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    Crescent Beach State Park

    4.4 (35 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 6:30 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    Boardwalk from parking lot. Building is to the left.
    Susie A.

    Huge beach! The one mile length means there is plenty of space to spread out. If you plan on doing crazy deep swimming there is one lifeguard station close to the entrance and building. Loved the crescent shape which made for amazing views of the coastline. There was also an island to one side of the forever water view, just to keep things interesting. Willard Beach in Portland doesn't have the ocean view that you get here. It is totally worth the $8 and the drive!

    Ale A.

    Beautiful beach. Has beautiful sand dunes and sea grass, lots of ducks swimming around at this time, water was cool and refreshing.

    Victoria L.

    Beautiful and well maintained! It was fairly chilly the day that I had visited, so I didn't have the chance to get into the water. There is a parking lot so you do not have to worry about that. If you're an out of state visitor, it's $8 per person.

    View from the boardwalk
    Diana K.

    We learned of this beach from two locals who we met on Congress Street while walking our yellow lab. They told us Crescent was dog-friendly and upon arrival at the gate, we learned the walking trail (about 1 mile) is on-leash dog friendly but dogs are not allowed on the beach during peak hours but allowed on the "grounds". Parking is $8 per person for non-Maine residents. The public bathrooms are well planned with the toilets separate from the shower and changing area. There's also another building across from the bathrooms which houses the kayaks for rental that had a very nice covered area. We asked the young lady who was working the kayak rental whether she would mind if we set up our beach chairs near her rental booth/table near this covered area and she was totally fine with that. This was perfect as it was just at the end of the boardwalk that led to the beach so our lab could be with us for the day and we could still see the ocean and catch some rays while our lab could be shaded. It was an absolutely perfect day with MANY beach goers stopping by to say "hi" to our lab. Many were on vacation and missing their 4-legged friend(s) so as much as those "hello's" made our lab's day, he also made theirs. This also included a few of the park employees who were patrolling the beach/park. UNTIL ... around 4 pm when a particular park employee was walking toward us at the same time our lab was approaching another dog who was coming our way. Instead of walking around either my dog or the other dog (mind you there was PLENTY of room), this park employee (a man around his late 50's/maybe 60's) walks right between them. The other dog's owner was holding his leash while mine was on an extended leash tied to a pillar (the way it has been for several hours). The park employee gives me a displeased look and says "a shorter leash would help" and keeps walking. Oh...the many things that crossed my mind to reply but thank goodness the filter between my lips stayed sealed! Just having that "look" and comment ruined the 5-star experience we were having. Really?? You have this job that allows you to enjoy these spectacular days in a wonderful setting with people who are on vacation and usually happy so you have to be a jerk. Thanks!

    Birds enjoy the beach also.
    JeanAnn D.

    One of our favorite Maine beaches. Excellent parking at a reasonable rate. Nice bath houses (cold showers with curtains, toilets, sinks) and a Snack bar with limited hours. If playground groups and group homes are visiting the beach, the snack bar lines are long. A couple picnic tables located near the snack bar. Decent food selection for a beach (burgers, hot dogs, fruit, candy, Chips, beverages). If eating your food on the beach, keep your eyes open for sea gulls who would like to steal your food. Using a tote bag or Cooler is recommended or hold your food. You can always find a spot on the sand. Fun for walking or jogging if the tide is on the lower side. With proper footwear, the rocks at one end can be climbed. Some pretty rocks and shells can be found for collecting. The water can be a tad bit cold as with many Maine beaches but your body will adjust.

    It's both cold and hot at the same time. I love it
    Stacey H.

    It's $8 a person, so if you don't have a park pass, come early to really get a whole day of entertainment on the cheap. The beach is clean and lovely. Lots of space to get off on your own. The water is crisp, and there are Interesting boats and homes and birds to see. We spent all day here. Loved it.

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    1 year ago

    Parking close to the beach. A great place to go for warm spring day. Great views Ang lots of room for walking.

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    Ask the Community - Crescent Beach State Park

    Review Highlights - Crescent Beach State Park

    This is my go-to beach when I'm staying in Portland and after careful consideration, here's my pro/con list.

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    Scarborough Beach State Park - Beach

    Scarborough Beach State Park

    4.4(16 reviews)
    4.3 mi

    $10 dollars a person, and an amazing beach! Great waves, plenty of space, and nice staff. Only con…read moreis unless you're here really early, expect to park far away.

    I've only ever been to Scarborough Beach during the "off season" - which to them is around November…read more16th to March 31st - because it's not a part of the Maine State Parks Pass. A note on that: - A Maine State Parks Pass is $55 for an Individual Season Pass, $105 for a Vehicle Season Pass. It gets you into dozens and dozens and dozens of parks across Maine, and most of those parks only really check passes from maybe the beginning of May to the end of September. - For Scarborough Beach State Park, which is operated in a public/private partnership with Black Point Resource Management LLC, from April 1st to October 1st it costs $7 per person per visit for residents/$9 for non-residents; from October 1st to November 15th it costs $6 per person per visit for residents/$8 for non-residents; it's $105 for an Individual Season Pass, $140 for a Vehicle Season Pass, $155 for a 24-hour Season Pass. So... it's *not* one of the cheaper options for beach access in the state. Is it glorious in the summer? I don't know. But according to the folks who own this beach: "Scarborough Beach offers some of the best swimming in New England with water temperatures in the high 60's throughout July and August." Is it glorious in the off season? Yes, but... The "yes": it's a long, sandy beach with uninterrupted views of the ocean. It makes for exceptional strolling and thinking and taking in blue space! Know that you have to park on the street, and it's a little bit of a walk to the beach itself, but it's so worth it. The "but": this is one of the most dog-walked beaches I've ever been to (and I rarely see them leashed). Every time I visit there is *a lot* of dog waste bags; one time I found 16 bags of dog poop and 2 used diapers. Yikes.

