Horseneck Beach State Reservation

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Surf at Horseneck Beach

The Horseneck Beach State Reservation is a large public state beach reservation on Westport River, Westport Harbor, Horseneck Channel, The Let, Rhode Island Sound, and Buzzards Bay, in the southern portion of the town of Westport, Massachusetts, USA.

1 Composition
2 Accessibility
3 Establishments
4 Recreational opportunities
5 Contact information
6 External links

[edit] Composition

The state reservation is an oddly-shaped peninsula sticking out from Westport's mainland and mostly into Rhode Island Sound (southwest) and Buzzards Bay (southeast). The reservation contains about 600 acres (2.4 km²) (or 2 miles) of barrier beach, marshland, and a protected estuary habitat. Most of the marshland is concentrated at the northern portion of the peninsula bordering Horseneck Channel and The Let. The beach is located along the southern portion of the peninsula, bordering Rhode Island Sound and Buzzards Bay.

Gooseberry Neck is an offshoot peninsula of the parent Horseneck peninsula. It divides part of Rhode Island Sound from Buzzards Bay in the Atlantic Ocean.

[edit] Accessibility

The state reservation is easily accessible from the Bascule Bridge via Route 88, an offshoot of Interstate 195. Route 88 is the main (and direct) route of the two land routes to Horseneck. The other land route to Horseneck is East Beach Road via Horseneck Road, on the peninsula's connector, near the Westport/Dartmouth town boundary.

The beach on the state reservation is accessible from the several large designated parking lots on the beaches via toll gates.

[edit] Establishments

There are several roads, mostly paved, located on the state reservation. Route 88 ends at its terminus on Horseneck, where John Reed Road, the main road serving the reservation, begins. John Reed Road ends at East Beach Road on the eastern portion of the peninsula.

The reservation has restroom facilities, a management office, a food bar, designated on-duty lifeguard towers, paved walkways, etc. alongside the beach.