Date Visited: October 1, 2016
Location: 1 Stonewall Lane York, Maine (1 and 15 hours north of Boston), (45 minutes north of Manchester, NH), (45 minutes south of Portland, Maine)
Hours: Open everyday, 24 hours a day
Cost: Free
Parking: There are many metered parking spots along the beach. They do fill up quickly on “ideal” beach days.
Beach Size: 1.5 miles
Dog Friendly: Yes, Long Sands Beach has the following dog rules: From April 1 to June 15, leashed dogs are allowed at any time of day; from June 16 to Sept. 15, dogs are only allowed before 8 a.m. and after 6 p.m.
Highlights: Scenic views, swimming, surfing and other aquatic activities
Web Site: Long Sands Beach
October is not usually the month that comes to mind when one thinks of beach weather. This is not the case at Long Sands Beach. The 1.5 mile long beach is a haven for sun seekers and water sport enthusiasts alike.
Maine is known for being hardy folks. You have to be when the weather can be so extreme. As my friend told me when she saw my photos, “They will surf in any weather.” I would add, the more active the water the better. When I drove by the beach an hour later, and the weather had intensified there were even more surfers and paddlers in the water than when I had first arrived to photograph the beach and off street parking was almost nonexistent.
As is often the case with our best experiences, I had not planned on visiting Long Sands. Rather, I happened upon it on my way to Nubble Lighthouse. When I saw the active water and the activity in the water, I had to pull over to see and photograph the beautiful beach.
The waves were very active and there were many surfers and paddlers in the water taking advantage of the waves. It was very cool seeing people with such athleticism and grace in the water.
I met these two friendly surfers on the beach.
Long Sands is a dog friendly beach (see the dog rules above). I met Ollie, a 1 and a half year old Hound mix at the beach.
Below is a video of the surfers and stand up paddlers at Long Sands Beach. As you can see, it was very windy and a little hard to control the camera.
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Similar Places In New England I Have Visited:
Hammonasset Beach State Park (Madison, CT)
Napatree Point Conservation Area
New England Nomad 
October 9th, 2016 at 8:58 pm
You have to be in great shape to surf and paddle in that environment. Even holding a camera!
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October 10th, 2016 at 3:38 pm
Yes, it takes so much dexterity and balance. And, yes, holding a camera was not easy either! Thank you!
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October 10th, 2016 at 2:10 am
Amazing photos! And I have nothing but respect for those surfers. There is no way I could do that….
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October 10th, 2016 at 3:37 pm
I know! I was thinking the same thing when I was photographing them!
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October 10th, 2016 at 2:41 am
Lovely photos and so nice, that dogs also are welcome at the beach 🙂
The surfers look like having a great time at this beautiful beach.
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October 10th, 2016 at 3:36 pm
Thank you, Irene! They were having a blast!
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October 10th, 2016 at 7:45 am
They look absolutely like the surfers in Cornwall. Must be some kind of Atlantic brotherhood!
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October 10th, 2016 at 3:35 pm
It just goes to show how similar we are, even if we’re far apart in terms of distance!
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October 10th, 2016 at 3:43 pm
I’d love to go here and surf. The problem is I’ve never been surfing before, gotta get to know what I’m doing.
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October 10th, 2016 at 5:21 pm
I would too! It’s never too late to start, though!
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October 10th, 2016 at 5:21 pm
Very true and I’m still young.
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