Nantasket beach was lovely. It was a warm, sunny day. We got in the water up to our knees. The water seemed clean. We plan to spend a lot of time there this summer. :):) Being newbies to the area, we have really fallen in love with the South Shore. read more

Aw, Nantasket...I grew up on the south shore, so this place brings back memories. My parents aren't big day time beach people (I am), so we usually go here at night and for that, it's a great beach. You can walk for miles and miles and I've never experienced the dirty-ness that other yelpers have (in fact, I think it's pretty darn clean). It's peaceful but still semi-close to the city (though my dad used to get lost driving up from Brockton almost every time), which is nice. One of my favorites. read more

As a year -round resident of Hull for the past ten years, I have nothing but sweet memories of Nantasket beach. Yes, in storms the ocean meets the bay at Dunkin's on the strip but even then, this location provides fantastic spectacle. After you live here for awhile, you miss having water surrounding you on all sides when you leave. Since Nantasket beach is located on a neck of land surrounded by bays and ocean, a one-sided coast front cannot compare to the views here. If you visit and are ready to vacate your parking spot...very precious here...take a ride beyond the beach drive around the bay and wind up to the top of Fort Revere to seek out the incredible view of Boston Harbor, continue down through the "Village" and end up beyond the coast guard station at the "Gut" where you can eat a lobster dinner on a picnic table and watch the ferry arrive and people fishing off the pier. Nantasket beach does suffer a bit a high tide but who wouldn't want to walk the boardwalk, play skee ball, or volley ball, or mini-golf, or munch a few fried clams,or chill off with an ice cream, or sip a cool beverage till the tide rolls out? Dirty? The beach isn't dirty. If you find it so, it is the influx of people who don't pick up their trash. No such problems on the residents' beaches. Stroll down the beach and you too can plunk a chair there. Be sure to bag and remove your trash like the locals. Check out the water cleanliness rating...hardly any bacteria count these days. The bay is one of the few used for clamming. Nantasket beach welcomes you to walk its long stretch of sandy ...yes check for low tide...beach. Enjoy it, as generations have done. Treat it kindly for future generations. read more

when i arrived, i wondered why the hard-packed, grey, stone-strewn sand was wet. about 2 hours later, when the water began lapping at my chair, i knew. it's not much of a beach once the tide comes in. typical boardwalk, though i actually did like the arcade. maybe i've been spoiled by bigger beaches - ones that don't disappear at high tide - but i was less than thrilled. another big disappointment was the garbage. it seemed the plastic cups, bags and bottles in the water outnumbered the swimmers. it's a real shame. on the plus side, it is close to boston, only $3.00 to park, and the waves looked decent for surfing/bodyboarding. read more

It's good only when it is low tide and somewhere to sit. You must get there early and set up on the far right corner near the rocks otherwise there is zero beach left. I gave it three stars because it is somwhere fun to bring the kids to if you have them. You have the carousel, ice cream, video game place, etc. It's always had a reputation of being a dirty beach but whenever I go it is really clean. I would have given it more stars if the actual "beach" existed during high tide! read more

I haven't been to many beaches in MA (despite having been here for 9 years), though Nantasket seems to be one of the better one's within driving distance from Boston (about 45 min. if driving through Quincy in the afternoon). The beach is clean and it's not too crowded. Exploring Hull is fun- there a lot of small businesses and scenic views. There are plenty of restaurants and food-stands to choose from along the beach, though I'm not sure of their quality. I'll be exploring those next! read more

For the most part, this beach is fairly clean and it has two bath houses that are easy to walk to. However, when the tides come in, it's time to go home because just about no beach is left. Also, if you go better get there by 10AM otherwise you will NEVER find parking during the summer. They have some free parking areas, but you better bring some boxing gloves in order to get one. They also have two larger parking lots for $10 for the day, but they fill up before noon. We drove around for 2 hours looking for parking and finally got let into a "full" lot at 3pm. We will be looking for another beach spot for the summer. read more

This place is DIRTY! Hull is Hinghams dirty little sister. Nothing has been updated since about 1972, the assorted food stands offer nothing. Overcooked burgers, frozen chicken and clams, and ice cream you could get at a 7 11. I'm not what you would call in shape, but I know enough not to show off what I don't got, that said, I saw way to many muffin tops walking around. The beach is just full of all kinds of trash, it is an equal opportunity trash beach though. You'll see all shapes, sizes, and colors. read more

