Winter Beach Day (Popham Beach, Maine)


When you think about fun activities to do in the winter, you probably think about skiing, skating or sledding. Have you ever thought about going to the beach? A few days ago, we decided to load up the family and head to one of my favorite beaches in Maine, Popham Beach State Park. This is a beautiful sand beach that runs along the mid-coast of Maine.

The weather conditions were just right for a perfect winter day at the beach. It was a little below freezing at 23 degrees out (yes, you will need to wear layers). There was no wind to whip the cold air in our face. The sun was out and shining, and the tide was low so we could walk as far as we wanted.

Cold waves on Popham Beach

We bundled up the kids and put a leash on the dogs.  Dogs are only allowed on this beach during the winter months because of the piper bird breading grounds around the beach. I love those little piper birds, so cute.  Then we headed to the beautiful sand beach. There were far fewer people than there are in the summer, but at the same time it was more people than I imagined given the temperature. I guess they know the secret magic of a beach during winter too.

We started our walk on the beach heading toward the ocean. A special feature of this beach is when the tide is low you can walk out to an island just off the beach. It is one of my favorite things about this beach. It is a great lesson for the kids about tidal changes. You can see how the waves move and shift the sand. You walk out, as if the water has been parted before you, and a rocky mass of land emerges from the ocean ready to be explored. Once you get out to the island, you can climb and explore. The other side is still deep ocean, so be careful.  I have a fear of heights and these deep-water cliffs, fall into that category for me. You can see a lighthouse on an even farther away island.

Note: Be careful of the changing tide. One does not want to be stuck out there for 10 hours waiting for the tide to go back out again. In the summer someone even comes out to warn you, “tides are about to change, time to think about heading back,” he told us last summer in the nicest way possible.

After trying to make it out to the island, we had to turn back and head to the right side of the beach. We had come to a river passing through the sand that was a little too deep and wide for the kids to cross. As we turned back the sun began to sink low in the sky. Watching the sun bursting through the clouds in spectacular colors, was mesmerizing. The sound of the crashing waves. Watching mini-icebergs float along the tidal river to the far end of the beach, was so beautiful. We marched around and drew pictures in the sand. It was really a magical evening (even though it was cold). There were even a few people riding horses down the beach into the sunset. Isn’t that just so romantic (as long as you know how to ride a horse).

Drawing Pictures in the Sand at Popham Beach

Once the sun was low enough, any amount of warmth we felt from its golden rays, quickly vanished. It was time to go.  We made a quick stop to the well-maintained outhouse (in the summer they have large bathroom facilities and changing rooms). Then we loaded up, defrosted for a minute, and headed home.

Popham beach and the Phippsburg area has even more to offer. Just past the beach entrance, if you keep driving, there is a large fort. It is well maintained and open to explore in the summer. If you take a left before the fort, there is a secret trail that leads to even more forts and a tower. We accidently found this trail once and were amazed by the number of forts to explore and the tall tower at the end of the trail.

If you are brave enough to explore the beach during the winter, then I hope you are pleasantly surprised by how magical it can be.

Note from the editor:  Katrina, thank you for putting this together.  Though it hasn’t been often when I have visited the beach in the winter, I proposed to Angela at Fort Popham on December 19, 1992 (on that little bench near the fort).  Our day was a bit colder and windier, but even though it was almost 30 years ago the memory is firmly cast and a great memory it is.

If you are looking for lodging in Mid-Coast Maine, you can check out this link Results for Lodging Mid-Coast | Maine Vacations and search for vacation homes, cabins/cottages, hous rentals, etc. in the Mid-Coast Region.

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