Horseneck Beach State Reservation
Horseneck Beach State Reservation | |
Massachusetts State Park | |
Surf at Horseneck Beach | |
Country | United States |
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State | Massachusetts |
County | Bristol |
Town | Westport |
Location | John Reed Road (Rt. 88) |
- elevation | 16 ft (5 m) [1] |
- coordinates | 41°30′28″N 71°2′55″W / 41.50778°N 71.04861°WCoordinates: 41°30′28″N 71°2′55″W / 41.50778°N 71.04861°W [1] |
Area | 815 acres (330 ha) [2] |
Established | Unspecified |
Management | Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation |
Nearest city | Fall River, Massachusetts |
Location in Massachusetts
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Website: Horseneck Beach State Reservation | |
Horseneck Beach State Reservation is a large public state beach reservation on Buzzards Bay, in the southern portion of the town of Westport, Massachusetts, US.[3]
Description
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 features 2 miles (3.2km) of barrier beach along with 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.
Gooseberry Neck or Gooseberry Island is an offshoot peninsula of the parent Horseneck Peninsula. It divides part of Rhode Island Sound from Buzzards Bay in the Atlantic Ocean.
Activities and amenities
- Beach: The beach is located along the southern portion of the peninsula, bordering Rhode Island Sound and Buzzards Bay. Restroom facilities, management office, food bar, designated on-duty lifeguard towers, and paved walkways are found alongside the beach. Swimming is limited to designated beaches.
- Camping: A 100-site campground is located behind the dunes at Gooseberry Neck, at the Eastern end of the reservation. Camping season runs mid-May to mid-October. Campground office hours are 8am–10pm. Facilities include a dump station.[3]
- The reservation offers fishing, windsurfing, motorized and non-motorized boating with boat ramp, trails for biking and walking, showers, hunting, and bird watching. Beaches, camping, picnicking and restrooms are wheelchair-accessible.[3]
Accessibility
The state reservation is 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. Route 88 ends 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 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 is accessible from the several large, designated parking lots via toll gates.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Horseneck Beach State Reservation". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
- ↑ "2012 Acreage Listing". Department of Conservation and Recreation. April 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Horseneck Beach State Reservation". MassParks. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
External links
- Horseneck Beach State Reservation Department of Conservation and Recreation
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