Your Ultimate Guide to the Closest Beaches Near Camden, Maine (plus one hidden gem and one bonus)
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Maine? Go ahead…I’ll give you a minute. Hum dee dum dee doo …… OK…times up! What’s your answer? Lobster? Lighthouses? Mountains? B&B’s (Bed and Breakfasts)? The first thing I always thought of was the ocean…and lots of it! That means there must be Camden Maine beaches everywhere right? The short answer to that is Yes! But let me explain with a little bit of a longer answer.
Growing up in New Jersey, we had the Jersey Shore where we were used to the conventional idea of a beach. There are miles after miles of large areas of white sand with rolling waves good for surfing and swimming. We expected to find that in Maine too. Don’t get me wrong. Maine does have those beaches, most of which can be found in the southern part of the state. Here in the midcoast though, you won’t find big rolling waves. You find tranquil little beaches with rocky shores and some sand. Some are large, some are small. Some are on the ocean or the Penobscot Bay, while others are on ponds and lakes.
If you look at a map of Maine and look close at the coastline, you’ll see it’s not a straight line. It’s made up of lots of jagged coves and inlets. I call them “fingers”. If you were to stretch the coastline out, it would be over 4,000 miles! Crazy right? With all that coastline, there is bound to be great places to take a swim on a hot summer day.
That being said, we’ve had many guests ask us where all the Camden Maine beaches are so that they can go for a swim when they are staying with us. I thought this would be a great homework assignment to seek out all the places you could go to. I mean, it’s our duty to our guests to take on such a fun task, right? So without further ado, here is our list of the sixteen beaches near Camden Maine you can visit within a short drive from Windward House, one beach worth the drive, and one hidden beach! Click the title of each beach to get Google Driving Directions.
Oh yeah…one last thing. Many of these beaches are better to visit during low tide, so you may want to plan your trip around that. Here’s a tide chart to help you plan!
16 Camden Maine Beaches Near Windward House
Lincolnville Beach – Lincolnville Beach, Maine (8 minutes/6 miles from Windward House)
Lincolnville Beach looking towards Whale’s Tooth Pub and Lobster Pound
Lincolnville Beach with ferry leaving for Islesboro
This sand beach is located right on Route 1 so it is impossible to miss. You can relax on a small sandy strip of beach good for swimming and wading in the Atlantic Ocean. It sits among the town’s small business district with a couple of restaurants within walking distance, including our favorite Whale’s Tooth Pub. Across the water from the beach is Islesboro. You can hop on the ferry right there if you’d like to go across. There is a parking lot along with street parking, but be aware this does get crowded in the summer months!
Laite Beach Park – Camden, Maine (4 minutes/1 mile from Windward House)
View from atop gently sloping lawn overlooking Laite Beach
View of Camden Hills and Harbor from Laite Beach
Laite Beach is a family-friendly beach that overlooks Camden's outer harbor and Curtis Island. It is a pebbly, coarse sand beach good for swimming and shell collecting. During the summer season, there is a swim float a few yards offshore. It is a little deceiving when you arrive because it looks like a park with a gently sloping lawn. But once you stroll down the slope it opens up to the beach. Toilets and changing rooms, picnic tables, barbecues are also provided. The great thing about this Camden Maine beach is that it is within walking distance from Windward House!
Barrett's Cove – Camden, Maine (4 minutes/3 miles from Windward House)
Barrett’s Cove Beach during the day
Taking a swim on a warm evening at Barrett’s Cove Beach
If you are looking for some lake swimming, this is the place to go. Located on Lake Megunticook with wonderful cliff views, this is one of the best freshwater Camden Maine beaches and parks that has been a favorite destination for swimmers, picnickers, and kayakers for many years. Changing rooms, portable toilets, open lawn and shady areas with picnic tables and barbecues are some of the amenities you’ll find here. You’ll even find a deep water swim float offshore. This is a great place to cool off, especially if you just got done hiking the Maiden’s Cliff Trail across the street! A decent-sized parking lot is also located right at the beach entrance.
Shirt Tail Point – Camden, Maine (5 minutes/1.6 miles from Windward House)
Shallow swimming at Shirt Tail Point
Get your Picnic-ing on while hanging out at Shirt Tail Point
If you are looking for a quick dip to cool off, then visit Shirt Tail Point. It is a shallow freshwater swimming favorite located on Megunticook Lake. It has a small grassy area that goes right up to the water’s edge. Parking is limited so it may be tough to find a spot during hot weather. Other amenities include a portable toilet, lawn, barbecues, and picnic tables. Hand launched canoes and kayaks can gain access to the river. Beware of Canadian geese as they like to hang out here too!
