Crescent Beach State Park

Portland’s Beach

Crescent Beach State Park is the closest sandy state park beach to Portland and the go-to destination for a beach day without a long drive. The mile-long crescent of sand curves along the Cape Elizabeth shoreline, backed by beachgrass-studded dunes and facing Richmond Island just offshore. The surf is gentle, the sand is fine, and on a hot July afternoon the beach fills with families, swimmers, and sunbathers making the most of Maine’s short summer. It has been the default family beach for Greater Portland residents for generations.

The park occupies 243 acres, and while the beach is the main attraction, a network of short trails winds through the coastal forest behind the dunes, connecting shaded picnic areas and offering an alternative to the exposed sand. The park is well maintained, with a bathhouse, restrooms, picnic tables and grills, and a children’s playground that make a full beach day comfortable.

Crescent Beach is a state park with an entrance fee and posted hours, and the beach is staffed with lifeguards from mid-June to mid-August — something few Maine beaches offer. That combination of accessibility, facilities, and supervision makes it the most popular family beach in the greater Portland area.

The Beach

The beach itself is roughly a mile long, curving in a gentle arc that gives every section a slightly different character. The western end, closest to the parking lot and facilities, is the most popular and where most families set up. The eastern end is quieter and attracts walkers and those looking for more space.

The sand is fine-grained and light tan, comfortable for bare feet. The beach slopes gently into the water, which means you can wade out a considerable distance before it gets deep — ideal for children. The crescent shape and the rocky sections at either end take some of the punch out of the ocean swell, so the surf is typically mild: small waves that are fun for body surfing but not intimidating, and calmer water than the more exposed beaches nearby.

Water temperatures climb from the upper 50s in early summer to the mid-60s by August. This is Maine, so the water is always bracing at first contact, but most swimmers adjust within a few minutes. The gradual slope helps the shallows warm faster than deeper, more exposed beaches, especially where the incoming tide runs over sun-heated sand.

Low tide is the best time to be here, particularly with kids. The beach widens dramatically, tide pools and sand flats appear along the eastern end, and the shallow water over the flats is the warmest swimming in the park. Small crabs, periwinkles, and shells keep kids occupied for hours.

Beyond the Beach

The park’s trail system offers about a mile of easy walking through coastal forest. The Shore Trail follows the edge of the bluff above the eastern end of the beach, providing elevated views of the surf and coastline. The Dune Trail winds through the beach grass and low shrubs behind the dunes, where beach roses bloom in June and July.

At the western end, the shoreline path connects toward Kettle Cove, a small rocky cove with views of Richmond Island about a 15-minute walk from the main beach. Kettle Cove has its own small parking area and no entrance booth, and its tide pools and calm water make it a good quick stop when you don’t want a full beach day.

The picnic area in the woods behind the beach has shaded tables and grills, plus a children’s playground near the beach access. Group picnic sites can be reserved through the state park system for a reservation fee on top of day-use admission, which makes Crescent Beach one of the best venues for family gatherings and birthday parties in the Portland area.

Crescent Beach also pairs naturally with Two Lights State Park, a five-minute drive south on Route 77. Two Lights has no beach, but its rocky headland near the twin lighthouses is dramatic, and The Lobster Shack at Two Lights — perched on the rocks with lobster boats working the traps offshore — is one of the most scenic lobster stops in Maine. Beach morning, headland walk, lobster roll: that is a complete Cape Elizabeth day.

Tickets, Fees & Hours

The park is open year-round, 9 AM to sunset daily unless otherwise posted at the gate. The beach season — lifeguards, staffed entrance booth, full facilities — runs through the summer, but you can walk the beach and trails in any month.

2026 day-use fees (per person, charged at the entrance booth):

• Maine resident adults: $6
• Non-resident adults: $8
• Non-resident seniors (65+): $2
• Children 5–11: $1
• Children under 5: free
• Maine residents 65+: free with proof of age

Bring cash: the entry booth and self-service stations take cash, and only some staffed booths accept cards. If you plan more than a handful of state park visits in a season, the Maine State Park Vehicle Season Pass ($105) admits everyone in your vehicle to day-use areas statewide, and Maine residents 65+ can get a Senior Vehicle Pass ($45) that covers their passengers too. An individual season pass is also available. Note that season passes do not cover Scarborough Beach, which is operated separately.

Fees do change, so confirm against the official Maine State Park day-use fee schedule and the Bureau of Parks and Lands page for Crescent Beach before you go.

Parking & Arrival

The park entrance is at 109 Bowery Beach Road (Route 77) in Cape Elizabeth, about 8 miles south of downtown Portland. From the entrance booth, the parking lot sits back from the water, with a short walk through the trees to the sand.

The lot holds a lot of cars, but on hot summer weekends it fills by late morning. When it is full, the gate closes to additional vehicles and you wait for cars to leave before entering — there is no overflow lot, and the small Kettle Cove lot next door fills even faster. Weekday visits avoid the problem entirely.

The bathhouse has changing rooms and cold-water showers for rinsing off sand, and restrooms are near the parking lot. Don’t count on buying food in the park — pack what you need for the day.

Camping Nearby

Crescent Beach State Park is day-use only — there is no campground in the park, and the gates close at sunset. If you want to camp near the beach, these are the real options:

• Bayley’s Camping Resort (Pine Point Road, Scarborough) — a large, amenity-heavy family resort about 15–20 minutes away, with pools and a shuttle to Old Orchard Beach.
• Wild Duck Adult Campground & RV Park (Dunstan Landing Road, Scarborough) — a quiet, adults-only campground of about 70 sites on the edge of Scarborough Marsh, with kayak access to the state’s largest salt marsh.
• Wassamki Springs Campground (Saco Street, Scarborough) — a family campground on a private lake with its own sandy beach, about 20–25 minutes inland.
• Sebago Lake State Park (Casco) — the nearest state park campground, with 250 wooded sites on Maine’s second-largest lake, roughly 45 minutes to an hour northwest. Reserve well ahead for summer weekends.
• Wolfe’s Neck Oceanfront Camping (Freeport) — oceanfront and farm-side sites on Casco Bay, about 40 minutes north, if you want saltwater camping rather than a lake.

A common mistake is assuming every Maine state park with a beach has a campground. On this stretch of coast, none of the Cape Elizabeth parks do — you camp inland or up the coast and day-trip to the sand.

When to Visit

Summer is the obvious season for beach use. July and August are the warmest months, with water temperatures peaking in mid-August. September offers empty sand and water that is still near its warmest, though the lifeguards are gone. In the off-season the park becomes a walking destination: storm surf, winter light, and leashed dogs on the beach.

Packing List

Getting There

Crescent Beach State Park is at 109 Bowery Beach Road (Route 77) in Cape Elizabeth. From Portland, take Broadway south through South Portland, which becomes Route 77; the park entrance is well signed, about 8 miles from downtown — roughly 15 minutes.

From I-295, take Exit 6A (Route 77 South) and follow Route 77 through South Portland into Cape Elizabeth.

GPS coordinates: 43.5620, -70.2280

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