Ferry Beach State Park

About this park

Ferry Beach State Park sits along the Atlantic coast in Saco, in Maine's southern beach belt not far from Old Orchard Beach, and combines a sandy ocean beach with a genuinely unusual inland ecosystem. The park protects a rare stand of tupelo trees near the northern edge of their natural range, alongside a mix of dune, marsh, and forest habitats within a compact footprint. Boardwalks and interpretive trails wind through the park's varied ecosystems, letting visitors move from beach dunes into shaded forest and back within a short walk, a genuinely diverse range of habitats for such a small property. The nature center offers educational programming on the park's unusual botany, and the tupelo swamp remains one of the more scientifically notable features in the entire Maine state park system. Swimming, sunbathing, and beachcombing draw most day visitors to Ferry Beach, and its group shelter carries a reduced rental fee compared to most other Maine parks, making it a popular choice for gatherings. Its position within Maine's more built-up southern beach corridor means it sees heavy seasonal traffic, particularly on summer weekends when nearby Old Orchard Beach crowds spill over into quieter alternatives like Ferry Beach.