First time here, the lady is a veteran to the beach. Very nice impression. Sand was clean, some pebbles and rocks but nothing like at nantasket. Open large area with plenty of space to settle in with all your beach equipment and find a good spot to Tan and enjoy the weather! Parking lot is clean new and wide spaces for your vehicles. Food options are super limited and the trucks are beach pricey. The water when we went had some crazy brown seaweed or something but made the water closest to shore look like mud slides rolling. Life guards were all nice, stay out of the coned lanes as their ATV's roll thru there. Parking can be paid Via app (the kiosks are confusing imo) i think it's $14 plus fees is what we paid as a MA resident! They had a lemonade stand as you walk over the sand dune. No trash cans anywhere except in the restroom facilities so bring a trash bag and pick up after yourself! read more

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First time at Horseneck Beach in Westport & it's a gorgeous MA beach but I wouldn't recommend swimming in the water. When we visited during the heat wave last week, the water literally looked like chocolate lol (not even joking!)... did not go in for a dip at all but this beach served us well for tanning! Food options are limited. There are food trucks but very pricey and mid. Make sure to bring your own food or stop by somewhere to pick up some food before heading here. I saw a bunch of people bringing large boxes of pizza. Parking is not free, like most beaches in MA. It's $14 for MA residents/$40 for non-MA residents. Payments can be made via YODEL app or parking kiosks in the lot. Thought the price for parking was not too shabby, honestly. We had decided to come here mostly because we didn't purchase our parking pass for any of the Gloucester beaches in time and we didn't feel like sitting in traffic on the bridges to get to the Cape. We had a great time here overall & can definitely see myself coming back in the future! They've got lifeguards on deck here & they switch out every so often, so that's good! read more

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My favorite beach, everyone is respectful of their own space, definitely recommend going into the water, the waves are amazing ! read more

Horseneck Beach State Reservation - Horseneck beach - Beaches Near Me - Westport, Massachusetts

I couldn't find out if the beach parking lot was cleared plowed of snow. Didn't go there for a beach walk. Last October they wanted $40.00 to park my car in the almost empty parking lot. The police were patrolling the lot telling people to pay or leave. It is a nice beach to walk but not for $40.00. Will not go back. read more

My off-season visit to Horseneck Beach was a blast. No crowds, wild and rough surf, and the very reasonable warning not to mess with the dunes. Walked the beach and encountered locals with their well-trained dogs. The place was spotless, no trash and no broken glass. From the beach I found great places for breakfast, lunch, and dinner north on Route 88 about 15 minutes away. For those seeking potential snow on the beach (thank you, Taylor), this would be perfect. read more

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quiet campground spacious sites some with electric water fill up around the park minimal beach huge collections of rocks read more

I was here back in May to run the Horseneck Half Marathon. Race participants were directed to part on the western end of the main parking lot. I wasn't sure if runners needed to pay for parking. I didn't see anyone paying at the kiosks, but boy did it look pretty pricey especially for those with out-of-state plates ($13 vs. $40). After running around Westport, the finish line was just in front of the Horseneck Beach Main Office/Lifeguard Headquarters. Although the closest that I got to the sand was when I was running along Beach Rd, I did see a lot of beachgoers enjoying themselves as it was quite unseasonably warm for the time of the year. read more

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One of our favorite beaches near our home. Still not used to how rocky the beach is compared to what we're used to in California but so are all the others in Massachusetts. This place has a huge parking lot and parking costs $13 for the whole day. My kids love boogie boarding here and the waves are perfect for them. read more

Horseneck Beach State Reservation - Beaches Near Me - Westport, Massachusetts

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We brought our 6 year old today and had a pretty good time. The staff and beach patrons were awesome and the beach had tons of parking (we got there at 10 am- so maybe not applicable when it's later?). We were able to find a spot on the beach where other ppl gives you space, and we're equally nice and in need of the sun and swim. We wished that there weren't so much seaweed and rocks when you enter the water. A few times I saw trash on the beach as the waves were coming in, and it just got mixed up with the seaweed that got stuck on me- it's ok- it's Mother Nature- but the trash I was kinda grossed out about. I'll probably come back for a nice walk along this beach, but unsure about the swimming part. Nonetheless, I still think this is a nice beach for people to try out for themselves. Love the other patrons- not rowdy and family friendly :) read more

