A child walking on the boardwalk over natural dune, Popham Beach State Park, Maine. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Popham Beach State Park

Midcoast Maine


This 6-mile-long sandy stretch is one of the prettiest in the state, with views of offshore islands and the Kennebec and Morse Rivers framing either end. Lifeguards are on hand in July and August, but be aware that the surf is strong, with undertows and riptides. It's located off ME 209, about 14 miles south of Bath.

A few miles further along ME 209 are the ruins of Fort Popham, a Civil War–era fortification at the mouth of the Kennebec River.


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