Being this close to the ocean, we were desperate to put our toes into the cold Atlantic Water, so we reserved one day to drive to the beach. It took us about an hour driving along scenic small secondary roads to find the commercial area of the Old Orchard Beach area, celebrating 125 years of family vacations this year.
For those wishing to enjoy the wide sandy beaches and gentle waves of Old Orchard Beach without also having to endure the commercialism of the heavily advertised products of the boardwalk, Ferry Beach State Park is an oasis of serenity just a few miles north of the area’s centre. As it is reached by turning away from the shore for its entrance, one is deceived into thinking there is no water access, however there is a 100 yard path from the parking area through the dunes and under the road. For $4 a person, one can access the park for the day. There is ample parking, picnic tables and a number of small looped trails through the forest. If you do venture on any of the nature trails that wind through the forest, be sure to apply bug spray. There are clean restrooms, although the toilets are the hole in the ground variety, not the flushable kind. Hand sanitizers are perched on the wall outside the restroom and a few feet away there is an outdoor shower with benches nearby so you can rinse away the salt and sand. The beach is wide, the waves are gentle and the water in August certainly not bathtub warm, but not the cramp inducing temperature of earlier summer months. Bring your own beach chairs and umbrellas!