Dropping a star. Due to beach erosion, there is very little sand at this beach anymore. It was near impossible to walk barefoot from the strip of sand by the dunes all the way to the waterline. Way too may rocks. I'm talking 50' of rocks. The lifeguard said they were trying to get a sand delivery. read more

Horseneck Beach State Reservation - Cloudy July day 2022 - Beaches Near Me - Westport, Massachusetts

Pretty nice beach I've been there many times. I do like the improvements they have made there making access easier between the parking lot and the beach itself also the method of paying is so much better now being able to park then pay at 1 of the parking ticket machines then just put it in your car on the front dash to show you paid. $13 for MA resident and $40 for out of state residents.. I would advice checking online before you go to ensure it's open because there has been times when it was closed because of a shark being spotted. Anyways enjoy. read more

Horseneck Beach State Reservation - Horseneck beach in Westport, MA - Beaches Near Me - Westport, Massachusetts

This is a bang for your buck beach! A true local paradise. Facing the ocean, I walk far to the right. No lifeguards there but I am cautious and aware of surf and rip tides. There are rocks, as at most New England beaches, so pack beach shoes. Expect to find high quality beach glass. Red seaweed is intermittent. Beware of dive-bombing seagulls and avoid leaving food unattended! If you are lucky you will see newly hatched Piping Plovers roaming the shoreline and following them will be a State Park Ranger, as these birds are endangered species. Though handicap accessible, this might pose a challenging walk for some. (Surf chairs are available). I am a season pass holder and Horseneck is my home away from home. read more

Horseneck Beach State Reservation - Beach Glass Treasure. - Beaches Near Me - Westport, Massachusetts

Drove from Salem, Mass to see the sunset. Quiet and no charge to park if you go late in the afternoon. Go past the lifeguard beach if you're only walking and not in the waves. Not too many rocks at the shoreline, lots of shells, looks like a seal feasted nearby!! read more

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I came here because I kept hearing it was the best beach on the South Coast, and while I live closer to plenty of great beaches, I love experiencing new beaches and I wanted to see what this one was all about. I live in Rhode Island and if you know Rhode Island, you know there's a pretty sizable self-hating contingent that tends to subscribe to the philosophy of Everything in Massachusetts Is Better Than Everything In Rhode Island; I heard from a few of those people that Horseneck was, in fact, better than any Rhody beach. I won't be coming back. Horseneck is a very pretty beach, wide, well kept, convenient parking, helpfully staffed, reasonable drop-off, perfect waves. It is also nearly completely unusable due to rocks everywhere. Just walking down to the water was a major challenge. When I got there, wading through the surf was painful due to the rocks. Whenever I found a spot that seemed to be mostly rock-free, within 30 seconds, I'd sink into the sand, exposing the rocks underneath. I was with my 9-year-old, who didn't seem to care as much, so I gritted my teeth and toughed it out for quite a while, and it was such an unpleasant experience. If you want to wear flip flops and just sit in a chair on the sand, far back from the water, sure, come on over to Horseneck. If you want to venture into the water even a little, stay away. If this is the best the South Coast has got, I sure am glad I live in Rhode Island. read more

Regard new asphalt RV parking lots at Horseneck Beach RV Resort(former campground) * Asphalt absorbs 90% of sun light. Asphalt can be 40-60% hotter than local air temperature. 100 degree day equals 160 degree asphalt surface. There's plenty of info available on heat abortion of asphalt. None of the planners thought about that or even care? The Massachusetts Secretary of Interior should bring them there in August. Have them walk barefoot. Then hire more intuitive people. *please reference prior post read more

Spent the day in Providence yesterday wandering around College Hill. We decided we needed to walk a beach and we ended up here at Horseneck. Great beach and the parking was free, we got there after 6:00 p.m. There is a bath house and outside showers. The beach was clean and the water was warm, although I hear it is usually cold. A nice ride with places to eat and get ice cream along the way. read more

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Really pretty beach, but if you travel a little farther up the road, you'll hit Gooseberry Beach which is a much smaller portion of Horseneck Beach. Not everyone knows about it so it's a good place to beat the crowds. It also has TONS of marine life. Last time I went, we found two starfish just washed up on shore, plus tons of crabs and stuff like that. read more