    Photos
    Scarborough Beach State Park - USLA Lifeguards

    USLA Lifeguards

    Scarborough Beach State Park
    Scarborough Beach State Park - New boardwalk makes getting onto beach easy

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    New boardwalk makes getting onto beach easy

    Jewell Falls

    Jewell Falls

    4.2(13 reviews)
    8.6 miNasons Corner

    This hike is a nice place to take a short stroll for the locals but not a place I would recommend…read moretourist to come. First off, it is only about half mile from parking to the waterfall. So total hike was only 1 mile. it is a WALK, not hike. Good for families with young ones. Be very aware that the mosquitoes here are super HUNGRY! I have never gotten so many bites within such a short time inside a hike! I got 6-7 bites all over my legs just from hiking here for 30 mins. My husband got 8+ bites all over his body! Luckily my little one only got 1 bite. We were all over Maine in the last 2 weeks including kayaking and out at Acadia national park. All outdoor activities and barely got any bites until now! There are other trails here too but after getting so many bites, we wanted to run away as fast as we could! I wish I didn't come here. View and waterfall are not worth it for trade off of these hungry hungry mosquitoes!! *sooo itchy* :-/ Bring bug spray if you wanna come!

    Jewell falls is a waterfall of water flowing from the Fore River and is named for Tom Jewell who…read morewas one of the founders Portland Trails and very much alive today. Did you know that Portland Trails started in 1991? He donated the land around the falls and the rest of the land the trail walls through is a mix of public and private land. You see evidence of this with many marked signs that designate private property -- good to respect these so we can continue to walk these trails. Somehow I got lost off my usual path I take and ended up going on the greater fore river sanctuary trail loop around and across the railroad tracks, but the boardwalks were great! Back to the falls, if you start at the trailhead near Brighton ave, it's less than 0.25 miles of a walk. The falls are made of horsetails of rushing water over large slabs of rock. The trails are really well maintained and there's not too many people. You can definitely still hear traffic from some parts but there are a few quiet enclaves.

    Photos
    Jewell Falls
    Jewell Falls
    Jewell Falls - My friend on the tracks at the entrance!

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    My friend on the tracks at the entrance!

    Western Promenade

    Western Promenade

    4.7(9 reviews)
    6.1 miWest End

    Great place to catch a portland sunset and look at some gorgeous, old houses. Get there early.read more

    The West End is a promenade that's located on the edge of an area called Brahmall Hill and is…read morecurrently listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It's got beautiful and historical architecture with it's Victorian homes (and, apparently, former sea captain homes as well), stunning views of NH's White Mountains on clear days, spacious green areas and walking paths, a tree swing, the Western Cemetery fraught with our cities deceased wealthier ancestors, great walking areas, and it even once won an award from the Portland Phoenix for having one of the best secret spots to make-out in a tree (I kid you not). To me, the Western Prom is the established, composed, unruffled older sister (who's probably quite proper and likes garden parties) to the Eastern Prom. I'd like to think I've got a little West End in me, and it's fun to pretend I belong there when I'm picnicking and watching the planes come in and out of PWM from a distance. I've seen kiddos practicing lacrosse here with their dad, people relaxed under trees reading, friends playing a pick-up game of bocce while drinking something out of red solo cups. There used to be more events held here (... the legendary Halloween parade is not to be missed); so hopefully those concerts and outings begin to happen again!

    Photos
    Western Promenade - Sunset

    Sunset

    Western Promenade
    Western Promenade - Live music tonight! Three more Wednesdays, Sunset Concert Series

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    Live music tonight! Three more Wednesdays, Sunset Concert Series

    Peppermint Park

    Peppermint Park

    4.0(2 reviews)
    7.0 miEast Bayside

    Every time I see this park it looks considerably nicer than it did the time before. It's meant to…read morebe apart mostly for toddlers and grade school children. Although at first I was turned off by the no dogs sign I realized that in Portland with our Somalian community that if dogs are allowed to play in the park Somalian children may not want to or be able to for religious reasons. It's a tiny park not really good for dogs anyway. The first time I saw this park it was midsummer and probably minutes from sunset, it didn't look as nice as it did the next couple times and perhaps it's because it's actually been cleaned up or repainted, or perhaps it's because the rough elements hasn't been seen in any of my following passing by's. I believe now that the neighborhood daycares and/or preschool uses park that parents are getting stricter and the police as well about keeping the drug addict and troublemakers and homeless winos from using the park 4 there less child oriented usages.. The park is at Cumberland and Montgomery and had a to jungle gyms and 10 benches and some grassy areas to sit or play or picnic on. If I was a kid I would give it a 5 star

    This is a good park however there is litter everywhere which is disappointing. The equipment is…read morestill in good condition and they even have a little shower for hot days. If a local organization did a clean up day this park would get 4 stars.

    Photos
    Peppermint Park

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    Crescent Beach State Park - beaches - Updated June 2026

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