Horseneck Beach State Reservation

Great beach with ample parking! We got there at noonish on a Sunday and 90% of the overflow parking lot was empty. The beach itself s very nice although there is a lot of seaweed in the water at times. The bathrooms aren’t the cleanest but hey they do have bathrooms.
Certainly worth the trip from Boston!

We’ve been going to Horseneck Beach since I was a baby… a long time ago! Now I primarily go on weekdays when there’s plenty of room to spread out on the beach. Parked all the way to the right… front row parking. Sand is nicely raked out everyday. Water was refreshing with the ever present seaweed floating by. Some small to medium sized waves to play in. Lifeguards are attentive. Bathrooms were fine but we went early in the day before the crowds hit them. A great sun-​kissed day for us!

Very nice beach, parking was close to sand so not bad for carrying items. Only bad part was there were a lot of rocks before you get into the water but other than that very clean and plenty of life guards on duty.

We had been looking for a good place to have some water based fun without wading through enormous crowds of people recently, and I have to say that even though Horseneck Beach was where we stopped looking, it was more where we gave up, rather than where we found a satisfying place.
If you look at the beach from a sand and water perspective, it’s extremely rocky and the sand is ridden with shells. I typically don’t have any problem with simply running into the water and getting wet, but for reasons I can’t really understand, I just wasn’t able to do so at this beach. I’m not sure if it was just the tide or day we were there, but there was a tangible and certainly visible red-​ish algae in the water. Unilocal’s «Business Information» told us that the beach was good for kids, but the water got deep really fast, so small kids are out. For those who still don’t have a smartphone (obviously few and far between but still) or GPS, you’re not gonna be able to find the beach. We used my phone’s GPS to locate the beach, and then stopped it after we thought we knew where we were going. But then suddenly, we were in a bunch of residential neighborhoods. Woah. So we had to put the GPS back on. Altogether, the beach is not one I would visit again. But at least the visit wasn’t a complete fiasco, either.

Great waves, nice breeze. I hadn’t been to Horseneck Beach in many years before going last weekend. Had such a great day that I am going back this weekend. The sand is soft before the rocky bits. The rocks come from the great waves but they aren’t so bad. They have ample lifeguard staff who were on the ball while I was there. Bonus. I have a Massachusetts State Park pass for hiking which gets me into the beach for free!

As far as beaches go this is my go to. I live in Rhode Island but to sit in two
Or more hours traffic to get to our beaches makes no sense to me. Horse neck is the same distance and same price to get Ito without all the traffic. The parking lot is pretty big so never fills up. Always Can find a spot. The sand is clean they definetly are vigilant about keeping it that way. There’s a few food trucks with the usual beach fare and it’s reasonable prices. What is great is there are police and rescue there which is imagine is to combat any potential problems that may arise. There are plenty of lifeguards there so you can feel very safe at this beach. The only complaint I have is the bathrooms. I honestly don’t think they check them at all. I was there from ten to four and the toilet paper was empty. Soap dispense empty and stalls a mess. This won’t keep me from going as the good outweighs the bad. If your a Rhode Islander who doesn’t want to waste the day in beach traffic then check out horse neck !

I love this beach and the waves! The lifeguards are really attentive. That was nice to see. Horseneck has beautiful white soft sand but youll need flipflops or tough feet to get all the way to the water. I like looking for the pretty rocks at the shore line. They really should have working or at least pay showers though, no one wants to drove home sticky sandy. There was no where to rinse off. Boo

It’s been a while since I visited Horseneck beach. The beach seemed less inviting since the last time I visited. A lot of roped off areas and many rocks on the shore. The bathrooms were atrocious. I couldn’t believe how dirty the bathrooms were. The beach could have been cleaner. I noticed some garbage and debris on the beach. The lifeguards were doing their best with the clean up. A tough beach for swimming due to the strong currents. However the water was clean. It wasn’t the best experience but I did enjoy cooling off while enjoying the spectacular views. Westport is a beautiful town.

This beach is amazing! First time time visiting and everything was perfect. I am from Puerto Rico where the water is 75+ degrees all the time. I was looking for a beach that i can actually fall in love with it and I found it :)
I do have to say that the bathrooms needs some cleaning during the day. A couple of food places would not be a bad idea.

Visited this beach on 07/​05/​2015 after going here on and off for more than 35 years. Never seen the beach in worse condition. The shoreline was covered with such a heavy blanket of stones so bad we couldn’t even walk the shoreline. The sand was full of stones as well and large chunks of the beach were closed due to nesting birds. Bathroom facilities were filthy and showers were inoperable. No snack bar anymore. I have not one positive thing to say about this beach… disappointing as this was a favorite of mine for years. It’s obvious this beach is being neglected or mismanaged.