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I now remember why I stopped coming to this beach for a few years and I won't be returning. The beach conditions are abysmal. The beach is covered with rocks, many, many rocks and they aren't small ones but several large ones that make walking to the water really painful. If you try to go into the waters without sandals, you're brave. The water itself is pretty decent. Still pretty good waves like this beach is known but the rock problem ruined the experience. This is ridiculous, they should be able to remove those rocks. Most beaches are not like this and the pictures prove it. read more

Horseneck Beach State Reservation - Come on guys. How can people enjoy that? - Beaches Near Me - Westport, Massachusetts

One of the most beautiful beaches in Southern New England. It's one of those places that you take for granted until you hear that some people drive an hour to get here! Beautiful sandy beach! Riptides can be really strong though so be sure to swim in the lifeguard area, especially if you have little ones! Pretty decent bathroom facilities and they have outdoor showers. In the summer we usually come after they stop charging for parking. Great place to sit back and relax! read more

This beach is GREAT. $7.00 to park (almost always space in the lot)...good facilities- bath house, and snack shack-- nice sand lots of space, lifeguards, great waves-- Only drawbacks are tough riptides--not great for little kids. Seaweed (who cares!) and rocky shoreline (toughen up!). Overall excellent beach!! And the water is a smidge warmer than other coasts due to it's southern location! Bonus! read more

Horseneck Beach State Reservation - july 9, 2011 - Beaches Near Me - Westport, Massachusetts

My husband and I recently enjoyed a beach day Horseneck. We went on a Friday so the beach was busier than expected, however we walked to the southern edge of the beach where groups were a bit more spread out. If you want to avoid the larger scene of people, I would not enter through the visitor/bathroom/shower building and instead find one of the paths/roads just south or north of that entrance. Some people were masked until settling into a spot on the beach, but not the majority. I believe parking was $13 and they had a ranger there managing the card machine. No cash. The machine has trouble with capital one cards for some reason, but accepted our chase card with no issues. All were friendly and respectful. We will be returning for sure. read more

Such a beautiful beach! Saw hardly any trash, I had even brought bags to clean up anything I saw but they were unnecessary. Very long beach front to walk along the sand or there's a paved path farther up in front of the dunes you can traverse. Beach overall was mainly sand, some stones in certain areas but that's it. No one really around and no parking fee this time of year. read more

More like 3.5 stars. The beach is beautiful and you can have a nice time there but my only issue was the amount of rocks on the beach and THE AMOUNT OF SEAWEED IN THE WATER. I couldn't tolerate it. It felt gross and I felt like it was wrapping my body. There were some parts of the beach that were clear but you would have to walk a good distance to get to that point. The rocks were much more tolerable compared to the seaweed. If there wasn't as much seaweed in the water this beach would have been great! It is a nice beach but there are things that good have made it better. Hence the 3.5 stars. read more

A group of friends and I came here and we loved it! For some reason we didn't have to pay for parking, I guess there wasn't anyone collecting the fee that day. The beach is beautiful and not crowded. I'm not sure if this place is safe for children especially near the water since there are so many pebbles around that area. I would highly suggest bringing flip flops. The sun was out that day but the breeze is cold so make sure to bring something to wear on top cause it can get pretty chilly. The restrooms were locked that day so that was a bit of an issue. I heard there were porter potties somewhere around the area but didn't use them. read more

There is no question this is a great area for beach activities. However the beaches themselves are looking a little rough, there is an area here that is all small rocks in the beach area and that's not too comfy. But still, it is a great looking area and it's relatively cheap too, with only a need for parking to be paid. read more

