Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Boston
These Massachusetts beaches are closed as of Aug. 22
By Eva Levin,
6 days ago
Before hitting the beach this weekend, check out this list of closed waterfronts.
Nantucket, Mass - A lone beachgoer enjoys the solitude of Madaket Beach on a quiet Sunday before Labor Day in 2018. -Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff
Summer may be winding down, but there is still time to hit the beach. Just make sure you visit an open one. These 86 beaches across Massachusetts are closed as of Aug. 22 due to bacteria concerns.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health says bacteria levels tend to rise right after periods of heavy rainfall. Dirty runoff from the streets gathers excrement and other harmful bacteria in the sewers, which in turn can run into nearby bodies of water.
Swimming in unsafe water can potentially lead to a bevy of health problems. The most frequent and notable effects are gastrointestinal symptoms, like nausea and diarrhea. When ingested, bacteria can also cause flu-like symptoms, skin rashes, and eye-nose-throat problems.
It is unclear when the beaches will reopen. Water testing results take 24 hours, DPH says, so results typically come out the next day. For now, the department warns beachgoers to be vigilant and check its interactive beach water quality dashboard.
List of beaches closed as of Thursday, Aug. 22
Beaches with an * indicate beaches that were closed for over a week. Two asterisks (**) indicate the beach has been closed for more than two weeks. Three asteristcs (***) indicate the beach has been closed for more than 3 weeks. Beaches with a † indicate beaches that have been closed for more than one month.
Amherst
Puffers Pond*
Stanley St. swimming hole*
Ashby
Damon Pond Beach†
Ashland
Ashland Reservoir**
Barnstable
Eugenia Fortes
Kalmus Ocean
Wequaquet Lake Town*
Wequaquet Lake Yacht Club*
Beverly
Mingo
Obear Park
Woodburty
Boston
Constitution
Malibu
Savin Hill
Tenean
Braintree
Smith Beach*
Brewster
Upper Mill Pond
Chilmark
Squibnocket Beach
Clarksburg
Mauserts Pond
Cohasset
Black Rock
Concord
Walden Pond†
Danvers
Sandy Beach***
Dartmouth
Moses Smith Creek***
Dennis
Sea Street
Framingham
Learned Pond Beach**
Waushakum Beach
Franklin
Chilson Beach
Gloucester
Cressy’s
Good Harbor Creek
Half Moon
Plum Cove
Grafton
Silver Lake Beach*
Haverhill
Plugs Pond*
Holland
Collette Drive Beach†
Kingston
Gray’s Beach*
Rocky Nook
Lowell
Merrimac River Bath House**
Lynn
Kings†
Lynn Shore Beach†
Manchester
Black
West Manchester
Medford
Wrights Pond
Nahant
Black Rock
Nahant Beach**
Nantucket
Sesachacha Pond†
Washing Pond
Natick
Cochituate State Park Beach***
North Andover
Fyre Pond Beach*
Stevens Pond – Center***
Northampton
Musante Beach**
Oxford
Carbuncle Pond†
Plymouth
Nelson Park*
Provincetown
Town Landing
Quincy
Wollaston at Channing, Milton, Sachem Streets and Rice Road
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Comments / 0