in Marshfield tend to be peaceful, family friendly and rarely overcrowded. Because of how Marshfield is geographically, in between two bays, the sea also tends to be calm with small waves. That makes it great for swimming, so several of the Marshfield beaches are kid-friendly.
And that’s exactly why people often visit the beaches in Marshfield: because of the calm waters, alongside the welcoming community and overall family friendly environment.
But be aware that some of the beaches are rocky in places, and there may be restrictions in regards to beach activities. Not all beaches are pet friendly too, and not all of them have a good private parking space for out-of-town cars. For those reasons and more, it’s good to know what to expect.
Luckily we know this area well, so below we share with your our five favorite beaches in Marshfield and why they are worth visiting. All so you can plan the perfect beach day out.
The Best Beaches in Marshfield, MA: Five That’ll Guarantee a Fun Beach Day
1. Humarock Beach
Once upon a time, Humarock Beach was originally called Hummock Rock-Beach. Which itself was change from “Humming Rocks Beach”. Over time, the name altered and we got the simpler Humarock Beach.
The original name suits this beach well: it has a large quantity of smooth rocks and pebbles all over the shore line. Those pebbles and rocks create a very distinctive sound when the waves crash against the shore.
While some people think that Humarock Beach is an island, in reality it is a long slender peninsula. With that the case you don’t need to take the Sea Street Bridge to reach this beach, instead you can enjoy a pleasant walk north from Rexhame Beach (another beach we feature below).
The rocks at this beach may not be very attractive to people that want to enjoy sand – you will struggle to build sandcastles here! – but the waterfront and sound of the waves is very beautiful.
But what also makes Humarock Beach worth visiting is it’s one of the best Marshfield beaches for canoeing and kayaking as there’s plenty of different marshes and creeks to explore.
The main reason that locals visit Humarock, however, is for fishing. This place is known locally as being a fantastic fishing spot. Luckily fishing boats and kayaks can be rented at nearby shops on the beachfront.
2. Green Harbor
This is a great beach on the south of Marshfield’s shoreline. It’s very popular during the summer because of the yearly Green Harbor festival that’s usually held in August!
The Green Harbor Beach Association sponsors the festival and organizes the different festival activities. They host sandcastle contests, swimming races, treasure hunts, costume parades, and music concerts. If you like this sort of summer fun, definitely check them out and register for their events.
But not only that, Green Harbor beach is a favorite in Marshfield because of the lack of rocks. It’s a sandy beach, great for swimming and strolling along the shoreline.
The water here can be a little cold, but that’s up to you if that’s a good or a bad thing! On a hot day this is one of the most popular beaches in Marshfield so is certain to be packed full of people, so getting a spot on the sand can be difficult sometimes. Parking spots are also somewhat difficult to find on such days.
Other than the sand and the lively vibe, one of our favourite things about this beach is the Green Harbor Lobster Pound. It’s a local seafood dining place, with picnic tables outside and a great lobster roll!
3. Rexhame Beach
Rexhame Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Marshfield. It’s a little rocky, but not as rocky as Humarock. And there’s plenty of large expanses of sand to play beach games or make sandcastles.
During low tide it gets rockier, but that means there’s lots of places for kids to explore and rock pools with sea creatures to discover. Whilst during high tide it’s a great swimming place.
The water here can be chilly, and the wind can get quite strong at certain times of the day. But there is a (paid) parking lot right across from the beach, as well as a snack bar and restrooms. The South River is just behind the beach, and from there you can take a kayak or take one of the many hiking trails in the area. You can even walk to Humarock!
What sets this beach apart form others in Marshfield is the fact it’s a pet friendly beach. So you can take your dog there, as long as they’re on a leash, and join the many locals who walk their furry friend.
It’s a great beach to relax and sunbathe, but during the weekends it will get busy very fast. The parking lot gets more expensive on weekends ($25 for a spot), and there’s only 25 parking spots.
One common complaint is that in July greenhead flies tend to come out, and they can be very annoying and ruin any fun. So just make sure to take some bug spray or repellent with you, and you should be fine.
Overall, this is a great beach, but we understand see why some people prefer Green Harbor over this one.
4. Fieldston Beach
This beach is actually one of the least popular beaches in Marshfield, but that doesn’t mean it’s not good!
It’s quiet, secluded and harder to access than others – hence why not many visit. It’s north of Brant Rock Beach (see below) and south of Rexhame Beach, and the best way to access Fieldston may be on foot as there’s no public parking nearby.
This beach is a little narrower than others, another reason many people – especially tourists – tend to ignore it.
However it’s a great spot for fishing because it’s so quiet, and many locals enjoy setting up rods and lines here.
If you are looking for a beach to just sit down and relax, with only the sound of the sea and breeze in your ears, this is the one for you.
5. Brant Rock Beach
This is another great beach for kids in Marshfield. The water here is full of life, with a great variety of little fish species. But sometimes algae too unfortunately, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye out if the water is too dark.
It’s a little rocky, but nothing like Humarock, and there’s plenty of good soft sand between the high tide mark and the seawall. There are parts that are wider than Fieldston Beach too, so you can find a place to have a game of volleyball or frisbee if you want.
It has limited parking, and you’re meant to only keep your car parked in a public spot for 2 hours. After that you have to find another spot, or pay $5 a day for private parking nearby. This one gets crowded very fast during summer time, so get there early.
The Best Beaches in Marshfield: Our Final Thoughts
Beaches in Marshfield, MA are definitely worth checking out. This is a small, traditional community, with few beaches, however each is unique in its own way.
All of the beaches feature seasonal lifeguards, Friday through Monday. They are free to access (excluding parking fees), and the people are friendly. It’s not hard to find a good place to eat here either, and there are many different accommodation options in Marshfield itself.
Marshfield isn’t very far from Boston, and we’ve found it to be a great place to escape the city and relax away from urban life for a while.
If you had to choose only one beach to visit in Marshfield, then Green Harbor is probably the obvious choice. The festival is a great time to visit, they have parking spots available, due in part to the local seafood restaurant. The beach is very sandy and not at all rocky, and that makes it the exception here.
But overall, the beaches in Marshfield are very beautiful and you can definitely have a lot of fun when visiting.
