Get to the Shore!

Along the coast of Massachusetts there are hundreds of places to access sprawling sandy beaches, rocky coastline, pristine salt marshes, and bustling ports and harbors. This Tip of the Month focuses on coastal access in the Commonwealth, including public rights and responsibilities, public access sites, and environmental protection issues.

Coastal Access Rights in Massachusetts

In Massachusetts, the intertidal zone (the area between high and low water) is typically owned by the upland private property owner, with the following rights reserved for the public: fishing, fowling, and navigation. For more on the details of waterfront property law, see:

• Public Rights Along the Shoreline, an electronic fact sheet from Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM).
• Public Rights/Private Property, an online brochure from the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office.
• The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection's (MassDEP) web page on Chapter 91, the Commonwealth's primary tool for protection and promotion of public use of tidelands and other waterways.

Public Coastline

About 25 percent of the shoreline in Massachusetts is publicly owned. For more on finding and visiting some of these sites see:

• Massachusetts Coast Guide to Boston Harbor and the North Shore
• The Online Locator of Coastal Public Access Sites allows you make personalized maps to beaches, rocky shores, boat ramps, and other shoreline sites open to the public.
• The Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program Website for Public Access to Buzzards Bay and Its Shores.
• Information on the Office of Fishing and Boating Access (FBA), which maintains boat and canoe access sites at more than 200 locations on coastal waters, great ponds, and rivers throughout Massachusetts. Also, see the MassGIS Web site for an interactive mapping feature of FBA sites.
• The CZM Coastal Trails Web page
• The CZM Boat and Beach Web page
• The Surfrider State of the Beaches latest on-line evaluation of Massachusetts coastal access

Coastal Access and a Clean Environment

Environmental quality is important to coastal public access to ensure safe swimming and fishing, and to maintain the aesthetic quality of the shoreline. For more on coastal water quality and how to protect the coastal environment when visiting the shore, see:

• The Massachusetts Department of Public Health Marine Beach Testing in Massachusetts Web page.
• The Barnstable County Web site for a directory of Cape Cod beach water quality.
• The Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program Website for a page on beach contamination, human health, and testing requirements in Massachusetts.
• The Surfrider State of the Beaches latest on-line report on Massachusetts beaches water quality.
• CZM's on-line Be a Coastal Caretaker fact sheet.
• An EPA Web fact sheet on beaches, watersheds, and water quality.
• An EPA Web page with answers to frequently asked questions on beach water quality, health impacts, and water quality protection.
• An EPA-Region 1 PDF flyer on protecting beach water quality.

Other Interesting Beach and Access Information

• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) maintains water temperature data for selected areas of the coast, including Boston Harbor and Woods Hole.
• The Maine Harbors Web site includes tide and weather information for the entire New England coast.
• To visit some of the coastal locations from the comfort of your computer screen, check out CZM's Web cam page.