Our Beaches
All five beaches listed below are free and open to the public!
Note: Click on each beach name below to see its location on Maps
Short Beach
About Short Beach
Short beach is a favorite among residents. The half mile long beach offers a wide stretch of soft sand, which is met with clear water and small rolling waves. The southern stretch of the beach is located beside downtown Nahant, right across from various restaurants and stores.
Parking & More
Parking for Short Beach is available at the parking lot adjacent to Lowlands Park. This lot is restricted parking – A Nahant Resident Sticker is required to park. No public parking.
The MBTA bus route makes several stops along Short Beach.
The water quality is tested at Short Beach from June 1-August 31.
There are no life guards at this beach.
No dogs permitted on the beach May-September.
FEMA
The Town of Nahant has applied for a Hazard Mitigation Grant through FEMA for the Short Beach Dune Restoration. The purpose if the proposed action is to reduce the risk of flood damage and coastal erosion along a section of Nahant Road, increase resilience against future climate change-related sea level rise; and maintain critical links to the infrastructure, homes and businesses in Big Nahant. The proposed action is needed because the stretch of Nahant Road along Short Beach, the site of the proposed action, is the only roadway connecting Big Nahant to Little Nahant and the mainland. In the event of overtopping of Nahant Road, Little Nahant is isolated from all local emergency services on Big Nahant including Nahant Fire, Nahant Police and the local emergency shelter location, as well as the Johnson School. In addition Big Nahant is cut off from all land based evacuation routes.
Below is the compliance checklist for this project as well as a public notice.
Short Beach Dune Restoration Compliance Checklist
Short Beach Dune Restoration Public Notice
Tudor Beach
About Tudor Beach
Tudor Beach is a wide rocky beach on the south side of Nahant, located in the Nahant Harbor. There is a wide walking path with benches, between the road and the beach.
Parking & More
There is no designated parking for Tudor Beach, although the Nahant Wharf has minimal parking and is a short walk away. Parking and a Nahant Resident Sticker is required. There is no public parking.
The MBTA bus route makes several stops along Tudor Beach.
The water quality is tested at Tudor Beach from June 1-August 31.
There are no life guards at this beach.
No dogs permitted on the beach May-September.
Canoe Beach
About Canoe Beach
Canoe Beach is very different from other Nahant beaches, in that it is a favorite among local divers. The rocky beach lends itself to unique rock formations and abundant marine life. The beach is located between 40 Steps Beach, and Northeastern University’s Marine Science Center.
Parking & More
There is a small lot designated to Canoe Beach parking and requires a Nahant Resident Parking Sticker. There is No public parking.
There is no water quality testing done at Canoe Beach.
There are no life guards at this beach.
No dogs permitted on the beach May-September.
Black Rock/Doggie Beach
About Doggie Beach
Doggie Beach is the only beach on Nahant that is open to dogs year around! Dogs are not required to be on a leash. The beach looks out towards the Boston skyline.
Parking & More
Parking is available for Nahant residents in the lot adjacent to Lowlands Park. Public parking is available at Nahant Beach/Long Beach for $10.
The water quality is tested at Doggie Beach once a week from June 1st – August 31st
There are no life guards at this beach.
40 Steps Beach
About 40 Steps Beach
40 Steps beach has two benches and a beautiful outlook along the road and at the stop of the stairs. Although there are now more than 40 stairs, they lead you down to a pebbled beach. 40 Steps Beach is adjacent to Canoe Beach which is a popular spot for diving, as is the right side of the cove at 40 Steps Beach.
Parking & More
While there is no parking directly at 40 Steps Beach, there is a small lot at Canoe Beach that is open to Nahant residents only. This being said, a popular way to get to 40 Steps Beach is to bike there, since Nahant has quiet, winding streets.
The water quality is tested at 40 Steps Beach from June 1st -August 31st.
There are no lifeguards at this beach.
No dogs permitted on the beach May-September.
Water Testing
We test our beach water quality, on the beaches listed above, on a weekly basis. If one of our beaches is closed for swimming, red flags will be up and the closing will be posted under Beach Water Quality Testing Results on the right hand side of this page.
Nahant Beach Reservation (the beach along the causeway) is run by the DCR. If that beach is closed for swimming it will be listed on mass.gov under Lynn Beach DCR and you can check the results by clicking this link.