Not only can you peruse this list of the best North Shore beaches, you can vote for your favorite one!

To clarify straightaway: we’re not talking Hawaii here. The North Shore in question isn’t the North Shore of Oahu. It’s the North Shore of Massachusetts. If you want Oahu’s North Shore, go watch the 1987 movie. It’s not as cheesy as you remember.

I grew up on the North Shore. Running around Greenwood in Wakefield as a kid, eating my way up and down Rt. 1 in Saugus, hitting the beaches in Gloucester and beyond. So I consider myself a bit of a North Shore expert. More on that below.

Best North Shore Beaches: Beach Bums Unite

In recent years, I’ve spent more time at Wells Beach in Maine than any of the North Shore beaches. And that’s no front to Front Beach in Rockport or Good Harbor in Gloucester, where I recently had a great beach day with my friend Andrea and her family.

It’s just that Wells has been my destination more often than not. So I did the responsible thing and supplemented my North Shore beach expertise with a bit of crowdsourcing. That’s the one thing Facebook seems to be any good for nowadays.

Best North Shore Beaches: Making the List

After close to 100 comments, I ended up with a pretty robust sampling of North Shore beaches. I’ve listed the alphabetically below, each of the 18 most-mentioned paired with a summer song. So you get a nice playlist with your beach list.

Scroll through the beaches, vote for your favorite, then check out some more North Shore goodies. I have my favorite North Shore ice cream spots here, and a solid list of North Shore roast beef joints here. You know, for a post-beach nosh.

• Crane Beach, Ipswich

  Named for the Crane Estate. So you get the beach, the trails through the marshes, and the Estate itself as a backdrop.

• Dane St. Beach, Beverly

  My youngest kid’s Godparents live just down the road from Dane St. Beach, so we’ve had a lot of great family moments here.

• Dead Horse Beach, Salem

  Right by Salem Willows. Named because, back in the day, this was the spot that was far enough away from Salem’s hustle and bustle to bury a dead horse.

• Front Beach, Rockport

  My move is to hit Bearskin Neck, grab a bite, maybe do some shopping, then hoof it up to Front Beach for seaglass hunting and maybe a swim.

• Good Harbor Beach, Gloucester

  Shout out to my friend Andrea and her family for welcoming us to one of Gloucester’s best beaches and showing us all the local secrets.

• Half Moon Beach, Gloucester

  Back-to-back Gloucester beaches? You bet. And there’ll be a couple more, too. So wait and see if your preferred one pops up.

• Long Beach, Rockport

  I don’t love Long Beach as much as I love Front Beach, but Rockport fans will tell you this is the one to hit.

• Lynch Park Beach, Beverly

  My kids used to hit this one with their mom all the time when they were young. Perfect layout for little kids.

• Nahant Beach, Nahant

  Nahant Beach got lots of love when I asked beachgoers about their favorite North Shore spots. Nahant transcends generations.

• Niles Beach, Gloucester

  Gloucester locals love Niles Beach. Gloucester Harbor and Boston skyline views are just two of the reasons why.

• Plum Island Beach, Newburyport

  Yes, it’s a drive if you’re not close by. But it’s like another world when you get there. Plum Island forever.

• Rice's Beach, Beverly

  Old school Beverly heads still call it Ober Cove. Another great Beverly beach that got tons of love from locals.

• Salisbury Beach, Salisbury

  Shout out to my Auntie Carol and Uncle Kenny, two of the biggest beach bums I know. Salisbury has been their favorite for years.

• Singing Beach, Manchester-by-the-Sea

  Back in college, I worked a Sunday morning radio gig at a private residence up in Manchester-by-the-Sea. Singing Beach was my post-show destination more than a few times.

• Wingaersheek Beach, Gloucester

  Another fave for generations of North Shore folks. I went here in high school, then took my kids here when they were little. You probably did, too.

• Winter Island Park Beach, Beverly

  Here’s a Beverly beach I haven’t paid a visit to yet. But to hear folks talk about it, it’s one we should all make a trek to.

• Winthrop Beach, Winthrop

  Winthrop Beach gets points for being so close to the city. Accessibility is an important thing.

• Yirrell Beach, Winthrop

  Another great beach for families. Kids can play in the sand, splash in the water, and watch planes take off!

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