DONT GO!!! This place is a s******* it cost $ 13 a park there are no showers half the beach is roped off and its all rocks

Take my review with a grain of salt: I AM NOT A BEACH PERSON! If you are still reading this, good. Because I think it takes all types of people to write reviews. This review is based solely on the campground, because again, I AM NOT A BEACH PERSON. This campground is one of the ugliest places I have ever had the pleasure of camping at. Sites are wide open and you can clearly see your neighbors in all directions. However, there is a short walk to the beach, where I got bit by the sand fleas. Did I mention I hate the beach? Having said all that, I enjoyed watching the starlings in the morning, and I hear the migratory path of the monarch butterflies falls directly on the campground. If you are there on the right night, the campers that are there seasonally set off paper lanterns over the campground. Not only is it beautiful, I had a good time doing that! But to me, I found that not being in the woods, I felt that the campground lacked. Also, my friend that is a seasonal camper had to keep reminding me that «sand happens». That was the mantra that was repeated every time I found sand somewhere new (my drink, my tent, my hair…). I hate sand.

Nice beach, large parking lot, basically clean. saw one cig in sand. warm water bc of south shore.

Great place for sun and sandy beach. My wife and I love tanning there, beautiful surf and about 1.5 miles of beach. South of the beach you can rent space at their camp ground and enjoy the sand and surf all day. It’s a must if you are able to visit the south coast in the summer.

Seven years ago I walked off this beach and swore I would never return — somehow I forgot this pledge and ended up at Horseneck again.
This beach is filthy and unmaintained (there’s a consistent rotten smell from all the garbage dumpsters placed every few yards ON the beach), the structures and parking lots are in disrepair and it seems to be managed by a gaggle of unprofessional teenagers.
Nothing has changed at horseneck, except that the price for parking (non — resident) has increased by nearly 10 dollars. Same low quality, unpleasant experience as before. I’ll stick to RIs beaches from now on. No thanks, Horseneck. Never again. There are so many more worthwhile beach options available nearby.

Beaches nowadays are becoming way too expensive and in my opinion, Rhode Island no longer is the Ocean State. Not only are beaches in Rhode Island very expensive but they cost 20 dollars during the week and 28 dollars on the weekends! Not at Horseneck Beach. I would advise everyone to only go to beaches in Massachusetts because not only are there plenty around but they are much cheaper. It cost me 8 dollars to go to Horseneck and that’s really cheap.
Now getting back to Horseneck, the location is great. It’s right near UMass. This beach is well known for it’s waves and most times, they do not disappoint. If you like a lot of waves, this is the beach to be. Even with low tide the waves are quite powerful.
My trips to Horseneck have varied because while at times the water was clear, at other times, the water was loaded with so much seaweed and rocks that the water was hard to navigate. Just wear sandals so that you don’t have to walk on all those rocks barefooted. Another tidbit to give you is you can sometimes get in the beach for free if you come early. I have attended the beach for free on many occasions and with all the cars that are coming and going later on, they rarely would notice if you left without paying but that’s their fault for not being at the gate earlier, right?
Also one thing that is a bit unusual is the new toilets. Normally I wouldn’t mention them but they are really deep like tunnels so be careful not to bring in valuables in there with you. I’ve never seen anything like them before. I find them disturbing.
Update: They raised the parking to 13 dollars. Boo! More of a reason to go early to avoid the fee.

Spent the day in Providence yesterday wandering around College Hill. We decided we needed to walk a beach and we ended up here at Horseneck. Great beach and the parking was free, we got there after 6:00 p.m.
There is a bath house and outside showers.
The beach was clean and the water was warm, although I hear it is usually cold. A nice ride with places to eat and get ice cream along the way.