I've been going to Horseneck for about 30 years now so I can definitely say that this place has come a LONG way! It used to be really gross, but a lot of care has gone into the grounds, facilities, and staff, especially over the last few years. Sand and Surf - Let's just get this out right away: there are rocks on this beach. I personally don't need water shoes, but, like I said, I've been coming here and traversing the rocks for decades, so it's not a big deal. Some beaches have rocks, some don't. This doesn't make it a bad beach, it just makes it a beach with different terrain. Also, it's not all rocks! Most of the beach is sand, especially once you get in the water. Just walk carefully and you'll be fine. The water is cold in June and warms up in July. It's wonderfully refreshing on a hot, humid day. There is seaweed, but I don't remember the last time I was deterred from going in. The red tide is sometimes off-putting, but once I make my way past it, the water is clear and clean. I just make sure to take my bathing suit off in the shower when I get home as I know I'll be covered in seaweed. Again, this is nature. It's not going to be sanitized and purified. And it's not a Caribbean beach like pictures in a calendar. It's a Massachusetts beach. This is what it looks like. Facilities - The welcoming area to the right has outdoor shower stalls, restrooms, a place to rinse your feet, and some benches. The toilets are composting toilets which is a little strange to some, but is a great option for such a location. The walkway through the dunes is wonderful and has a pagoda halfway where you can sit in the shade. There is also a new walkway through the sand on the beach that is super helpful in walking toward the water and also helps in remembering where your chair is. The facilities to the left of the entrance are nice, too. This is where the first aid office is and there are restrooms as well. What really prompted me to write a review after all these years is that I recently saw a staff member set up a table near the walkway stairs and put out a "game" with shells and questions. It was an educational quiz to get kids interested in single-shelled and two-shelled animals and how to tell the difference. At the end of the game, the kids would get the shell they chose put on a cord as a necklace. How awesome is that!? The $13 parking fee kills me and I either have to go with someone to split the cost or ride along with someone who has a season pass. Otherwise, it may not always be in the budget. But at least I feel the hike in price is being put to good use. read more

When I first moved to Massachusetts, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of beaches I could visit. Not all beaches, I soon learned, were able to accommodate the number of interested patrons...especially those who didn't want to wake up near dawn to beat any beach traffic and ensure a parking spot. Fortunately, a friend recommended Horseneck to me in large part due to its huge parking lot with hundreds of spaces. Flash forward several years, and Horseneck is still my beach of choice. Important things to you to consider: - If you're a Mass resident, buy a DCR pass and save yourself some money. For us MA folks, the daily parking fee is $8 cash and a year-long pass for all DCR state parks is $35. Considering there are about 50 state parks, you do the math. You can buy your pass here with cash. - There are two entry points to the parking lot: the main one which is either one single line or two lines OR the annual pass gate if you're lucky and have an annual pass. In a typical summer, I only see the annual pass gate being open maybe a total of three weekend days though so don't count on that. - The sand is sort of rocky wherever you go, especially as you go down closer to the water. There is also seaweed washed up so don't expect pristine sand. - It is usually pretty windy at Horseneck. I always factor in at least a 5 degree temperature difference due to the frequently strong winds. Not uncommon to see people in long-sleeves on particularly windy days. - There are lifeguards and they will whistle at you to protect you going out too far and being in danger of the riptide. Do everyone a favor and listen to them. - There is a snack bar (in the middle, but a bit closer to the left parking lot), but just bring your own snacks. Just be vigilant about protecting your food from the seagulls who will mercilessly peck your chips and walk all over your stuff when you leave for .02 seconds. (Note: the asshole nature of seagulls is not unique to Horseneck although I contend that as Massachusetts birds they have a chip on their shoulder...wing?) Additional words to the wise: - After you enter, you can park either off on the left (smaller area) or off to the right (many more spaces). Both lots have beach access through a little pavilion with a bathroom area (composting toilets and scalding hot water to wash your hands, fyi) and a path. The left lot and beach always seemed to be less crowded to me although the walk may be a teensy bit further to get to the beach. - If you park on the left side, you'll find that the beach over there seems to be less crowded. It's especially great for sunbathers and those without kids. If you REALLY want more privacy, you can enter the beach from the left and then keep walking to the left. Much rockier but no guards (ie: no kids) and it's pretty darn mellow. - If you park on the right side and go to that beach, get ready for some SWEET people watching (and really, people listening). You will be much more crowded on nice days and you'll be pretty darn close to your neighbors, even if you sit toward the back. There is a good crop of regulars and if you're lucky, you'll get in with a good crowd...or at least feel like you're in because you know all about their lives. You might also end up by the radio guy. He keeps the jams coming. There is also a volleyball net on this side. All good things if you want a more lively beach day! All in all, hooray for beaches and hooray for Horseneck for giving me many different beach atmosphere options all within one place. read more

Horseneck Beach State Reservation - A late August afternoon on the far left side of the beach -- no one around! - Beaches Near Me - Westport, Massachusetts