Walker Park – Rockport, Maine (6 minutes/2.5 miles from Windward House)
Hanging out in the water at Walker Park Beach
Steps leading down to rock beach at Walker Park
Walker Park is a small harbor park located on Rockport’s Harbor. A short set of stairs leads you down to the rocky, sandy beach at low tide or directly to the saltwater at high tide. This is a great place for wading or combing the beach for shells when the tide is out. This park also has a children’s playground, picnic tables, and a grassy hillside with fire pits with barbeque grills. The parking lot here is decent sized so you shouldn’t have a problem finding a spot.
Goodies Beach – Rockport, ME (6 minutes/2 miles from Windward House)
Goodies Beach overlooking Rockport Harbor
Sandy sitting area at Goodies Beach
Goodies Beach is a sand beach located in Rockport Marine Park right on the harbor. It is a small area so if you have trouble finding it, it is located to the right of the Harbor Master. This beach does disappear during high tide so plan accordingly! Parking is limited.
Glen Cove Beach – Rockport, ME (10 minutes/6 miles from Windward House)
Glen Cove Beach looking out over water at low tide
Standing in the “middle of the water” looking back towards beach
Located right off of Route 1 in the Glen Cove Rest Area is a small saltwater beach at the foot of the basin. The beach looks out onto Glen Cove and offers swimming in a relatively protected oceanfront setting at high tide. At low tide, the water goes way out to sea and creates a large beach that is great for shell collecting and exploring crabs, snails, and sand dollars.
If you have a hard time finding a way down to the beach from the rest area, there is an entrance off Warrenton Street. Turn onto Warrenton and go about 1000 feet down the road. You will see a small sign that says “Path” that you can follow to get down to this beach near Camden Maine. Click here for directions to the path.
South End Beach – Rockland, Maine (17 minutes/9 miles from Windward House)
Sandy beach at Rockland South End Beach
Looking towards Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse
South End Beach is located near Archer’s on the Pier in Rockland and is located near the end of the Rockland Harbor Trail. This is a great place to look for shells when the tide is out and a good spot for enjoying the views of Rockland Harbor while taking a swim. There are some picnic tables nearby, with some tables under shady pine trees.
Johnson Memorial Park – Rockland, Maine (12 minutes/7 miles from Windward House)
Going kayaking at Chickawaukie Lake at Johnson Memorial Park
Small beach at Chickawaukie Lake at Johnson Memorial Park
If you are looking to do some lake swimming, then stop by this park, which is located on Chickawaukie Lake in Rockland. There is plenty of free parking and a picnic area with barbecue grills, restrooms, and a public boat launch.
Ash Point Beach - Owls Head, Maine (24 minutes/13 miles from Windward House)
Rocky shoreline of Ash Point Beach
View of Ash Island from Ash Point Beach
Ash Point is a very small beach offering great views of Ash Island right across the way. This beach is very rocky, so it isn’t great for laying on a towel! The tide seems to move pretty quickly through here so be careful if you take a swim. Parking is extremely limited and there are no facilities or lifeguards on duty.
Owls Head State Park Beach - Owls Head, Maine (25 minutes/14 miles from Windward House)
Shore along Owls Head Beach looking towards Camden Hills
Evening swim at Owls Head Beach
This small rocky beach is located in Owls Head State Park. The best part about this park is that you can visit the beach before or after you visit Owls Head Lighthouse! When you get to the park, you will arrive at a large parking area. As you start down the path, you can choose to go right to the lighthouse or go left to go down to the beach. You will get great views of the surrounding area and the entrance to Rockland Harbor. Bathrooms are located at the beginning of the path near the parking area.
Birch Point Beach State Park – Owls Head, Maine (26 minutes/14 miles from Windward House)
Birch Point State Beach swimming
View of Beach from rocks lining the shoreline at Birch Point State Park
Located a little over a ¼ mile down a wooded dirt road lays Birch Point State Beach. Ample parking is located at the end right before the beach. This is a great place to take a swim and collect shells or relax hanging out on the large rocks that line the coast. Once you enter the beach area, you can hang a left, which takes you over to Lucia Beach or make a right to go over to Otter Point. You won’t be disappointed with the views of the many islands out in the distance. And better yet, you can stop off here on your way back from visiting Marshall Point Lighthouse!
