Kennebunk & Kennebunkport Beaches

Kennebunk and Kennebunkport sit on one of the best stretches of sand in Maine, with five beaches that each suit a different kind of day.

Kennebunk beaches

Goose Rocks Beach

The best overall: 2 miles of sand, good swimming and great for long walks.

Best for toddlers: Mother's Beach, a calm and sheltered cove
Lifeguards and facilities: Gooch's Beach, lifeguards mid-June through early September
Quietest: Parson's Beach, with roadside parking and no facilities
Summer parking: Kennebunk permits June 15 to September 15, $30 a day for non-residents

Maine is known for rocky coastline and lobster traps, but the Kennebunk area is an exception: wide sandy beaches, gentle surf, and water that warms enough for swimming by July. (Barely. But enough.)

The two towns share a border and a bridge over the Kennebunk River. Their five beaches each have a different personality: a calm cove for toddlers, a mile of town beach that draws surfers in a storm swell, and a quiet barrier beach most visitors never find. Pick the one that fits your day, and know where to park, or you can spend two hours circling the block.

Gooch’s Beach

Beachgoers with umbrellas and canopies on a wide sand beach, with a lifeguard stand beside a seawall walkway on the right. — Umbrellas and a lifeguard stand on Gooch's Beach in Kennebunk, Maine, on a busy beach day. Photo: Uschoen · CC BY 4.0

Gooch’s Beach is Kennebunk’s main beach, a classic town beach with lifeguards. It runs about a mile along Beach Avenue, backed by a seawall, cottages and inns. The fine sand is wide at low tide and narrows a lot at high tide, so check the tide chart before you go.

The water is classic southern Maine: mid-50s in June, low 60s by mid-July, and pleasant by August once you give it 30 seconds. Waves are gentle most days; storm surf draws local shortboarders.

Facilities: restrooms at the main lot, a snack bar and outdoor showers. Lifeguards are on duty from mid-June through early September (Town of Kennebunk).

Length: About 1 mile
Parking: Kennebunk permit or metered street spots

Parking is the critical issue. Kennebunk requires a beach parking permit for Gooch’s, Middle and Mother’s beaches from June 15 through September 15. For 2026, non-residents pay these rates at the beach kiosks, through the PassPortParking app, or at Kennebunk Town Hall (Town of Kennebunk):

$30 Day permit Non-residents, 2026 Covers Gooch's, Middle and Mother's beaches.
$100 Week permit Non-residents, 2026 The same three beaches for a week.
$200 Season permit Non-residents, 2026 Good from June 15 through September 15.

Metered street parking fills by 9 AM on summer weekends.

Pro Tip

Arrive before 8:30 AM on summer weekends or after 4 PM. The beach empties in the late afternoon, and the light on the water is better anyway. If you are staying in town, walk. It solves the parking problem.

Nearby: Where to Eat After Gooch’s

Walk north along Beach Avenue to the Kennebunkport side for the Clam Shack at the bridge (fried clams that justify the line), Bandaloop (upscale dining with harbor views) and Duffy’s Tavern & Grill (casual pub, good burgers). For coffee, Cape Porpoise Kitchen in nearby Cape Porpoise is worth the 10-minute drive.

Mother’s Beach

Size: A small cove, about 200 yards
Parking: Kennebunk permit; a small lot that fills early
Best for: Kids under 8
Extras: Playground, lifeguards, a Mobi-Mat

Mother’s Beach sits in a protected cove at the far end of Beach Avenue from Gooch’s, past the rocky stretch of Middle Beach. The cove blocks most waves, so the water is calm and pool-like, and the shallows warm faster than the open ocean. It is the warmest swimming on the Kennebunk coast.

At high tide the sand shrinks to a narrow strip. At low tide, tidal flats open up and kids can explore the pools and channels. This is one of the best toddler beaches in Maine; older kids and adults who want to swim or bodysurf will find it too calm and too small.

The permit system is the same as at Gooch’s. Walking over from Gooch’s takes about 10 minutes on the Beach Avenue sidewalk, which links all three town beaches. A public playground sits right beside the sand, lifeguards cover Mother’s as well as Gooch’s, and the beach has an ADA Mobi-Mat (Town of Kennebunk). Stop at Middle Beach at low tide for its tide pools.

Colony Beach

Size: Short, about 150 yards
Parking: Very limited roadside spots
Best for: Photos, views, a short walk
Nearby: Dock Square shops and ice cream

Colony Beach sits below the Colony Hotel, the grand white clapboard resort on Kennebunkport’s oceanfront since 1914. The small beach gives way to rocky outcrops at both ends. It isn’t an all-day beach. Come to walk, watch the waves hit the rocks and photograph the hotel with the ocean behind it.

