Beach wheelchairs

Here you'll find a list of the many DCR coastal and inland beaches that have beach wheelchairs. You will also see a few parks that have the chairs for use on trails, and pools or spray decks that have chairs for use in the water. There is no cost to use a beach wheelchair, but please be sure to bring your own help to transfer into the chairs. Because these chairs have large balloon tires that you can’t move by hand, you will also need to bring someone to push you. The availability of beach wheelchairs depends on park staff to provide the chair.

Find beach wheelchairs in Massachusetts state parks and enjoy access to the beach and to the water. Beach wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Beach wheelchair use

Beach wheelchairs are designed for use on gentle, sandy terrain. Beach wheelchairs are managed by lifeguards or other park or beach staff. You will need to get in contact with staff to use a beach wheelchair. Try calling in advance or stopping by to talk to staff before you visit the beach. You can also ask on site when you arrive to use the beach.

Conditions on the beach like steepness, debris from storms, rocks, and distance to the water may restrict the use of beach wheelchairs. If there are cobblestones or other obstacles on a beach, you may not be able to get to the edge of the water in the beach chair. Weather and water conditions may also restrict use on the beach, in the water, or both.

Please respect and follow the decisions and directions of lifeguards and park staff while using the chairs.

Sunbathing beach wheelchairs

Sunbathing beach wheelchairs can get you out on the sand to enjoy the beach.

Sand and sunbathing beach wheelchairs are made of PVC pipe. These chairs have a seat belt, a footrest, a beach umbrella holder, and a movable arm for transfer. This style of chair can go across the sand but it can’t go into the water, because the wheels will float and the chair will tip over. If you want to go into the water in a chair, you will need to use a floating beach wheelchair. The weight limit for sunbathing beach wheelchairs is 275 pounds.

Floating beach wheelchairs

Floating beach wheelchairs have three wheels, support for your legs to be stretched out, and floats under the arm rests.

Floating beach wheelchairs let you move across the beach and go into the water. You can lie back with your feet out in front of you, and the chair back is high enough to support your head. These chairs have a chest harness that you should buckle on when you are moving across the beach, a handle in the back so you can be pushed, and a strap in the front to help pull the chair. The bright orange plastic floats under the armrests let the chair float in the water. The weight limit for floating beach wheelchairs is 300 pounds. 

Floating chairs can only go into the water in good weather and water conditions. You will need to bring your own Coast Guard-certified personal flotation device and wear it while you are floating in the chair. An adult needs to be responsible for the chair at all times. You will need to bring another person with you to stay close and control the chair while it is in the water.

Boston area beach wheelchair locations

Location	Community	Sunbathing Chairs	Floating Chairs
Beaver Brook Spray Deck	Belmont	1	0
Carson Beach	South Boston	3	1
Connell Memorial Swimming Pool	Weymouth	1	0
Connors Memorial Swimming Pool	Waltham	0	1
Constitution Beach	East Boston	1	1
Houghton's Pond, Blue Hills Reservation	Milton	1	1
Malibu Beach	Dorchester	1	0
Mystic River State Reservation, Shannon Beach	Medford	1	0
Nahant Beach	Lynn	1	1
Nantasket Beach	Hull	3	5
Olsen Spray Deck	Hyde Park	1	0
Pleasure Bay Beach	South Boston	1	1
Quincy Shores Reservation, Wollaston Beach	Quincy	2	0
Revere Beach	Revere	1	1
Spectacle Island Beach	Boston Harbor	1	1
Winthrop Shore Reservation, Short Beach	Winthrop	1	0

North region beach wheelchair locations

Location	Community	Sunbathing Chairs	Floating Chairs
Bradley Palmer State Park Wading Pool	Topsfield	1	0
Breakheart Reservation, John A. Pierce Lake	Saugus	1	0
Halibut Point State Park, Trails	Rockporrt	1	0
Harold Parker State Forest, Berry Pond Day Use Beach	North Andover	2	0
Maudslay State Park Trails	Newburyport	2	0
Salisbury Beach State Reservation Main Beach	Salisbury	9	2
Sandy Point State Reservation Beach	Ipswich	1	0
Walden Pond State Reservation Beach	Concord	2	2
Willard Brook State Forest and Pearl Hill State Park Trails	Ashby-Townsend	1	0

South region beach wheelchair locations

Location	Community	Sunbathing Chairs	Floating Chairs
Borderland State Park Trails	Sharon	2	0
Demarest Lloyd State Park Beach (This beach has cobblestones. You may not be able to get to the edge of the water.)	South Dartmouth	0	2
Fort Phoenix State Reservation Beach	Fairhaven	0	3
Horseneck Beach State Reservation Main Beach (This beach has cobblestones. You may not be able to get to the edge of the water. Surf conditions don't allow you to go into the water at this beach.)	Westport	5	3
Massasoit State Park Campers Beach	East Taunton	1	0
Myles Standish State Forest College Pond and Fearing Pond Day Use Area	Carver	2	0
Nickerson State Park Beach	Brewster	1	0
Scusset Beach State Reservation Beach	Sandwich	3	2
South Cape Beach State Park Beach	Mashpee	2	0
Watson Pond State Park Beach	Taunton	1	0

Central region beach wheelchair locations

Location	Community	Sunbathing Chairs	Floating Chairs
Ashland State Park Beach	Ashland	1	0
Cochituate State Park Beach	Natick	1	1
Douglas State Forest, Wallum Lake Beach	Douglas	1	0
Dunn State Park, Dunn Pond Beach	Gardner	1	1
Erving State Forest, Laurel Lake Beach	Erving	1	1
Hopkinton State Park Main Beach	Hopkinton	2	1
Lake Dennison Recreation Area Day Use Beach	Winchendon	1	1
Lake Wyola State Park Beach	Shutesbury	1	1
Quinsigamond State Park, Regatta Point Beach	Worcester	1	1

West region beach wheelchair locations

Location	Community	Sunbathing Chairs	Floating Chairs
Beartown State Forest, Benedict Pond Beach	Monterey	1	0
Chicopee Memorial State Park Beach	Chicopee	1	1
DAR State Forest Day Use Beach	Goshen	1	1
Hampton Ponds State Park, Lamberts Beach & Kingsley Beach	Westfield	2	1

Additional Resources

DCR Beach Wheelchair Locations

Date published:	September 15, 2022
Last updated:	January 9, 2023