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Ahh my 200th review! I want to kick it old school for a minute and recall a place that is near and dear to my heart... There are plenty of famous pictures of me from my childhood (you know, the ones Mom busts out at dinner parties after we've all consumed a few bottles of wine), and the best ones are of me at Horseneck Beach. Naked. Photo #1: Erica, age 2, running naked across Horseneck Beach, sand stuck to my butt cheeks and a half-eaten peach in my hand. Classic! Photo #2: Erica, age 9, mooning the photographer (Mom?) in the dunes. And rocking a sexy '80s perm, no less. Classy! Yes, Horseneck Beach has been a special place for me and my family since I was born. It meant a road trip from my home near Philly up to Westport, MA to see my grandma. Of course, it also meant peanut butter and sand sandwiches out of the cooler, having seaweed fights with Mom in the water, building sand castles, and digging holes all the way to China. It's a truly gorgeous beach, with miles of soft white sand to stroll along, and ocean waves good enough to attract (amateur) surfers. And this year, they are already in construction on a brand new huge bathroom and changing area with a dock that connects to the beach-- a big step up from those fugly bathrooms of yesteryear. A day at Horseneck Beach is a day well spent. It's about an hour and a half from Boston, 30 minutes from Fall River or New Bedford, and maybe 20 minutes from UMass Dartmouth. These days I head down with mom, friends, or even by myself to take a walk or a plunge in the temperate water. For me, it's the best beach in the world. Enjoy New England summers at their finest here. read more

This place is awesome! As a local of Westport there are two sides to this beach. During the summer, the actual beach is ok. On the plus it is fairly large, fun with waves, and gets raked daily. On the cons is that it gets packed and right at the tidelline it is rock city. Some other pluses are the cool bathroom buildings on the paths to the beach and the snack/ice cream stand. All in all, locals do not usually go to this beach, it is more for the summer people. What the locals do use it for is the paved pathways that run along the beach and into the campground. This is an awesome trail to run and bike. Roller blading can be done, but for kids it is not completely smooth, and sometime San piles can form over the path. Nature at this beach is also awesome! Shore birds are all over, including the threatened piping plover! If you see one, leave it alone! Get there early enough you can see a few dear down on the beach. Also can find coyotes, skunks, raccoons, all sorts of bugs! A great spot to walk the trails and see everything. read more

Crowded. Beautiful. Usable facilities. Decent waves. Scary elderly people who will scar your eyeballs and sear their indelible image into your brain. But, that's true of every beach. So bring the vin, call out the sun and have some fun. read more

Seven years ago I walked off this beach and swore I would never return - somehow I forgot this pledge and ended up at Horseneck again. This beach is filthy and unmaintained (there's a consistent rotten smell from all the garbage dumpsters placed every few yards ON the beach), the structures and parking lots are in disrepair and it seems to be managed by a gaggle of unprofessional teenagers. Nothing has changed at horseneck, except that the price for parking (non - resident) has increased by nearly 10 dollars. Same low quality, unpleasant experience as before. I'll stick to RIs beaches from now on. No thanks, Horseneck. Never again. There are so many more worthwhile beach options available nearby. read more

Sweet Mother of Jesus, this is one of the best beaches near Boston if you like to Body Surf. Note: there is a rip tide, and sometimes when you get out of the water, you are 1/2 mile away from your blanket. There is seaweed....but, it's a beach with a surf, so you get that. The water IS warm, for New England. There's also a Gay section, in case you are wondering. It's the West Side, Baby. Don't go wandering in the Dunes, unless you want an eyeful of something-something going on. Just saying..... read more

Horseneck is a fun little beach about 40 minutes from Providence! There's a large parking lot (ugh - $12 for out -of-state plates and $8 for in-state) and lifeguards stationed pretty regularly. The sand is nice and smooth and even though you can tell there were some hurricane troubles, the beach in general is clean and spacious. There are some pebbly parts that can be tough on delicate feet, but anywhere you'd throw down a towel or play in the waves will have nice soft sand. There are public bathrooms but no ATM or grace if you don't have cash to pay the parking fee (whoops!). Bring in any food or drinks you want because, thankfully, the beach isn't riddled with food stands or vendors, but it also means you'll have to make kind of a trek for a cold soda. read more

