Horseneck Beach State Reservation
Encyclopedia
The Horseneck Beach State Reservation is a large public state beach reservation on Westport River
, Westport Harbor, Horseneck Channel, The Let, Rhode Island Sound
, and Buzzards Bay
, in the southern portion of the town of Westport
, Massachusetts
, USA
.
's mainland and mostly into Rhode Island Sound
(southwest) and Buzzards Bay
(southeast). The reservation contains about 600 acres (2.4 km²) (or 2 miles) of barrier beach, marshland, and a protected estuary habitat. Most of the marshland is concentrated at the northern portion of the peninsula bordering Horseneck Channel and The Let. The beach is located along the southern portion of the peninsula, bordering Rhode Island Sound and Buzzards Bay.
Gooseberry Neck is an offshoot peninsula of the parent Horseneck peninsula. It divides part of Rhode Island Sound from Buzzards Bay in the Atlantic Ocean
.
The campground office hours are 8am–10pm; the regular camping season is from mid-May through mid-October. Swimming is only permitted at designated beaches in the reservation, and pets are not allowed at the main beach but they are allowed at the campground and Gooseberry Island. All the sand dunes are protected-entrance prohibited. From mid-may to August Horseneck is nesting ground for the threatened Piping Plover, you must be careful not to go near them or the symbolic fencing.
/Dartmouth
town boundary.
The beach on the state reservation is accessible from the several large designated parking lots on the beaches via toll gates.
The reservation has restroom facilities, a management office, a food bar, designated on-duty lifeguard towers, paved walkways, etc. alongside the beach.
Westport River
The Westport River lies between Narragansett Bay and Buzzards Bay in Westport, Massachusetts.-Description:The Westport River has two branches. The smaller West Branch is approximately long, rising from a confluence of brooks near the village of Adamsville, Rhode Island...
, Westport Harbor, Horseneck Channel, The Let, Rhode Island Sound
Rhode Island Sound
Rhode Island Sound is a strait of water, off the coast of the state of Rhode Island at mouth of Narragansett Bay. It forms the eastern extension of Long Island Sound and opens out the Atlantic Ocean between Block Island and Martha's Vineyard....
, and Buzzards Bay
Buzzards Bay (bay)
Buzzards Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is approximately 28 miles long by 8 miles wide. It is a popular destination for fishing, boating, and tourism. Since 1914, Buzzards Bay has been connected to Cape Cod Bay by the Cape Cod Canal...
, in the southern portion of the town of Westport
Westport, Massachusetts
Westport is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 15,532 at the 2010 census.The village of North Westport lies in the town.- History :...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Composition
The state reservation is an oddly-shaped peninsula sticking out from WestportWestport, Massachusetts
Westport is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 15,532 at the 2010 census.The village of North Westport lies in the town.- History :...
's mainland and mostly into Rhode Island Sound
Rhode Island Sound
Rhode Island Sound is a strait of water, off the coast of the state of Rhode Island at mouth of Narragansett Bay. It forms the eastern extension of Long Island Sound and opens out the Atlantic Ocean between Block Island and Martha's Vineyard....
(southwest) and Buzzards Bay
Buzzards Bay (bay)
Buzzards Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is approximately 28 miles long by 8 miles wide. It is a popular destination for fishing, boating, and tourism. Since 1914, Buzzards Bay has been connected to Cape Cod Bay by the Cape Cod Canal...
(southeast). The reservation contains about 600 acres (2.4 km²) (or 2 miles) of barrier beach, marshland, and a protected estuary habitat. Most of the marshland is concentrated at the northern portion of the peninsula bordering Horseneck Channel and The Let. The beach is located along the southern portion of the peninsula, bordering Rhode Island Sound and Buzzards Bay.
Gooseberry Neck is an offshoot peninsula of the parent Horseneck peninsula. It divides part of Rhode Island Sound from Buzzards Bay in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.
The Beach
Spread across nearly 600 acres (2.4 km²) of barrier beach and salt marsh, Horseneck Beach is one of the most popular facilities in the Massachusetts State Forests and Parks system. Located at the western end of Buzzards Bay, the sandy, southwest-facing, 2 miles (3.2 km) long beach is breezy all year round, providing excellent wind surfing and a dependable respite from sweltering inland temperatures every summer. The combination of ocean beach and estuary habitat makes Horseneck one of the premier birding locations in New England. Behind the dunes near Gooseberry Neck (a rocky headland at the eastern end of the Reservation).The campground office hours are 8am–10pm; the regular camping season is from mid-May through mid-October. Swimming is only permitted at designated beaches in the reservation, and pets are not allowed at the main beach but they are allowed at the campground and Gooseberry Island. All the sand dunes are protected-entrance prohibited. From mid-may to August Horseneck is nesting ground for the threatened Piping Plover, you must be careful not to go near them or the symbolic fencing.
Accessibility
The state reservation is easily accessible from the Bascule Bridge via Route 88, an offshoot of Interstate 195. Route 88 is the main (and direct) route of the two land routes to Horseneck. The other land route to Horseneck is East Beach Road via Horseneck Road, on the peninsula's connector, near the WestportWestport, Massachusetts
Westport is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 15,532 at the 2010 census.The village of North Westport lies in the town.- History :...
/Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Massachusetts
Dartmouth is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States established in 1664. The population was 30,665 at the 2000 census. It is the location of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth....
town boundary.
The beach on the state reservation is accessible from the several large designated parking lots on the beaches via toll gates.
Establishments
There are several roads, mostly paved, located on the state reservation. Route 88 ends at its terminus on Horseneck, where John Reed Road, the main road serving the reservation, begins. John Reed Road ends at East Beach Road on the eastern portion of the peninsula.The reservation has restroom facilities, a management office, a food bar, designated on-duty lifeguard towers, paved walkways, etc. alongside the beach.
Recreational opportunities
- Accessible Beaches
- Accessible Camping
- Accessible Picnicking
- Accessible Restrooms
- Boating (all types)
- Boat Ramp
- Fishing
- Historic Site
- Picnicking
- Showers
- Swimming
- Trailer / R.V. Dumping
External links
- Horseneck Beach State Reservation from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and RecreationDepartment of Conservation and Recreation (Massachusetts)The Department of Conservation and Recreation is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, situated in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It is best known for its parks and parkways. As of May 24, 2011 the Commissioner of the DCR is Edward M. Lambert, Jr...
website - Horseneck Beach is rated among the Top 10 New England Beaches.
- Pictures of Horseneck Beach from the Westport Historical Society website
- Horseneck Beach State Reservation from L. L. BeanL. L. BeanL.L. Bean, Inc., branded as L.L.Bean, is a privately held mail-order, online and retail company based in Freeport, Maine, United States, specializing in clothing and outdoor recreation equipment...
website