York Beach, Maine: A Guide to Short Sands, Long Sands and Every York Beach

Every Jersey girl has a beach. Mine might be in Cape May, yours in Ocean Grove or on LBI. But there's something about a New England beach that pulls even the most loyal shore person north at least once. The sand is cooler underfoot. The water is a whole different shade of blue-gray. And at the end of the drive there's a little white lighthouse on a rock, looking exactly like a postcard.

York Beach, Maine, is where I'd send you for that. York sits at the very southern tip of Maine, just over the New Hampshire line from Portsmouth. It's an easy long weekend from New Jersey, straight up I-95 past Boston. In one compact town you get four very different beaches: a village beach with a bandstand, a long surf beach, a small harbor beach, and a tiny cove tucked off Shore Road.

This is a page from my travel notebook, the York weekend I'd plan. It goes beach by beach, with what the Town of York actually says about parking, restrooms, lifeguards and dogs. Then it adds the two non-beach stops nobody should skip: Nubble Light and a box of taffy.

How I put this together

The beach facts here come straight from York Parks and Recreation, which maintains the town's beaches, plus the Goldenrod's own website. I checked everything in November 2026. I haven't printed parking prices or shop hours. Both change, and the kiosks and websites are the final word. Treat this as a map and a plan, then confirm the small stuff the week you go.

York's beaches at a glance

Beach	Village	Restrooms	Lifeguards	Parking	Best for
Short Sands	York Beach	Yes, seasonal	Yes, summer	Kiosk lot off Ocean Ave	Families, village strolling
Long Sands	York Beach / Route 1A	Yes, at halfway point	Yes, summer	Kiosk along Long Beach Ave	Long walks, surfing, Nubble views
Harbor Beach	York Harbor	Yes	Yes, summer	Kiosk on York St	A smaller, quieter swim
Cape Neddick Beach	Cape Neddick	No	No	Resident permit only	Locals and walk-ins

All four are smoke-free, and grills, campfires and bonfires are prohibited on all of them. Pack out your trash, too. The town asks every visitor to carry out what they bring.

Short Sands Beach: the village beach

Short Sands Beach (Ellis Park)

beach · York

Known for York Beach village's beach inside Ellis Park, with a playground, gazebo, bandstand, picnic lawn, restrooms and seasonal lifeguards.

Ocean Ave (Route 1A), York Beach, ME 03910

• restrooms
• wheelchair accessible

WebsiteDirections

Checked against official sources Nov 2026

Short Sands is the beach at the heart of York Beach village, on Ocean Avenue (Route 1A). It's small, sheltered and right in the middle of everything, which is exactly why families love it.

What makes Short Sands special is what's behind it. The beach sits inside Ellis Park, run by the Ellis Park Committee, with the town sharing maintenance. The park has a playground, a gazebo, a covered bandstand, basketball courts and a grassy picnic area. That's a lot of backup for the moment a five-year-old declares the ocean "too cold."

Facilities. Public restrooms are open from May 1 through Columbus Day weekend. Their hours stretch to 10 p.m. in high summer, from June 16 to September 15, and run shorter in spring and fall. Seasonal lifeguards are on duty daily from the last week of June through Labor Day, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Two beach wheelchairs are kept at the bathhouse.

Parking. Use the kiosk lot off Ocean Avenue, in marked spaces only. Kiosk parking runs April 15 to October 31, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Vehicles over 22 feet or towing trailers aren't allowed in town lots, and oversized vehicles are limited to one space.

Good to know. Surfing is prohibited at Short Sands under the Ellis Park ordinances. If someone in your group wants to surf, head to Long Sands instead.

The Goldenrod

candy shop, ice cream and restaurant · York

Known for A York Beach candy store, homemade ice cream shop and restaurant since 1896, making salt water taffy on site. Seasonal.

2 Railroad Ave, York Beach, ME 03910

WebsiteDirections

Checked against official sources Nov 2026

Right across from Short Sands is the Goldenrod, which has been in York Beach since 1896. It's a candy store, a homemade ice cream shop and a restaurant, with breakfast, lunch, dinner and soda fountain menus. Its salt water taffy is made on site, and this is the place behind the famous Goldenrod Kisses.

For a beach day, I'd make it the reward at the end. Sandy feet, a cone or a box of taffy, and a walk back across to the beach as the light goes gold. The Goldenrod also sells its candy by mail order, so if you fall for it, you can keep the habit going from New Jersey.

One important note: the Goldenrod is seasonal. As of November 2026 its website says it's closed for the season. Check its site for the reopening date before you build a trip around it.

Long Sands Beach: the big one

Long Sands Beach

beach · York

Known for York's long beach on Route 1A between York Harbor and York Beach, with a designated surfing area, a halfway-point restroom and seasonal lifeguards.

