70 Massachusetts Beaches Are Closed This Weekend: A Simple Guide

Planning a Beach Day in Massachusetts?

With sunny weekend weather ahead, you might be excited to play in the water at a Massachusetts beach! But before you grab your swimsuit and sunscreen, there’s something super important to check: some beaches are closed because the water isn’t safe for swimming.

Why Is Some Beach Water Unsafe?

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (or MDPH for short—think of them as the state’s "health helpers") says that swimming in closed beaches can make you sick. This is because the water has too many bacteria (tiny invisible germs) in it.

If someone swims in yucky water like this, they might feel:

• Throwing up or feeling sick to their tummy (nausea)
• A sore throat or fever
• Itchy rashes or skin infections

Important Point: Heading into the weekend, 70 beaches in Massachusetts are closed. Always check if your favorite spot is open before you go!

What Beaches Are Currently Closed?

As of Friday, July 10, here is the full list of closed beaches, sorted by town. The words in parentheses tell you why they are closed (we’ll explain those reasons in the next section!):

• Ashby: Damon Pond Beach (Other)
• Ashland: Hopkinton Reservoir – Main Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Barnstable: Eugenia Fortes (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Beverly: Mingo (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Boston:
  • Constitution at Middle (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Constitution at North (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Constitution at Rec Center (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Malibu (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Tenean (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Brewster:
  • Cliff Pond at DYS (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
  • Cliff Pond at Main (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
• Danvers: Sandy Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Dartmouth:
  • Apponagansett Town Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Jones Town Beach North (CSO/SSO event)
  • Jones Town Beach South (CSO/SSO event)
  • Moses Smith Creek (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Eastham: Salt Pond (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Falmouth:
  • Surf Drive East (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Wood Neck River (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Freetown: Freetown Town Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Holden: Eagle Lake (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Lynn:
  • Kings at Eastern Avenue (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Kings at Kimball Road (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Kings at Pierce Road (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Manchester: Magnolia East (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Marblehead:
  • Gas House (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Grace Oliver (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Marion: Converse Point (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Nantucket: Sesachacha Pond (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Newburyport:
  • Plum Island at 55th Street (CSO/SSO event)
  • Plum Island – end of island 1 (CSO/SSO event)
  • Plum Island – end of island 2 (CSO/SSO event)
  • Plum Island Point (CSO/SSO event)
• Pembroke: Little Sandy (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Provincetown:
  • 333 Commercial Street (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • 593 Commercial Street (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Atlantic Avenue (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Johnson Street (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Kendall Lane (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Town Landing – Breakwater (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Town Landing – Snail Road (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Winston Ave (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Quincy:
  • Broady (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Wollaston at Channing Street (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Wollaston at Milton Street (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Wollaston at Rice Road (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Wollaston at Sachem Street (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Rochester: S.P.E.N.A Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Rutland: Whitehall Pond Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Salem:
  • Children’s Island – Back (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Children’s Island – Wally (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Ocean Avenue (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Willow Avenue (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Salisbury: Salisbury Beach Center – Broadway Street (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Saugus:
  • Pearce Lake at Breakheart Reservation (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Peckham Pond at Camp Nihan (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Swampscott: Kings (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Swansea:
  • Coles River Club off Harbor Road (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Leeside (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Swansea Town Beach (Other)
• Templeton:
  • Beamans Pond – Campground (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Beamans Pond – Day Use (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Tisbury: Vineyard Harbor Motel (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Townsend: Pearl Hill Pond Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Wareham:
  • Briarwood (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Shangri-La (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Standish Shores (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Winthrop:
  • Donovans (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Pico (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Worcester: Lake Quinsigamond – Lake Park Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)

Why Are the Beaches Closed? (Simple Explanations)

You saw some big words next to the beach names. Here is what they mean in plain, easy language:

• Bacterial Exceedance: This is the most common reason. It just means there are more tiny germs in the water than the health helpers (MDPH) say is safe.
• Other: This could be because of things like dangerous water currents (riptides) that can pull you away, or it’s hard to see in the water (poor visibility). It can also be certain chemicals.
• CSO/SSO event: This is a fancy way of saying there was a spill of sewage (yucky toilet water) that got into the beach water.
• Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom: This means there is a bad type of algae (tiny plant-like stuff in the water) growing that can make people and pets sick.

When Will the Beaches Open Again?

According to the MDPH website, a beach can only open again when the water is clean and the germ levels are back to a safe range.

There isn’t a set number of days a beach must stay closed—it just depends on when the water gets better!

Here are the easy steps to check if your beach is safe before you go:

1. Visit the MDPH website’s water quality dashboard (their online tool).
2. Look up the beach you want to visit by its name or town.
3. Check its status to see if it is open or still closed.

Important Point: The water quality dashboard is updated regularly, so you always have the newest info on where it’s safe to splash around.

Summary

If you’re planning a beach day in Massachusetts this weekend, make sure you avoid the 70 beaches currently on the closure list. Most are closed because of too many germs (bacteria), some because of sewage spills or bad algae, and a few because of other dangers like strong currents. The state health team will only reopen them when the water is safe again. Always check the online dashboard before you head out!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is the MDPH?
MDPH stands for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. They are the state group that makes sure our water, food, and public places are safe and healthy for everyone.

2. What does "bacterial exceedance" mean in kid words?
It means there are too many invisible sick-making germs (bacteria) in the water—more than what is allowed for safe swimming.

3. How can I check if my local beach is open?
You can visit the Massachusetts water quality dashboard on the MDPH website. It shows which beaches are safe (open) and which are not (closed), and it gets updated all the time.

4. What should I do if I accidentally swim in a closed beach?
If you start feeling sick—like tummy aches, throwing up, a fever, or a rash—tell a grown-up and maybe call a doctor. It’s always best to rinse off with clean water right after swimming anywhere questionable.

5. Why do some beaches say "Other" instead of bacteria?
"Other" means the beach might be closed for non-germ reasons, like dangerous water pull (riptides), poor visibility, or chemical hazards, which can be unsafe for swimmers.

This article is based on original reporting from The Patriot Ledger titled "70 Massachusetts beaches are closed this weekend. Here’s a list by town."