We went here recently nice beach soft sand and lots of room to move around. The Parking was a bit much at $25 that seems a bit ridiculous the other parking lots were $15 but of course they were filled. I also wasn't overly impressed with the younger people who were sitting on there cars blaring rap music.. If I go back I would definitely go in the morning because when the high tide comes in it pushes everyone back and your packed in like sardines.. read more

Meh, it was subpar at best. The water was a bit too cold for my liking, however, it wasn't horrible and I have felt worse temperatures (such as Plum Island, BLECH!). The sand was a good temperature though (it was around 4 when we arrived). There were a bit too many rocks on the sand, but the water itself was nice so that was good. However, I was a bit disgruntled to see that there was a phallic symbol drawn into the sand nearby where I had left my towels. Seriously? What is this, 2002. People need to grow up, and I think that this beach would benefit profusely from a greater police force. read more

Not the best beach on the south shore-- It's obvious that this is a public beach once you step foot on the sand. Parking is a pain-- if you can't get into the beach lots (cost $3) or a meter spot- you have to either drive around, or suck it up and pay $15 for a make-shift parking lot spot. Agreeing with other yelpers the beach disappears at high tide. Hull's Kitchen-- on the street strip is a good place for lunch, cute patio for people watching while you eat cause we all know the main reason people go to the beach is to People Watch! read more

Even though Google Maps took me on a sketchtastic voyage through Dorchester and beyond to find this beach-- all in all, it was worth my drive yesterday afternoon. Nantasket doesn't seem to be anything special, nor anything deplorable either. I heard it can get some pretty decent waves, so I am perched on Magic Seaweed nearly every five minutes just waiting for the surf forecast to give me something hopeful. However, I ventured out there yesterday afternoon for some sun time, and was in no way disappointed. The beach was busy-- but not overly crowded. I got there at the end of the day (about quarter to four), parked for free, and carved out a nice spot for myself. Swam in the ocean for a bit (the water is totally bearable!), got the feel of salt on my skin, and scored some decent tan lines. It was quiet, I wasn't bothered too much (there were a few cat calls from the boardwalk by men whose names I'm sure were something like "Sully" and had "Live Free or Die" Tazmanian Devil tattoos on their biceps, but I think you can expect that anywhere on the shore, north or south), and it was just all in all, peaceful. I took 3A back to the city and the drive wasn't as bad. Some great people-watching real estate, but I can imagine this place gets pretty whacky on the weekends. I will totally be driving here in the future if I need another late afternoon in the sun. And am still holding out for those waves... read more

my favorite south shore beach for sure. its really fun! ive been several times and always have a good time. it gets pretty crowded but early in the day you can find a free parking spot (later you will have to pay atleast $15...) just dont go on fourth of july... big mistake. read more

This was my first time on the Atlantic side beach-wise, so I was pleasantly surprised at how different it was compared to the beaches in LA. The water was pretty cold, but it felt clean. Beautiful place! read more

Lovely beach less than an hour outside of Boston. $20 for parking but it's worth it for the soft sandy beaches and pristine water. The other patrons are polite families, youths and other folks here surf and swim. Now my go-to beach south of Boston. read more

Really, the only annoying thing about this beach is that is disappears at high tide. That just means you need to do a little planning before heading out. Compared to other New England beaches, Nantasket is neither rocky nor cold and the water is quite clean and clear. It's also long enough that there is plenty of room for everyone. Would I prefer it if my fellow beach-goers did not feed the seagulls? Sure. Will that keep me away? Not a chance. :) read more

I love this beach! Not really sure what time is good to get parking because everytime i go here, its not that easy finding parking. There's nice restaurants right across from the beach which are a little pricy but the food is really good. They also have a little merry go round for the kids. Definitely a good beach to go to and would really recommend to anyone. read more

This is the only beach that I go to. The water is usually pretty cold, but that's kinda to be expected in Mass. The beach is very clean. The showers are always occupied with kids playing and there's a lot of mud from the washed off sand. The bathrooms are very clean which surprised me given all of traffic this beach gets. I'll continue to return every summer! read more

I'm really impressed with this beach, especially with its location so close to Boston. Traffic getting here on Sunday wasn't bad at all, and the beach has never felt too crowded (or even a little crowded). A few places to eat right off the beach, bathrooms, and a small playground for the kids. The beach does shrink quite a bit during high tide, but there was still space enough for everyone on the beach. Definitely plan on returning this summer, though I still prefer Nahant! read more

