Travel

Visiting Castle Hill & Crane Beach in Ipswich, Massachusetts

10/10 Rebekah 0 Comments

I’m back from my epic Northeast fall adventure! I was headed to see the fall foliage, but I’ve never seen the Atlantic Ocean. I was so close to the coast, so I decided to head east and see Crane Beach in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

But before I headed out since I knew I had 4 days of driving, I decided to grab some healthier snacks from Trader Joe’s. This proved to be a great idea, because I didn’t want to eat nasty fast food. AND also, there’s not a lot of options to stop when visiting these tiny small towns in the Northeast. I’ll round up a list of all the snacks I bought in a future blog post.

From Manchester, New Hampshire, I headed east to Crane Beach. Crane Beach is managed by the Trustees of the Crane Estate. You do have to pay to visit the beach, but it’s so worth it. Crane Beach is so different from my usual jaunts to the Florida panhandle. Something about the fall air and the fall foliage in the background made it a truly unique experience. It was unlike any beach experience I’ve ever had.

TIPS: pack a pair of water shoes, bring a blanket to sit on, bring a sweatshirt, and bring your sunglasses.

Cost to visit Crane Beach: $25 (extended season, weekend rate)

All rates for Crane Beach can be found here! I would also suggest buying a ticket ahead of time here!

From Crane Beach, I decided to visit the mansion at the top called Castle Hill. The meticulously manicured grounds are beautiful. The best part? The half-mile walk down to the beach. Called the Grand Allee, it spectacularly overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. It will truly take your breath away. You can make an entire day of visiting Castle Hill. I highly recommend it!

You can buy tickets here! It’s $10 to visit the grounds. Again, it’s so worth it. The photos from the top are amazing!