8 South Shore beaches where no resident sticker is required
Picture this: Your car is packed to the brim with beach chairs, umbrellas, coolers, toys and a rolling cart to get it all to the final destination. Your family and friends are eager to get some much-needed sunshine, poised to goop on the sunscreen and brave the frigid waters.
It’s go time.
But the journey comes to a screeching halt when you pull up to the beach parking lot on the South Shore and realize you need a residential beach sticker to park there.
From beach bum to major bummer.
Don’t let that be you. Here are eight South Shore beaches where you can park for free or with a small fee. Plus, there's information on where and when to get those nonresident beach stickers.
Wollaston Beach, Quincy
Starting on the northernmost part of the South Shore, Wollaston Beach is maintained by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation. It’s part of Quincy Shores Reservation, along with Moswetuset Hummock and Caddy Memorial Park.
Free parking is available up and down Quincy Shore Drive. Beach wheelchairs are available and lifeguards are on duty during the season. Nearby are two clam shacks, a taco restaurant and a plant-based restaurant. A playground with picnic tables, a gazebo and, most of all, shade, is across Quincy Shore Drive at East Elm Avenue and Sachem Street.
More: How many Quincy beaches can you name? Here's a brief guide to them all
Fire Station Beach, Quincy
Nearby in Germantown is this smaller, more secluded, no-frills sandy beach. Aptly named Fire Station Beach, free parking is available by the Quincy Fire Department’s Engine 8. A wooden boardwalk and beach mat takes you to the beach that faces Weymouth Fore River. Find it at the end of Doane Street.
George Lane Beach, Weymouth
Across the river, you can spot George Lane Beach in Weymouth. It costs $10 to park for the day. This beach is slightly rockier than others, and is accessible with a beach mat. There’s a basketball court in the parking lot.
Nearby is a smaller beach, Wessagusset Beach, as well as Great Hill Park and Webb State Memorial Park.
Bathing Beach, Hingham
Another beach with free parking can be found in Hingham off Route 3A or Otis Street. Bathing Beach has bathrooms, picnic tables, a gazebo and a snack shack called Beach House.
This spot can get a little mucky and the water murky, according to online reviews, but offers views of Hingham Harbor and World’s End. There’s also a lifeguard on duty during the season.
Nantasket Beach, Hull
Among the more popular beaches, Nantasket Beach in Hull is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Parking fees are required from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Massachusetts residents pay $15 to park, and out-of-state visitors pay $40; residency is determined by the license plate. Of course, those with DCR $60 annual passes don’t have to worry about parking fees.
Lifeguards are on duty weekends only from Memorial Day to June 18 and every day through early September. Beach wheelchairs and beach mats are available on-site. Plus, there are restrooms, a playground, shops and restaurants along Nantasket Avenue.
Rexhame Beach, Marshfield
Daily passes at Rexhame Beach at the end of Standish Street are available for nonresidents for $25 from Monday through Thursday, $30 on Fridays and Saturdays, and $35 on Sundays and holidays. Be sure to bring cash for parking and the snack bar.
Lifeguards are on duty from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and the snack bar is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There are also restrooms on site. For more information, contact the beach supervisor at 781-563-0063.
Duxbury Beach Park, Duxbury
Another cash-only spot for nonresidents is at Duxbury Beach Park, which is owned and maintained by Duxbury Beach Reservation Inc. Head through Marshfield on Route 139, then take Canal Street to Gurnet Road in Duxbury. Access to the park from Powder Point Bridge isn’t guaranteed.
The park is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., weather permitting. There’s a lifeguard on duty and a snack bar as well as restrooms.
Skip the ocean ? brrrr: Swim and sunbathe at these 8 South Shore inland beaches and ponds
Plymouth Beach, Plymouth
Farthest south on this list is Plymouth Beach, which is managed by the town at 130 Warren Ave. It costs $20 for nonresidents and residents who don’t already have a beach sticker.
From June 24 through Labor Day, the beach is staffed with a lifeguard every day from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Beach wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis during that time. The bathhouse is open during the operating hours of Sandy’s Restaurant, a cash-only beach food spot with an ATM.
Take note: a red flag here signifies a confirmed shark sighting, and beaches are closed to swimming. A yellow flag means an unconfirmed shark sighting and swim with caution, according to the town.
Where and when to buy South Shore nonresident beach stickers
Fortunately for Cohasset and Scituate residents, but unfortunately for the rest of us, these coastal towns have a tight hold on their beach stickers.
Cohasset does not offer parking passes to nonresidents. But Scituate does, only once a year. Beach stickers are required from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
While beach stickers never run out for Scituate residents, the town allots a certain amount for nonresidents, and they sell out quickly. This year, they went on sale in mid-February for two different types of stickers. One type was for access to all six of the town’s beaches from Monday through Friday only for $350. The other was for Humarock Beach only, seven days a week, for $100.
It took just over one hour for Kingston to sell out of its nonresident Gray’s Beach parking stickers, which went on sale for $40 on April 1.
Better luck next year.
It is possible to buy “out-of-town” day beach passes for Tuesdays and Thursdays only on Scituate’s Peggotty Beach. You must buy them on the day they’re used, and get them for $20 at the harbormaster’s office. Without a beach sticker, you can also try your luck at one of the few two-hour parking spaces near Humarock Beach on Marshfield Avenue.
Duxbury offered nonresident beach stickers for $330 by April 30, and $350 as of May 1. The sticker is valid through March 2025.
Weymouth offers nonresident season passes for George Lane Beach and the Smith Boat Launch for $65.
Hannah Morse covers growth and development for The Patriot Ledger. Contact her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: 8 South Shore beaches where resident stickers aren't required