Right Beaches › Massachusetts › Gloucester
Plum Cove Beach
4.5★ · 167 Google ratings · Gloucester, Massachusetts
✓ Parking✓ Short walk✓ Good for kids✓ Restrooms
At a glance
Parking
250 ft away · fills up
Walk
50 ft · under a minute
Restrooms
Yes
Water
67°F · modelled, no buoy nearby
Tide
7 ft range today
Children
Reported good for young kids
Length
125 yd of shoreline
Sand
150 ft from the water to the back
Water quality
Mixed · 17% of 18 over the limit · 2025
Crowds
Quietest Tue 8am
Map of Plum Cove Beach
1
1Parking250 ft from the listing
Guide
Good to know
Reported good with little kids
Visitors often mention shallow or calm water. This is what reviewers report, not a safety assessment.Mentioned by 7 visitors · 2018–2026
Visit specifically for sunset
Multiple reviewers call this one of the best sunset viewing spots on the East Coast, with calm water.
Expect resident-only parking enforcement
Non-residents face $75-85 tickets; enforcement appears strict with attendants monitoring the lot, though some report off-season leniency.
Park off-site or visit during off-season
If visiting in summer without a permit, park three-quarters mile away on nearby roads or come after Labor.
Bring water shoes and expect rocks
The sand is mixed with pebbles and rocks; water shoes protect sensitive feet and make exploring tide pools more comfortable.
Conditions
How it is right now
Air
70°F · overcast
Water
67°F · modelled, no buoy nearby
Waves
2.0 ft · 7 s apart
Wind
3 mph from the WSW
Shelter
Onshore · wind blowing straight in off the water
UV index
7 peak today
| Time | Tide | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 05:40 | High tide | ↑ |
| 11:35 | Low tide | ↓ |
| 17:56 | High tide | ↑ |
Last updated Aug 20, 5:20 AM.
Crowds
When it gets busy
| 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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QuietBusy
Practical
Plan your visit
📍 1000 Washington St, Gloucester, MA 01930
🅿 Parking 250 ft from the listing
🌊 Water 50 ft away, under a minute walk
Nearby
Other beaches close by
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Questions
Common questions
Where do you park at Plum Cove Beach?
The nearest mapped parking area is 250 ft from the listed location. Positions come from OpenStreetMap, not from review text.
How far is the walk to the water at Plum Cove Beach?
50 ft in a straight line from the listing to the mapped shoreline, under a minute. Soft sand and dune make the real walk longer than the straight line.
Does Plum Cove Beach have restrooms?
No restrooms are mapped within 600 m on OpenStreetMap. That means nobody has mapped any, which is not the same as there being none.
When is Plum Cove Beach least busy?
Google visit patterns put the quietest hour at Tue 8am and the busiest at Sat 6pm.
Measured from OpenStreetMap, public aerial imagery and live conditions data, and counted from visitor reviews. Every source, in full.
