Just south of the Kennebunk beaches are several small beaches which can be difficult to find: Parson's Beach, Crescent Surf Beach, and Laudholm Beach, followed by seven miles of beach in Wells.
Crescent Surf Beach--Wells, Maine
Crescent Surf Beach is a fine white sand beach with salt marshes, located between Wells Beach and Moody Beach. There are tidal pools to keep kids amused for hours searching for crabs and starfish. Seals can be spotted, with binoculars, on Bucklin Rock, offshore.
Crescent Surf Beach is reached by turning off Route 1 in Wells onto Eldridge Road. Near the end of Eldridge Road, turn left onto Webhannet Road, and follow until you pass the seawall. Parking is on Gold Ribbon Drive and the beach entrance is just beyond the parking area. Porta Potties are available. Parking and beach access are free, but parking is limited. The best time to go to Crescent Surf Beach is between high tides, since the beach is very narrow at high tide.
Laudholm Beach--Wells, Maine
Laudholm Beach is in the Wells Reserve and the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge off Laudholm Road just south of the intersection of Routes 9 and 1. Parking is extremely limited. You can also walk to Laudholm Beach from Drake's Island Beach and enjoy bird watching along the salt marshes.
Drakes Island Beach--Wells, Maine
The combined length of Drake's Island and Laudholm Beaches is 940 yards. Drake's Island Beach is yet another beautiful white sandy beach edged by sand dunes, sea grasses, and sea walls. Drakes Island Beach is quieter than other Wells beaches because it's away from the main beach and there are no houses along this section of sand. The beach ends at Laudholm Farm Beach and the Rachel Carson bird sanctuary, so it's a great beach for nature lovers. Restrooms are available. There is a parking fee.
To reach Drakes Island Beach in Wells, turn right on Drakes Island Road, about one mile from the intersection with Route 109 (if coming from the south on Route 1). There are two parking areas, one to the left just before the beach and the other at the end of Drakes Island Road, which dead ends at the beach. To your right there are two large stone jetties that form an entrance to Wells Harbor and are popular for fishing and walking. To your left is the beach.
Wells Beach--Wells, Maine
Wells beach is a seven-mile barrier beach separated from the mainland by the Webhannet River. There are several sections of public beach, which is broad, providing plenty of sand for sunbathing, walking, or other activities, even at high tide. Like Drakes Island Beach, the 4000-yard-long Wells Beach is also edged with sand dunes and sea grasses. Interesting birds and waterfowl can often be spotted due to the nearby marshes that attract them.
To reach Wells Beach, from the Maine Turnpike take the Wells exit and follow Route 9 to Route 1 south, then follow the signs to the beach. The town of Wells provides several parking lots near the beaches: one at the end of Mile Road, one at the end of Atlantic Avenue near Wells Harbor (turn left at the end of Mile Road), plus those at Drake's Island Beach. There's limited free parking and several privately owned parking lots. Unless you arrive early in the morning, be prepared to pay for parking. Resident beach stickers are sold at the Wells Town Hall on Route 109 and non-resident parking passes may be purchased at any of the public parking lots.
This is a popular area with public restrooms, a restaurant, take-out area, playground, arcade, small beach and souvenir shops, and a viewing area in the parking lot with benches you can sit on if you don't feel like going down onto the beach.
You can also reach Wells Beach by taking a left onto Atlantic Avenue at the end of Mile Road and following it to the public parking lot. This leads you to Wells Harbor, where the mouth of the Webhannet River joins the Atlantic Ocean. The stone jetty here protects a nice sandy curve of beach with views of boats in the harbor. Lifeguards are on duty during summer days and public rest rooms are available near the parking lot.
Moody Beach--Wells, Maine
275-foot Moody Beach, south of Wells Beach, used to be a public beach, but as the result of a lawsuit won by oceanfront property owners, the public is only allowed on the beach if they are "fishing, fowling, or navigating." The beach is reachable by taking Bourne Avenue off Route 1 and turning left at Ocean Avenue.