Crescent Beach State Park: Family Vacation Guide
Crescent Beach in Cape Elizabeth combines a sandy shoreline with a park setting. It is a useful option to compare when your family wants beach time, picnic space and a break from a beach-town center.
Cape Elizabeth
Park-style beach days · picnics and a playground · a break from beach-town crowds
Check Maine beach advisories ↗Last reviewed: October 21, 2026
How these guides are researched →AT A GLANCE
The quick answer
Best for: Families who want beach time with picnic space and a break from a beach-town center.
Parking: Visitor address is 109 Bowery Beach Road, Cape Elizabeth; the park lists 9 a.m. to sunset daily unless posted otherwise. Day-use admission is per person: ages 12–64 $6 Maine resident or $8 nonresident; ages 5–11 $1; under 5 free; 65+ free for Maine residents or $2 nonresident.
Setting: A mile-long crescent of sand with picnic tables, grills, a playground and a bathhouse with cold-water showers.
Plan around: Current park notices (temporary early gate closures can occur), facility availability for your season and the summer dog ban (no dogs on the beach April 1–September 30).
BEFORE YOU GO
PARKING PREVIEW
Parking map & walking route
See the parking layout before you go, then open the full guide for costs, access details and walking directions.
Open the full parking guide →What makes Crescent Beach different?
Maine's park page describes a mile-long crescent of sand with picnic tables, grills, a playground and a bathhouse with cold-water showers. This is a park outing rather than a village-shopping beach day.
For younger children, a change of activity can be as useful as more time on the sand. Plan a picnic or playground break, while checking which facilities are available during your season.
Crescent Beach parking and admission
The official visitor address is 109 Bowery Beach Road in Cape Elizabeth. The park lists daily hours of 9 a.m. to sunset unless posted otherwise, and says entry fees are collected year-round. Temporary early gate closures can occur. Read the current park notice before driving.
Maine Parks & Lands lists day-use admission per person, per day: ages 12–64 are $6 for Maine residents and $8 for nonresidents; ages 5–11 are $1; children under 5 are free; and visitors 65 and older are free for Maine residents or $2 for nonresidents. The fee page does not state a season year, so confirm current rates before you go. For a family of four with two adults and two school-age children, that is a per-person calculation rather than a per-car fee.
Use the official entrance and legal parking. Do not assume a nearby road or a neighboring property's driveway provides overflow access. If you need a step-free route or equipment, confirm current arrangements with the park.
Swimming, dogs and current conditions
Check the park's current notices, water-quality information and posted guidance before swimming. Tide predictions alone do not establish safe conditions.
Dogs are not allowed on the beach from April 1 through September 30, which covers the whole summer vacation season. Maine's state park beaches allow leashed pets from October 1 through March 31, so check the park's current notice for an off-season visit.
The tide chart on this page uses the nearest NOAA tide station as a regional reference. Conditions at the beach itself can differ.
Where to stay for a Crescent Beach visit
Compare an address in Cape Elizabeth with a base in a nearby town, such as Scarborough, according to your planned outings. Ask about the drive to the park, included parking at the property, laundry and space for wet equipment. Do not assume that a rental near the coast includes access through private land.
Families who want a neighborhood beach within walking distance can compare Higgins Beach; those seeking a park beach can compare Scarborough Beach State Park. Confirm admission and pass arrangements separately for each.
Crescent Beach with toddlers and younger kids
With small children, pack for transitions: dry clothes, lunch, shade and a way to carry beach gear. Decide where everyone will meet if part of the group leaves the sand for a break.
A shorter first outing helps you assess the walk and facilities before committing to an all-day setup. Maine's park page lists a playground, picnic tables and a bathhouse; confirm what is open in your season.
Crescent Beach with teenagers
Older children may prefer combining beach time with another planned outing. Keep the family's expectations clear: a park-based beach day has a different rhythm from staying beside an arcade or restaurant strip.
For a busier beach-town day, compare Old Orchard Beach.
Can you walk to restaurants from Crescent Beach?
Maine's park page describes picnic tables and grills, so plan to bring food or drive. To see what is open nearby, with current hours and reviews, use Google Maps: restaurants near Crescent Beach State Park, and check the actual route before relying on a walk.
What families should know before booking a Crescent Beach visit
2027 information is pending. This guide uses official information checked October 21, 2026. New fees, dates, access rules and service schedules may be announced later, and this page does not confirm 2027 fees, staffing or facility-opening dates.
Entry fees apply year-round. Use the official entrance and legal parking, and do not assume a neighboring road or driveway provides overflow access.
Early gate closures can happen. Read the current park notice before driving.
No dogs on the beach in summer. Pets are not allowed on the beach from April 1 through September 30, so a pet-friendly rental does not mean your dog can join you at Crescent Beach.
Rentals near the coast do not guarantee access. Ask about the drive to the park, included parking, laundry and space for wet equipment. Start with our local rental resources, then ask each company about its specific coverage.
Browse independent local rental companies serving this beach area. Availability, rates and booking terms are handled directly by each provider.
Last reviewed: October 21, 2026
Sources & verification
Official park information checked October 21, 2026: Maine Parks & Lands conditions and facilities. Day-use admission figures were checked October 24, 2026 against the Maine Parks & Lands day-use fee page, which does not name a season year. This page does not confirm 2027 fees, staffing or facility-opening dates. Use the park's current notice and fee information before travel. See also the regional parking guide.