The good: There are two things Nantasket Beach has going for itself: 1. The long beach. If you are in the mood for a long walk along the beach, this is your place. Long long beach gives you plenty of space to go for a romantic walk or clear your mind alone. 2. Compared to other beaches I've been to in MA this summer, this so far is the easiest and cheapest one to park at. We paid $10 and were a step away from the beach. Very cool. The Bad: 1. High tide: We got there at 10:00 am and set up shop as high as possible on the sand to avoid potential waves eating our stuff later in the day. It didn't matter. By 12:30 we were inches away from the water hitting us. This is a known element to Nantasket vets. High tide and the relatively little left over sand causes people to pretty much retreat to the nearby rocks or move down the beach to snatch up the little left over space. When I go to a beach I want to set up an umbrella, seats, towel, and not have to worry about it again. This issue alone makes Nantasket impossible for me to enjoy as a beach I can relax on. 2. The people: I am not a snob (but rather a normal, in shape, nice looking guy). I don't need to be surrounded by buff and perfect bodies to enjoy a beach, but the company you'll find yourself around in Nantasket is disgusting. Way more than any other beach I've been on this summer in MA. It's like a bad tattoo convention. Just really gross people. This especially hit me when we took a long walk on the boardwalk. 3. Food: Any beach that has a restaurant within walking distance of our umbrella is always a nice plus. Sadly the dining options at Nantasket are less than desirable. We had a quick lunch at Raffael's and were disappointed. The reviews for The Red Parrot here on Yelp are very mixed. Safe to say, bring your own food. One nice touch is that you can go to Dunkin Donuts if desired as you walk along the boardwalk. I'm going to give this beach two stars simply because you can take a nice long walk on the beach or boardwalk. But I would NEVER return with the prospect of setting up shop along the beach. PS. Forgot to mention this: no soft sand. Yup, you are forced to walk or lie on hard sand everywhere on the beach. A shame really as a great beach will always feature soft sand in some area. Not here. read more

The water here is soooooo clear and pretty warm near the shallow end. There's food nearby and games for entertainment. Beach stuff at a nearby store if you forgot anything. The waves are pretty dinky and there's not much sand, but hey, it's New England. All around pretty great beach. read more

Of all the nearby beaches in the area, surfing at Nantasket Beach is a great spot! There isn't a ton of parking if you go during peak beach hours, but early morning or later in the evening is fine. Nice rolling waves that break farther out than they do at other nearby beaches give you more time to enjoy your ride! read more

I love Nantasket Beach as a dog walker in fall, winter, and spring. The tides wash it clean twice a day, when there are few people but plenty of shells, though it may sometimes have lots of seaweed, but my dog likes seaweed too, so that is a 3-star feature. There can be surfers on any day, which adds interest. In the summer it is a bit crowded, the DCR needs to devote resources to make the masses comforted, because this where Dorchester suns itself. This is 3 miles of sand for running on soft surfaces, 6 miles for a turnaround run, just avoid the stones here and there. Runners, you can do a 10K on sand with some obstacle avoidance here within a close drive from Boston! You can see Boston from Hull from a high point. You can't see Aruba from Boston, just drive to Nantasket for your beach needs.. read more

Good place to spend your day in summer. Nice breeze and good crowd. Good time to spend with family and friends

I grew up on Nantasket Beach. Went calm digging with Uncle Jimmy Nardo . Fifty years later, I went thru chemo , i lived in an apartment on Nantasket Ave , where I would open the windows in the dead of winter , during a blizzard, the salt water freezing on the sea wall, sea gulls flying by my window, it healed me, it soothed me, during the worst time of my life. I love HUll and Nantasket Beach. Always in my heart. read more

In the summer, I lived at this beach. Grew up here. I live in Colorado now, but I would trade the Rockies for the ocean any day of the week. I do remember the water being ice cold, but after a few minutes of jumping around, you got acclimated to it. I sure do miss. When I daydream, I find myself back at Nantasket Beach. read more

Ticketed for parking in a restricted area although there were no signs ($55). Five other cars near me suffered the same fate. Total scam by the city. read more

What a dump, everything from the tanning on top of your car to the crappy restaurants. No thanks

If you go at low tide, it's the best beach in Massachusetts for families with toddlers. It's not rocky at all if you hit the tide right. If you want gorgeous beaches that stretch for miles with big waves then go down to Cahoon Hallow Beach, Coast Guard or Marconi Beach in Cape Cod. Yes, you have to get to Nantasket very early to get a parking space. I went the other day at 8:00 AM and had no problem parking. However, it's worth it if you have toddlers. Also, there is a playground (yes it's aging), food stand, restaurants and bathrooms. The playground is aging, but the kids love it right on the beach. The bathrooms open at 7:00 AM and some are open until 8:00 PM (others close at 6:00 PM). It's annoying for people to write posts and comment on the people who go to this beach. There are people from all walks of life that go to this beach. I would say from polo shirts to really tanned older fellows with speedos! Fantastic people watching! Who wants to be around the same type of people anyways? BORING! My take is that the people writing these reviews like to pop their collars and wear pink polo shirts and pants with whales on them. If that is you, go to Sandy Beach in Cohasset, Martha's Vineyard or Wellfleet in Cape Cod. read more