With almost no parking, it gets less foot traffic than Gooch’s and Mother’s; most visitors are hotel guests or people staying nearby. If you do find a spot, the views south toward Gooch’s Beach and Walker’s Point are excellent. Pair a sunset walk or morning stroll with Dock Square, Kennebunkport’s small downtown.

Parson’s Beach

A child carrying a stick walks along a paved road lined with young trees and a split-rail fence. — The tree-lined road to Parson's Beach in Kennebunk, Maine. Photo: Jules Verne Times Two · CC BY-SA 4.0

Parson’s Beach is the hidden one. It sits off Route 9 between Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, at the end of a short residential road with no facilities. The beach is wide and sandy, backed by dune grass, with the Mousam River estuary on one side and the open Atlantic on the other.

The neighbors want it quiet, and the town has not built it up as a destination. If you find a spot, you get more space per person than anywhere else on the Kennebunk coast. The estuary is excellent for herons, egrets, plovers and migrating shorebirds in spring and fall, and at low tide the sand runs far out, with tide pools along the rocky edges.

Length: About half a mile
Parking: A few roadside spots on Parson's Beach Road

Respect the neighborhood. Don’t block driveways, don’t park on private property, and keep the noise down. The residents’ tolerance keeps this beach open to the public.

Local's Tip

Parking at Parson’s Beach is genuinely difficult in July and August. There are perhaps 15-20 roadside spots, no lot, and no overflow. If you arrive after 9 AM on a summer weekend, you will not find a space. Go early, or go on a weekday. The beach is worth the effort.

Goose Rocks Beach

Goose Rocks Beach is in Kennebunkport, about 5 miles northeast of Dock Square. It is the longest continuous sand beach in the Kennebunk area and one of the best in southern Maine: fine sand, gentle surf, tide pools at the rocky ends, and Timber Island offshore at low tide.

It is more residential and less commercial than Gooch’s, with no seawall, no snack bar and no lifeguards. Homes line the road behind it, but the beach feels uncrowded even in peak season because there is so much of it. At low tide it can be 200 yards or more of flat sand. Kayakers launch from the south end near the Batson River, birders work the north end by the marsh, and families spread out in the middle.

Parking: Goose Rocks has its own Kennebunkport permit, separate from Kennebunk’s. It is required from the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, 8 AM to 5 PM. Day ($40) and week ($200) permits are sold at kiosks outside the GRB General Store and at Proctor and Kings Highway (no cash); season ($325) and week permits are sold online (Town of Kennebunkport). Park without one and you will be ticketed.

Length: About 2 miles
Parking: Kennebunkport permit, strictly enforced

Goose Rocks is the best beach in the area for a long walk.

Pro Tip

At low tide, you can walk the full 2-mile length and back on hard-packed sand. Bring binoculars for the shorebirds at either end. The north end, near the Batson River marsh, is particularly good for great blue herons.

Understanding the Tides

Tides matter more here than at most Maine beaches. The range is about 9 feet, so the beach at low tide and the beach at high tide are very different places.

Low tide: most sand Wide beaches, tide pools and sandbars. Goose Rocks and Gooch's are at their best, Mother's opens up tidal flats kids love, and Parson's runs far out.
High tide: less beach The sand narrows, especially at Gooch's and Colony. Seawall steps at Gooch's can go under at the highest tides, and Mother's gets very small.
Check the chart Use the tide chart for Kennebunkport, NOAA station 8418557.
Time your day Plan beach time and tide pools around mid-to-low tide. Swim at mid-to-high tide so you don't cross 200 yards of wet sand to reach the water.

A wide, flat sand beach with wet sand reflecting the sky and one person near the water's edge. — Wide, flat sand on Gooch's Beach in Kennebunk, Maine. Photo: Šarūnas Burdulis · CC BY-SA 2.0

Best Time to Visit

June

Fewer people and easier parking, but the water is in the mid-50s. Better for walking than swimming.

July

Peak season starts. Water reaches the low-to-mid 60s and parking fills early. Weekdays beat weekends.

August

The warmest water (mid-60s), the biggest crowds and the hardest parking. Arrive before 8:30 AM.

September Best month

September

Still swimmable into mid-September, crowds thin right after Labor Day, and sunsets are spectacular. Kennebunk permits still apply until September 15.

October to May

Empty, beautiful beaches for walking. Too cold to swim, no crowds, and no parking permits. Dress warmly.

Kennebunk beaches in winter

A nearly empty sweep of sand at Gooch's Beach under a gray sky, with a large hotel at the far end. — Gooch's Beach in Kennebunk, Maine, on a quiet September day after the summer season. Photo: Fred Hsu on en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0

All five beaches stay open for walking once the summer rules end. These rules were checked October 30, 2026 against the town pages.