Crescent Beach – Owls Head, Maine (22 minutes/12 miles from Windward House)
View of Emery Island from Crescent Beach
Crescent beach lined with cute little cottages
Located near Owl’s Head, this crescent-shaped beach is another beautiful beach lined with beach cottages and offers the largest saltwater sand beach in the area. There is a small parking area at the end of Crescent Beach Road right before the beach. Expect to find a great view of Penobscot Bay and its outlying islands!
Crockett’s Beach – Owl’s Head, Maine (23 minutes/13 miles from Windward House)
Crockett’s Beach looking south
Crockett’s Beach looking north
This small beach can be found off of Crocketts Beach Road in Owl’s Head. You will find a rocky beach that disappears during high tide with a gradual descent at low tide. There is no real parking lot located here, so you will have to find a spot nearby.
Drift-In Beach – St. George, Maine (36 minutes/24 miles from Windward House)
Drift-In Beach at low tide
Rocky shoreline with even larger rocks nearby good for sunbathing on
This is another great beach that you can visit on your way to/from Marshall Point Lighthouse. This nice sized beach is good for taking a swim and has large rocks along part of the coast that you can sit and catch some rays. There is limited parking along the street as well as an overflow lot nearby.
Sandy Point Beach – Stockton Springs, Maine (40 minutes/31 miles from Windward House)
Sandy Point Beach looking north towards Penobscot Narrows Bridge
Sandy Point Beach looking towards remains of pier pilings
Sandy Point Beach is a half-mile long, sandy, gravelly public beach where the Penobscot River opens up to Penobscot Bay. You’ll see the remains of pier pilings out in the water for an old factory and passenger steamboat! There is a small lot located right at the beach. This would be a great beach to visit on your way back from the observatory at the top of the Penobscot Narrows Bridge.
one beach worth the drive
Barred Island - Deer Isle, Maine (1 hour 39 minutes/75 miles from Windward House)
Staying in the Midcoast of Maine truly allows you to experience all Maine has to offer. If you want to spend the day out and about, then have we got the treat for you! Located roughly 1 hour and 40 minutes away is a place called Barred Island. If you plan to visit here, you have to plan accordingly as the island is only accessible anywhere from 3 hours before to 3 hours after low tide. The parking area is very limited so just be aware of that. Once parked, you will hike a relatively flat path about a mile to the shore.
.5 Mile sign on path to Barred Island
Sandbar at low tide looking towards Barred Island
At the end of the trail, you will cross a pretty wide sandbar, with water on both sides of you, in order to cross over to Barred Island. The interesting thing about this island is that if you look at a map, it looks like the island is directly across from Camden. But because you have to drive north to go south, it is a longer drive. The scenic roads are well worth the trip! (Please note: Dogs are not allowed on the island as the path to get through goes through a natural preserve.)
Looking west from the sandbar to Barred Island
Looking east from the sandbar to Barred Island
One hidden gem near Windward House
Okay…okay…if you’ve gotten this far than it is time to reveal the secret spot! This beach is a favorite with the locals due to its quietness and serenity away from the crowds. Over the years, it has become more popular, so I won’t be giving the name or location of this special spot here. But if you stay with us, I just may leak this location to you if you ask!
This spot is small with very limited parking. The really cool thing here is the difference in tides. At high tide, the water comes right up to shore. If you like to explore and go shell hunting, then you will love low tide. At low tide, the water is so far out that you can walk a decent amount off shore and hunt for treasures all you like. I’ve included pictures of our trip to this hidden gem. I couldn’t just totally leave you hanging!
That concludes our list of sixteen beaches near Camden Maine, one beach worth the drive and one hidden gem! I know you won’t be disappointed by any of them if you want to get the feel of being a local! If you are still looking for bigger beaches with rolling waves, those can be found south of Camden. Pemaquid Beach, Reid State Park and Popham Beach are a few!
No matter what experience you are looking for, I think you can agree there is something for everyone. From small rocky beaches to soft sand vistas overlooking the ocean, or freshwater wading with mountains in the background, you can be sure to find something to help you cool off on those warm summer days!
Come on Home to Windward House
Now that you’ve read our Closest Beaches to Camden Maine guide, it’s time to begin planning your vacation in Maine! Our property is located in the beautiful Historic District of Camden Maine and features luxurious guest rooms with great amenities. You can then enjoy a nice cocktail on our back porch overlooking Mt. Battie or sit with your loved one around our fire pit while sitting under decorative colored lights with the soothing sounds of our homemade fountains! And at Windward House, there is always music in the air! So what are you waiting for? Check our availability and book your stay today! We look forward to having you.