Have been going here all my life. Really a pretty decent beach. The water is warm for New England and suprisingly really clear no seaweed. No rocks, soft sand, gentle slope. Big beach. Check your tides. Don't bother going at high tide or near it. The water hits the sea wall and everyone is on the wall. I hate crowds and it's crowded but feels less at low tide when everyone spreads out. I go as far to the left as possible. It's the closest beach to Boston I will go to. Really nice for long walks, most seasons and at sunset. read more

It's like a dirty and crowded soviet-era beach in Ukraine (although I must admit I have never been there. It's just the idea of it). It's fine if you are just looking for some sand, seawater and some food shacks. It's not the Cape or anything like that is what I mean. Now I am not saying that it cannot be entertaining. See for yourself. read more

my family and i love this place...showers..which i love..fried dough is gigantic!!..we even take rides down there for night time, the sunset is beautiul...only thing is there is no beach once the high tide comes in...which is hard with little kids during the day time, read more

I love this beach! I have brought a couple of my friends to this beach as well, and they really like it too. You have to be careful with high tide, it goes all the way to the wall! read more

Best beach in the boston vicinity!!Great place to take your kids , reasonable parking rates, arcade +carousel for kids, lots of places to eat. We love The Paragon Grille@ Nantasket Beach Resort , they serve breakfast starting at 7am. read more

Too bad the old Paragon Park is long gone and will never be back thanks to condos and other buildings. With Rocky Point also long gone, there aren't many (if any) local seaside amusement options anymore (Old Orchard Beach, Maine is too far). Nice clean, relatively safe beach. Water is often very cold but that's the way it should be. If it feels like warm bath water then something's wrong. Several shops and eateries to select from, all within walking distance. Parking has increased to $20 which is a bit steep in my book, and the lot is not big enough for all the visitors. It isn't the Cape, but if you want to avoid the long Cape drive and insane traffic, this will do nicely, thank you. read more

nantasket beach is beautiful. i go every weekend and there is never even a cigareete butt or candy wrapper anywhere. the clean up crew is amazing and does a great job. you should really enjoy ths beach.the children have great fun at the arcade, an ice cream shops as well as the carousel and just walking down the rock free shores. try it youll like it.!!!!! read more

Nantasket beach is very bitter-sweet. The water is typically very cold for me. That is saying a lot because I am fine in my once and a blue moon 60 degree pool. There are tons of rocks and shells which can make it difficult to find a good spot. Typically the side closer to the old Paragon Park carousel and arcade is very crowded. If you want to go in the water, in a lot of parts of the beach there is a small sort of canyon or pit. The ground just dips down into a smooth and sharp rock pit for 3 meters. This goes around a lot of the beach. On the flip side the waves are great. I sometimes see surfers and a ton of boogie boarders. As soon as you have been in the water a bit you feel numb but not cold so you can enjoy it a bit. So overall if you like getting in the water and do not mind cold your fine. If you like sitting, relaxing, tanning, etc..., then you just have to find a good spot. Enjoy!!! read more

I've been going to Nantasket beach since the late 70's, when I was just a baby. I've got some truly great memories of my late Dad at this beach (along with my Mom) and priceless photos of us both on the beach and at the old Paragon Park. My Dad who wasn't crazy about family outings, had two places he wanted to go to every year: Nantasket Beach in Hull and Edaville Railroad in Carver. Luckily, both are still here to share with my three boys and I always think of my Dad when we go to either place. Neither is exactly as it used to be, but we enjoy them. Nothing in life is perfect...I do miss the amusement park that was there when I was little...but my three boys love to go to Nantasket beach! I recommend going late in the day after the life guards call it quits (around 4 or 5). I've found in the past that the life guards were more into chatting with each other than guarding my kids. Plus if you go late the parking is free and usually you can get a spot right next to the playground (showers and bathroom, too)! This time of day all the daytime people are heading home and you run less of a risk of getting really sunburned. This is a great budget place on a hot summer night. We pack a picnic, bring enough money for one ride on the old restored carousel, and the kids go right to bed when we get home! Yes the water is cold...it's New England...and no your kids won't care. Go ahead and enjoy a beautiful sunset at the beach. You won't be sorry. read more