Now that the busy, summer beach season has kicked into high gear at Crane Beach on the Crane Estate, The Trustees of Reservations, which own and manage the beach, offer some important updates and friendly reminders to help make your trip to Crane the best. Voted the “best beach in Massachusetts” by Boston.com and the “best beach for car-free travel” by Boston Sunday Globe Magazine, Crane Beach is a premier summer destination for people from near and far. The following is some important information for our beach visitors:
BEACH PARKING & FEES:
Parking: Parking at Crane Beach is on a first-come, first-served basis. During busier times like weekends and holidays, The Trustees recommend arriving early (or late in the day), carpooling and/or using public transportation.
Beach Parking Permit Sticker Program: The easiest and most economical way to access Crane Beach is to sign up for the Crane Beach Parking Permit Sticker Program. The sticker goes right on your car windshield and allows members (and everyone in their vehicle) to park at Crane Beach for no additional charge from May 1, 2012–April 30, 2013. The parking sticker is $75 and available to Trustees members. Membership in The Trustees starts at just $47 per year for individuals ($37 for students and seniors) and $67 for families. With a Trustees membership, you can also enjoy savings at nearby events and programs, including the Castle Hill Summer Concert Picnic Series, Crane Wildlife Refuge Guided Kayak tours, and Appleton Farms’ Family Farm Day event, just to name a few.
Fees: For visitors who choose not to become Trustees members, beach admission prices are $25 on weekends and $15 on weekdays. After 3:00 p.m., all beach admission prices decrease by 50%. Members who choose not to purchase a parking permit sticker pay $20 at the beach gate on weekend and $10 on weekdays. Membership and admission fees help to support the critical work of The Trustees, including the ongoing management, maintenance and care of special places like Crane Beach and our 106 other remarkable properties on the North Shore and across the state.
BEACH PROGRAMS:
Kayaking: Experience the beach or dunes from the water. The Trustees are partnering with Essex River Basin Adventures to offer guided kayak tours of Crane Wildlife Refuge. According to Yankee Magazine, this area was voted “the best place to sea kayak in New England.” During the two-hour guided tour, paddlers are introduced to the basics of sea kayaking before setting out on an educational paddle though Crane Wildlife Refuge. Guided kayak tours run from 2p.m. to 4p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays from June through September. For Trustees Members, tours cost $40; for nonmembers, tours cost $50. Price includes kayak rental and equipment, tours guides and launch fees. Parking is at Crane Beach. Online registration is required at www.thetrustees.org.
Sandblast: The Trustees will no longer be hosting the August Sandblast event at Crane Beach so that we can focus our energy and resources on the beach’s extensive day-to-day management as well as on running other popular beach programs and visitor services during the busy season. Devoting resources to a one-time event unfortunately pulls many staffers away from the important daily responsibilities that go into providing our visitors with the best possible beach experience. Going forward, The Trustees recommend making any day at Crane Beach a Sandblast day — gather friends and sand artists together to make sculptures or create your own building competitions while you are enjoying a day at the beach. Share your photos with us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/thetrustees) and Twitter (@thetrustees) as well!
POLICIES:
To help keep the beach operation running smoothly and beach-goers happy all summer long, here are a few friendly reminders from The Trustees:
- Please leave dogs and flotation devices at home.
- The beach trash policy is “carry-in, carry out” but recycling receptacles are provided.
- The Trustees recommend arriving early on weekends and holidays, carpooling and/or using public transportation.
- A parking permit sticker does not guarantee a parking spot.
VISITOR SERVICES:
Fully-staffed beach operation: Daily staffing includes parking attendants, EMTs, interpretive rangers, lifeguards, ecologists, bathhouse and maintenance technicians, and membership and visitor services representatives.
Guest Services Facilities: Crane Beach store featuring refreshments & merchandise including Appleton Farms produce, bathhouse with toilets and changing facilities, outdoor showers, picnic area, membership and information kiosk.
Access: Handicap-accessible facilities with staff on hand to provide transportation to the beach front for mobility-impaired and challenged visitors.
Daily Updates & Information: For daily updates on the tides, parking, programs or weather, follow the beach on twitter @CranePkgUpdate and friend The Trustees on Facebook (www.facebook.com/thetrustees). You can also call the beach office at 978.921.1944 x1800, Monday – Friday 9AM – 5PM or find information online at www.thetrustees.org/beach
Public Transportation: The Newburyport/Rockport commuter rail line offers some options. In Ipswich, pick up the Ipswich Essex Explorer bus (ipswichessexexplorer.com), which will deposit you at Crane Beach (the $5 round-trip fare includes the beach fee). The bus runs weekends and holidays from June 16 to September 3.
Recreation: There’s more to experience at Crane Beach than sun and sand! More than five miles of trails surround and wind through coastal dunes and pitch pine forest offering a quiet retreat or workout walking in the sand.
Conservation: The beach is managed for both recreation and conservation – people, ecology. Crane Beach is among the world’s most important nesting sites for piping plovers, a threatened bird that was nearly hunted to extinction in the 19th century for its eggs and feathers. The Trustees have been nationally recognized for its successful shorebird protection program.Â
More about The Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees of Reservations is the nation’s oldest, statewide land conservation organization founded by open space visionary Charles Eliot in 1891 to “hold in trust,” and care for properties of scenic, cultural and natural significance for current and future generations to enjoy. Supported by members, donors and thousands of volunteers, The Trustees own and manage 106 spectacular “reservations” (over 20 of which are on Boston’s north shore) located on more than 26,000 acres in 75 communities throughout Massachusetts. The Trustees work to promote healthy, active, green communities locally and around the state by providing hundreds of year-round programs, events and engagement opportunities for all ages. Most property entry fees, programs and events are free-of-charge or heavily discounted for members. Accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, The Trustees are an established leader in the conservation movement and model for other land trusts nationally and internationally. To find out more about membership, volunteer, job and other engagement opportunities with The Trustees visit http://www.thetrustees.org.