Best New England Beaches to Visit Anytime of the Year

New England is blessed with many magnificent beaches you can visit throughout the year. These beaches include miles of white sand for walking, refuge and nature trails for exploring, and even beaches hundreds of miles from the ocean. Here's my pick of the best...

HAMMONASSET BEACH STATE PARK, CONNECTICUT:

Connecticut's largest shoreline park offers miles of beach to enjoy swimming, strolling along the boardwalk, or just taking a crisp autumn hike. During the season the Meigs Point Nature Center offers programs and activities for park visitors. The beach can be found off Route 95 exit 62 in the Madison area.

ODIORNE POINT STATE PARK, NEW HAMPSHIRE:

This 300-acre undeveloped shore on New Hampshire's short 18-mile coast is a world away from the high-energy beaches of Hampton. Visit the patchwork of trails and bike path and tour the Seacoast Science Center. Odiorne Point was the site of the first colony settlement in the area and is located 3 miles south of Portsmouth on Route 1A in Rye.

OGUNQUIT BEACH, MAINE:

Ogunquit Beach is three miles of a stunning white sandy beach situated in one of Maine's most picturesque and popular villages and along the famed coastal Route 1. To find more seclusion take the trolley from town center to Footbridge Beach, or walk the Marginal Way footpath to sample the Caribbean-colored white sand region.

CAPE COD NATIONAL SEASHORE, MASSACHUSETTS:

The Cape Cod National Seashore, in my opinion, has the best beaches on the eastern seaboard, with beautiful white sand and miles of open beach for walking and easy access to nature trails. Nauset Beach in Orleans remains one of my favorites - the beach is sign-posted from the town center on Route 6A. But also stunning are Head of the Meadow beach in Truro and Race Point in Province lands. And there's a whole bunch of beaches with lighthouses along Route 6. In the summer the beaches on the Cape Cod Bay side tend to be better for families as the waters are warmer and less under-tow.

CRANE BEACH, MASSACHUSETTS:

Crane Beach is also a managed area for wildlife and the dunes, and a superb white sand beach with over 5 miles of trails and 1,200 acres of recreation and conservation. This is a beach not only to take a doze while listening to the waves, but also discover a habitat where protection is first job. Though the in-season parking fee is expensive it remains my favorite ocean beach in the Boston area. Crane Beach is on Argilla Road in Ipswich, on the North Shore of Boston.

NAPATREE POINT, RHODE ISLAND:

Watch Hill is a perfectly preserved Victorian seaside town removed from the crowded Misquamicut beaches. The town has shops to browse, a picturesque lighthouse, and an antique merry-go-round. Entrance to the invigorating Napatree Point walk is at the carousel, and takes you through dunes, scenic views, and to an old fort. You can reach the town by taking Route 1A south from Westerly.

BUTTON BAY STATE PARK, VERMONT:

Hundreds of miles from any Ocean and bordering northern Vermont and New York is Lake Champlain. Conservation conscious Vermont boasts over 60 state parks, and Button Bay is a beauty. The park can be found by taking Route 22A from Vergennes out to Ferrisburgh. Take your shoes for this walk and stroll out to rocky Button Point to enjoy the views of the island and distant Adirondacks.

No trip to New England is complete without taking the time to enjoy at least one of these marvelous beaches.