Discovering Maine"s Rocky Coast With Kids: York Beach

By Maine Author Jennifer Ellen Parker

York Harbor Beach, York ME

003-The first weeks of Summer have delivered some of the most incredible weather along the rocky coast of Maine.  We loaded up our boogie boards, towels and lunch and headed for one of our favorite beaches in Southern Maine.  It’s tucked in between a small cliff walk and a popular seaside destination.  It’s one of the few beaches that you can still find free parking if you’re willing to walk a little bit.  We unpacked our car and filled our arms with everything needed for a day at the beach.  The girls were dressed in their striped suits and flip flops  ready to dive into the water the minute we arrived.   We locked our car and headed down towards the perfectly manicured seaside park.  The water glistened from our view atop the cliffs. Families were scattered along the beach and many people were already in the water.   The girls skipped ahead down the stone path, impatient to reach the sand and shells.

The water has been unusually warm this Summer.  I stood in the waves ankle deep and watched as the girls rode their boards all the way onto the shore.   The warm temperature beckoned me in and soon after I was diving underneath the waves and floating next to the girls.  The change of tides kept us on our toes as we constantly had to shift our chairs and towels back towards the rock hill to keep our things dry.   Just as we had run out of space with the arrival of high tide we decided to pack up and head home for a dip in our pool.   Tired and spent from too much sun and fun we clambered up the stone path through the seaside park back towards where we had parked our car.  The girls dragged their boards behind them and as we climbed, I looked back over the beach we had left only minutes before.  How did we get so lucky to be just a short drive away from one of the most beautiful spots on the East Coast?  The horizon was speckled with lobster boats and buoys.  Gulls circled the beach waiting for a snack to be revealed and visitors to the resort were learning how to sail.  I smiled and turned back towards the path lined with fragrant beach roses.  A simple day spent at York Harbor Beach had offered up one of the most fun and inviting days of the Summer.