Selecting the best beach towns in New England wasn’t easy, so we created 14 categories to evaluate New England’s beach towns, ranking each on a scale of 1 to 10.
New England
Steve Jermanok
Whether you’re looking for waves to ride, long stretches of sand, or lots of family activities, one of our picks for the 25 best beach towns in New England is sure to be the ideal getaway for you.
Maine
The Maine Birding Trail
From coastal paths to boreal forest woodlands, you’ll find favorite spots and feathered friends along the Maine Birding Trail.
SLIDE SHOW: Winslow Homer works I stand alone on a boulder-strewn shoreline, a rugged symbol of Maine. The waves thrash against the rocks. They shoot a salty mist onto my face and clothing. The sound is almost deafening. It’s no surprise that they call this part of Prouts Neck “Cannon Rock.” Or maybe it’s named […]
New England
Best Sand Sculpture Contests
We asked travel writer Stephen Jermanok to name the best summer sand sculpture events in New England.
New England
Canoeing: New Hampshire
At the junction of Routes 16 and 26 in Errol, Northern Waters Outfitters rents canoes. Grab one and put in north of town on Route 16 to find out why Umbagog was named a National Wildlife Refuge. A short paddle on the Androscoggin River brings you to a deserted island, where atop one dead pine […]
New England
Biking: Massachusetts
We’re big fans of the 22-mile Cape Cod Rail Trail, especially when you take it in bits and pieces. But to be frank, the actual ride, even after the route’s recent refurbishment, can be a real yawner for kids. It’s a former railroad line, straight with very little grade. We like the ups and downs […]
New England
Camping: Acadia National Park in Maine
Most parents gauge the growth of their children by penciling their heights against the bedroom wall. My wife and I can tell the kids are getting on in years by what they accomplish at Acadia each summer. We start by setting up camp. Acadia’s more popular campground, Blackwoods, sits off the congested Park Loop, so […]
Magazine
Sea Kayaking: Rhode Island
When our kids were younger, we rented double kayaks from The Kayak Centre in Wickford, on the western side of Narragansett Bay, and paddled past the docked yachts. Soon we were out in the quiet harbor, coasting alongside the oyster beds and sea grass meadows that make up the puckered shoreline. We could see century-old […]
New England
Mountain Biking: Vermont
We make an annual pilgrimage to the Northeast Kingdom to bike the 100-plus-mile web known as the Kingdom Trails. We pedal across fertile green pastures, past immense red barns still standing from the early 1900s, and sweep up and down on soft forest trails dusted with pine needles, all within arm’s length of fragrant spruce […]
New England
Rafting: Massachusetts
The Deerfield River surges in the Berkshire towns around Charlemont. Power company dam releases cause rapids to tumble down two stretches of the river: the exhilarating Class IV rapids of the Dryway and the mellower Class II and III rapids farther south, in the deep pools of Zoar Gap. But you don’t have to own […]
Magazine
Family Biking, Kayaking, Canoeing
Stephen Jermanok, travel writer and father of two young children, reveals his favorite family adventure spots. Get ready for New England’s best adventures in rafting and biking in Massachusetts, mountain biking in Vermont, sea kayaking in Rhode Island, camping in Maine, and canoeing in New Hampshire.