When I first moved to Massachusetts, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of beaches I could visit. Not all beaches, I soon learned, were able to accommodate the number of interested patrons… especially those who didn’t want to wake up near dawn to beat any beach traffic and ensure a parking spot. Fortunately, a friend recommended Horseneck to me in large part due to its huge parking lot with hundreds of spaces. Flash forward several years, and Horseneck is still my beach of choice.
Important things to you to consider:
— If you’re a Mass resident, buy a DCR pass and save yourself some money. For us MA folks, the daily parking fee is $ 8 cash and a year-​long pass for all DCR state parks is $ 35. Considering there are about 50 state parks, you do the math. You can buy your pass here with cash.
— There are two entry points to the parking lot: the main one which is either one single line or two lines OR the annual pass gate if you’re lucky and have an annual pass. In a typical summer, I only see the annual pass gate being open maybe a total of three weekend days though so don’t count on that.
— The sand is sort of rocky wherever you go, especially as you go down closer to the water. There is also seaweed washed up so don’t expect pristine sand.
— It is usually pretty windy at Horseneck. I always factor in at least a 5 degree temperature difference due to the frequently strong winds. Not uncommon to see people in long-​sleeves on particularly windy days.
— There are lifeguards and they will whistle at you to protect you going out too far and being in danger of the riptide. Do everyone a favor and listen to them.
— There is a snack bar (in the middle, but a bit closer to the left parking lot), but just bring your own snacks. Just be vigilant about protecting your food from the seagulls who will mercilessly peck your chips and walk all over your stuff when you leave for .02 seconds. (Note: the asshole nature of seagulls is not unique to Horseneck although I contend that as Massachusetts birds they have a chip on their shoulder… wing?)
Additional words to the wise:
— After you enter, you can park either off on the left (smaller area) or off to the right (many more spaces). Both lots have beach access through a little pavilion with a bathroom area (composting toilets and scalding hot water to wash your hands, fyi) and a path. The left lot and beach always seemed to be less crowded to me although the walk may be a teensy bit further to get to the beach.
— If you park on the left side, you’ll find that the beach over there seems to be less crowded. It’s especially great for sunbathers and those without kids. If you REALLY want more privacy, you can enter the beach from the left and then keep walking to the left. Much rockier but no guards (ie: no kids) and it’s pretty darn mellow.
— If you park on the right side and go to that beach, get ready for some SWEET people watching (and really, people listening). You will be much more crowded on nice days and you’ll be pretty darn close to your neighbors, even if you sit toward the back. There is a good crop of regulars and if you’re lucky, you’ll get in with a good crowd… or at least feel like you’re in because you know all about their lives. You might also end up by the radio guy. He keeps the jams coming. There is also a volleyball net on this side. All good things if you want a more lively beach day!
All in all, hooray for beaches and hooray for Horseneck for giving me many different beach atmosphere options all within one place.

I’ve been going to Horseneck a few times each summer since my wife and I came across it while bike riding through the area in the mid-​1990s. The main bathing area was always crowded, but I found that if you walked far enough you could find room to spread out. The beach, dunes, and views are fantastic. Horseneck is — or was — a gem. And I always enjoyed the scenic ride home along Drift Road instead of 88.
I really like Horseneck, which is why my visit last Friday was upsetting. I pulled into a parking lot littered with hundreds, if not a 1,000 or more, plastic cups. Many were Dunkin’ iced coffee cups. Bud Light and other crap beer cans and bottles were also well-​represented on the ground. There was also what looked like household trash and even dirty diapers. A tampon applicator was the first thing we saw when stepping onto the beach. And I saw LOTS of cigarette butts on the beach.
Maybe the DCR sanitation crew wasn’t yet on for the season, or maybe they just couldn’t keep up with the volume of trash, but it was terrible. BTW, I blame the scumbags who litter for the mess, not the DCR. Horseneck is a resource everyone can use, and it’s available inexpensively. You’d think a cheap and beautiful recreational resource ($ 7/​carload; $ 35 season pass) would be appreciated, but too many visitors obviously lack the common decency to at least throw their garbage in a can or bring them home.
I’d like to see the DCR step up enforcement of littering laws; maybe even install cameras to monitor the lot and capture the license plates of offenders. I was so grossed out it’s unlikely I’ll return. And that sucks because I just bought a season pass.
Please let me know what you think of my review by clicking a button below. Thanks!

This is the second time I’ve visited Horseneck Beach. The last time I came here I was childless and this time, I came with a baby literally in tow (he was strapped in a carrier on my back, yoda style). It was the first really hot day of the year (the high was supposed to be 95) and the beach was packed (there was a little traffic on the way there) but it was surprisingly cool and breezy and just pleasant. And though Horseneck was crowded, it’s a very large beach and so people can spread out if they want to. The facilities were somewhat clean for the amount of people using them that day and I can’t comment on the concessions because we brought our own food. $ 7.00 for a family of three on a limited budget made Horseneck Beach a great getaway.
My only complaints were that we had to walk a bit to get to a more isolated spot and it was kind of rocky, but having a perfect beach experience is almost impossible. And the best part of it all was the memory of my son’s first beach trip.