Nantasket Beach, Public beach in Plymouth County, Massachusetts.

Nantasket Beach is a public beach in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, stretching about three miles along Massachusetts Bay with smooth gray sand and calm water for swimming. The shore is wide and open, backed by dunes and pathways that lead down to the waterline.

English settlers arrived in the area during the early 1600s and found a coastline long used by the Wampanoag. Over the following decades, the shore developed into a popular destination for residents from Boston and nearby towns.

The name Nantasket comes from the Wampanoag people and describes the place where tides meet. Families gather here in summer to sit on the sand, wade in the shallow water, and watch boats crossing the bay.

Parking is available near the shore, with different fees for vehicles registered in Massachusetts and those from other states. The beach is best visited during calm weather, when the water is shallow and safe for swimming.

At low tide, the water pulls back hundreds of yards, revealing flat expanses of sand where shallow pools form. Small fish and crabs gather in these pools, and wading birds arrive to feed along the edges.