Parking at Gooch’s, Middle and Mother’s: passes are only required from June 15 to September 15 (Town of Kennebunk). No pass in winter.
Parking at Goose Rocks: permits are only required from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, 8 AM to 5 PM (Town of Kennebunkport). Year-round, park only in posted spaces on King’s Highway, Dyke Road and New Biddeford Road.
Parking at Parson’s: still just a few roadside spots. Never park where it is posted.
Dogs at the Kennebunk beaches: allowed on Gooch’s, Middle, Mother’s and part of Parson’s. From the day after Labor Day to June 14, they can be on the beach at any hour, leashed or under voice control (Town of Kennebunk).
Dogs at Goose Rocks: from September 16 to March 31, leashed from noon to 6 PM and off leash at other times if under voice control. From April 1 to June 14, leashed at all times (Town of Kennebunkport).

There are no lifeguards in the off-season, and winter surf can be rough after storms. Stay off the seawall and rocks when they are icy. Visiting in December? Pair a beach walk with Kennebunkport’s Christmas Prelude, December 3 to 13, 2026.

Beyond the Beach: What Else to Do

The Kennebunks are more than beaches. These pair well with a beach day:

Dock Square, Kennebunkport Shops · Galleries · Ice cream The walkable downtown, with harbor views and ice cream (Rococo is the local favorite).
Cape Porpoise 10 minutes from Goose Rocks A working fishing harbor with good lobster rolls, a quiet feel and Goat Island Lighthouse in view from the pier.
Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge 1-mile trail · 10 minutes from Gooch's An interpretive trail through salt marsh, with excellent birding in spring and fall migration.
Wells Reserve at Laudholm 7 miles of trails · Wells Trails through fields, forest and estuary lead to Laudholm Beach, another beautiful, less-visited beach.

Photos: Dock Square, Kennebunkport, Messerjdx (CC BY-SA 4.0); Cape Porpoise, Rapidfire (CC BY-SA 2.5); Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, Captain-tucker (CC BY-SA 3.0); Wells Reserve at Laudholm, Dak06 (Public domain).

Getting There

The harbor at Kennebunkport, Maine. Photo: mislibrarain · CC BY 2.0

Kennebunk is small and walkable if you stay near the beach. Kennebunkport’s Dock Square is about 3 miles from Gooch’s Beach.

From Portland, take I-95 or Route 1. Route 1 is slower but passes through Ogunquit and Wells, both worth a stop on a southern Maine beach day.

From Boston: About 90 minutes on I-95 (exit 25)
From Portland: About 30 minutes

Do I need a parking permit for Kennebunk beaches?

Yes, from June 15 through September 15. Kennebunk town beach permits cover Gooch's, Middle, and Mother's beaches; non-residents pay $30 a day, $100 a week, or $200 a season in 2026. Kennebunkport permits (separate) cover Goose Rocks Beach from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Kennebunk passes are sold at the beach kiosks, through the PassPortParking app or at Town Hall; Goose Rocks permits are sold at kiosks or online. Parson's Beach has free roadside parking but very limited spots.

Which Kennebunk beach is best for families with kids?

Mother's Beach for toddlers and young children, the calm, shallow cove is perfect. Goose Rocks Beach for older kids who want more space to run, build sandcastles, and explore tidal pools. Gooch's Beach is the all-around family option with lifeguards and facilities.

Can you swim at Kennebunk beaches?

Yes, all five beaches are swimmable in summer. Water temperatures reach the low-to-mid 60s by late July and August. Mother's Beach has the warmest water due to its sheltered cove. Gooch's Beach and Goose Rocks have the best swimming at mid-to-high tide.

What is the best beach in Kennebunkport?

Goose Rocks Beach is the best overall, 2 miles of sand, good swimming, great for walks and kayaking. Colony Beach is smaller but has the best scenery and the most interesting rocky edges. For families, Mother's Beach (in Kennebunk, a short drive from Kennebunkport) is the most practical choice.

When is the best time to visit Kennebunk beaches?

September, if you can swing it. Water is still warm enough to swim, crowds vanish after Labor Day, and parking is easy. For peak summer, July and August are classic beach season but bring permit money and arrive early. June is beautiful but cold for swimming.

Are dogs allowed on Kennebunk beaches?

Yes, with time limits in summer. On Gooch's, Middle, Mother's and part of Parson's, dogs are allowed only before 9 AM and after 5 PM from June 15 through Labor Day, and at any hour the rest of the year, on a leash or under voice control. At Goose Rocks Beach in Kennebunkport, no dogs are allowed from 9 AM to 5 PM from June 15 through Labor Day, and leash rules apply most of the year. Rules are posted at beach entrances; check them before you go.