Long Beach Ave (Route 1A), York Beach, ME 03910

• restrooms
• wheelchair accessible

WebsiteDirections

Checked against official sources Nov 2026

Long Sands is York's long, open beach on Long Beach Avenue (Route 1A), halfway between York Harbor and York Beach. It's the beach in most photos of York. That's the long curve of sand with the road and cottages running alongside it and Nubble Light peeking out at the north end.

It's the beach for walkers, surfers and anyone who wants room to spread out. York Parks and Recreation maintains it.

Facilities. A public restroom sits at the halfway point, open from the first weekend in May through Columbus Day. Lifeguards are on duty daily from the last week of June through Labor Day, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Two beach wheelchairs are available at the bathhouse.

Parking. Metered kiosk parking runs April 15 to October 31, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Part of Long Beach Avenue, from Libby's Campground to Nubble Road, also allows permit parking. The town notes that permit parking is in lined, marked spaces only. Read the signs at your spot, and pay at the kiosk if you don't have a permit.

Surfing and other rules. Surfing is allowed only in the designated surfing area, in mixed-use zones marked by orange buoys. Kayaks may launch only from the surfing area with lifeguard approval. Surfcasting is allowed only when no swimmers are in the water or on the beach.

My plan. Go early. Walk the whole length at low tide, then park yourself near the north end so Nubble Light is on your horizon all afternoon.

Cape Neddick (Nubble) Light at Sohier Park

lighthouse viewpoint · York

Known for Town-owned park facing the 1879 Cape Neddick Light; free parking, seasonal gift shop and restrooms.

Sohier Park, York, ME 03909

• free parking

WebsiteDirections

Checked against official sources Nov 2026

Just past the north end of Long Sands, a little road winds out to Sohier Park and one of the most photographed lighthouses in New England. Cape Neddick Light, known to everyone as "the Nubble," sits on a small rocky island just offshore.

The history is short and sweet. Congress set aside money to build it in 1878, and the light station was lit on July 1, 1879, with a fourth-order Fresnel lens. Thirteen keepers and their families lived on the island over more than a century. The light was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 and automated in 1987. The Town of York took ownership in 1997.

You can't visit the island itself. York Parks and Recreation says the only way the general public can get out there is by winning its picnic raffle, where one winner and a few friends have lunch at the lighthouse. Tickets are sold in person at the Sohier Park gift shop in season or at the Parks and Recreation office on Route 1. For the rest of us, the view from the park is the whole show.

Parking and facilities. Parking at Sohier Park is free, with about 50 lined spots. Overnight parking isn't allowed. The park's gift shop and restrooms open seasonally, from early May to mid-October, and gift shop sales support the lighthouse's upkeep. As of November 2026 they're closed for the season. The view, happily, never closes.

Harbor Beach: small and sheltered

Harbor Beach

beach · York

Known for A smaller York Harbor beach with restrooms, seasonal lifeguards and shady Hartley Mason Park next door.

York St (Route 1A), York Harbor, ME 03911

• restrooms

WebsiteDirections

Checked against official sources Nov 2026

Harbor Beach is the smaller beach in York Harbor, on York Street (Route 1A). It's tucked into the harbor side of town, a different mood from the open sweep of Long Sands. York Parks and Recreation maintains it.

Facilities. Public restrooms, seasonal lifeguards on the same schedule as Long Sands, and one beach wheelchair at the bathhouse. Next door, Hartley Mason Park has benches and shade trees, a welcome bit of green when you've had enough sun.

Parking. Kiosk parking runs April 15 to October 31, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., in marked spaces on York Street between Varrell Lane and Woodbridge Road. Harbor Beach Road and parts of York Street also allow permit parking in designated areas. Read the signs carefully, because the two kinds of spaces sit close together here.

About the Cliff Walk. York Harbor's Cliff Walk starts near this beach, but the town says it's currently closed due to storm damage. Check with York Parks and Recreation before you plan around it.

Who it's for. Couples, readers and anyone who wants a gentler, shadier beach afternoon. Bring a book, sit under the trees at Hartley Mason Park, and swim when the lifeguards are on.

Cape Neddick Beach: the locals' cove

Cape Neddick Beach

beach · York

Known for A small, privately owned beach with a public access point; no lifeguards or restrooms, resident-permit parking only.

Shore Rd, Cape Neddick, ME 03902

WebsiteDirections

Checked against official sources Nov 2026

Cape Neddick Beach, on Shore Road, is the one most out-of-towners won't use, and the town is upfront about why. It's a small, privately owned beach with a public access point. "There are no lifeguards or restroom facilities, and parking is extremely limited," says York Parks and Recreation.