Camped here at site #70 in late May, right on the beach in tents. Dog and child friendly (low profile and respectful to us non-dog/child campers). Quiet after ten. Very windy and difficult to impossible to sleep. But, otherwise it was a fantasy spot with cool ocean breezes, sandy dunes covered in lush fragrant beach roses, our own private path to the rocky beach. Great walking trails everywhere. Friendly campers. Incredible views. Fun beaches to collect interesting rocks, lots of mica, quartz etc. This is a no alcohol campground with no convenient store on site. Not even an ice machine. Only fire wood available here (you must buy your wood here actually). So, come prepared with ice, food and other essentials. I would definitely come back for the gorgeous natural experience. read more

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This really is one of my favorite beaches. Yes it can get pretty crowded but so do all nice beaches. The sand is always clean and the water has very little seaweed. But my favorite reason for coming here... the WAVES! You can't surf or boogie board here, I'm assuming for safety reasons related to rip tide? But you get a real work out jumping and dodging the waves. Unfortunately/fortunately the parking is $7. Compared to RI beaches that is a steal but compared to some North Shore beaches it can be a bit pricey. Overall though- a REALLY great beach. I highly recommend it!! :) read more

I rate this on my Top 5 favorite beaches! My two friends and I headed down very early (which is smart because this place gets PACKED). I live north of Boston so it's a hike, but very much worth it. This beach is nice and clean, which is most important. Up where I live there's always a constant string of polluted ocean water, burst sewer lines, etc. and traveling this far for a nice place to hang out was a treat. The only thing I found annoying was the lack of trash barrels, and the fact we had to carry our trash all the way back to the parking lot. The only receptacle we could find was a dumpster that looked like it should have been emptied days ago. Other than that, make the drive and check this beach out! read more

Great beach mostly because the water is usually a comfortable temperature in the Summer. Can be prone to red tide but the water is clean otherwise. Even when it's busy, you can find a spot and not be on top of other people. This is a wildlife reservation so you will not find stores or eateries so bring a cooler and snacks. Pick up after yourself! Life guards are well trained and friendly. I just wish they would open up the left side of the beach and bathhouse so you don't have to walk so far. read more

Despite my week long sun burn (damn you, non-waterproof sunblock) - I had a lovely day at Horseneck Beach. Firstly, this place is huge. Parking was cheap ($7) and I didn't need to walk five miles to get to the actual beach. Though I was promised crazy waves (by friends and coworkers who frequent Horseneck) -- I found the water to be wavey, but not overly knock-you-on-your-ass. The water is shockingly warm for New England -- and a nice change up from all the North Shore beaches I usually venture out to. All in all, I'm a fan. Even the drive down to Horseneck seemed a lot less busy than roads going to the Cape or up north. read more

Just went to this beach for the first time. Pretty disappointed overall. Parking: Only $7 to park which is pretty good. Crowd and Beach: We got there and the Beach was extremely overcrowded. We parked way down and tried to cut threw the dunes. That did not work so we had to walk all the way back to the main entrance. We couldn't find anywhere to sit on the Beach so we had to go down to the water and take a left. We had to climb over rocks and crowds of people. The Beach was so rocky it was ridiculous. There was no spots so we had to clear out a patch of about 300 rocks. We laid out our stuff and about an hour later the tide came all the way up to the rocks until their was no more beach. We were forced to go back to the main party of the Beach and join the rest of the ghetto trashy crowd. Saw some human porpoises, fish nets and out of control kids who had zero parental supervison. Water: the water was very warm in early July. But it was all rocks so you could not stay in the water. There was also some red tide. It got worse later in the day. It sucked pretty much. Bathrooms were not bad, pretty clean. Bottom line I will not be going back. Complete waist of a beach day. I was disappointed because I heard good things about this beach. Way over crowded and too rocky. Just not enough beach. read more

Horseneck Beach is a great beach to go to when you just want to swim or you want to participate in activities and games. It gets so crowded during the summer months that relaxing is not really an option. The traffic can be deadly. That being said, it's a beautiful clean beach with nice waves. Many people have commented on the temperature and I can only second that. One thing that I missed when going there was animals. When my husband go to the beach we usually end up looking for crabs, star fish, etc. There are none at Horseneck Beach. On you way, make sure to stop at Buds By the Beach for great and cheap beach food. read more