The parking that does exist is permit-only. That's on Shore Road across from the beach entrance and on River Road, and it requires a resident parking sticker. Unless you're staying within walking or biking distance, this isn't a beach to drive to.

I include it so you're not surprised, and because it's worth knowing the full picture. If your rental is nearby and you want a tiny, quiet cove for an early-morning walk, this may be yours. Everyone else should head to Long Sands, Short Sands or Harbor Beach, where the facilities and parking are built for visitors.

Dogs on York beaches

This is the rule that catches out the most visitors, so here it is plainly. From May 20 through September 20, no domestic animals are allowed on York's beaches between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. During that period, dogs must be leashed from 6 p.m. to sunrise. That applies to Long Sands, Short Sands, Harbor Beach and Cape Neddick.

The good news: an evening walk with your dog on Long Sands, with the Nubble lighting up at the far end, is one of the nicest things you can do in York.

A York long weekend from New Jersey

Here's how I'd shape three days.

Day one: arrive and get your bearings. Drive up I-95 and cross into Maine just past Portsmouth. Check in, then head to Sohier Park for your first look at Nubble Light. In early evening, walk Long Sands as the day crowds leave.

Day two: the village beach. Spend the morning at Short Sands, with Ellis Park's playground and picnic lawn as your base. Have lunch in the village and stop at the Goldenrod for ice cream or taffy if it's open. In the afternoon, swap to Long Sands for a surf lesson or a long walk.

Day three: the harbor. Take a slow morning at Harbor Beach and sit in the shade at Hartley Mason Park. Then begin the drive home with a bag of taffy on the passenger seat.

When to go

Summer is the classic season. The lifeguards are on from the last week of June through Labor Day, and restrooms and shops are open. Shoulder seasons are quieter and cooler. Restrooms open in May and close around Columbus Day, and the Sohier Park gift shop runs early May to mid-October. Kiosk parking applies from April 15 to October 31.

If you want a closer-to-home beach weekend first, start with my guide to Jersey Shore towns or things to do in Cape May. Then save York for the summer you want something new. For more drivable escapes, my weekend getaways list is a good next page.

Every place in this guide, on the map

1. Short Sands Beach (Ellis Park)Ocean Ave (Route 1A), York Beach, ME 03910
2. The Goldenrod2 Railroad Ave, York Beach, ME 03910
3. Long Sands BeachLong Beach Ave (Route 1A), York Beach, ME 03910
4. Cape Neddick (Nubble) Light at Sohier ParkSohier Park, York, ME 03909
5. Harbor BeachYork St (Route 1A), York Harbor, ME 03911
6. Cape Neddick BeachShore Rd, Cape Neddick, ME 03902

Questions people ask

Which is better, Short Sands or Long Sands in York, Maine?

It depends on your crew. Short Sands is the compact village beach, with Ellis Park's playground, bandstand and picnic lawn behind it and shops and the Goldenrod across the street. Long Sands is the long, open stretch along Route 1A, with a designated surfing area and the view toward Nubble Light. Families with small kids often prefer Short Sands; walkers and surfers lean Long Sands.

Where do you park for York Beach, Maine?

Long Sands and Short Sands both use paid kiosk parking from April 15 to October 31, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Long Sands parking runs along Long Beach Avenue, and Short Sands uses the lot off Ocean Avenue. Harbor Beach has kiosk spaces on York Street. Some stretches are resident-permit only, so park in marked spaces and read the signs. Rates are posted on the kiosks.

Are dogs allowed on York beaches?

Not in the middle of a summer day. The Town of York prohibits domestic animals on its beaches between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. from May 20 through September 20, and dogs must be leashed from 6 p.m. to sunrise during that period. Outside those dates, check current posted rules. Early mornings and evenings in the off-season are the dog-walking sweet spot.

Can you go out to Nubble Lighthouse?

Not on your own. Cape Neddick 'Nubble' Light sits on a small island just off Sohier Park, and you view it from the park. York Parks and Recreation says the only way the general public can get to the lighthouse is by winning its annual picnic raffle, with tickets sold at the seasonal Sohier Park gift shop and the Parks and Recreation office.

Do York beaches have lifeguards and restrooms?

Long Sands, Short Sands and Harbor Beach all have public restrooms and seasonal lifeguards. Lifeguards are on duty daily from the last week of June through Labor Day, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Restroom seasons run roughly May through Columbus Day. Cape Neddick Beach has no lifeguards or restrooms. Long Sands, Short Sands and Harbor Beach also keep beach wheelchairs at their bathhouses.

Spot something out of date, or know a place we should add? Tell us. Corrections are read first.