Massachusetts Has Many Beaches You Can Drive On

With the return of summertime quickly approaching, how can you not be thinking about going to the beach? Well, I realize we are still months away from that, but spring is, as they say, "just around the corner" so summer can't be that far off.

When I think of the beach I always remember the time, years ago, when I visited Daytona Beach, Florida and how cool it was to see cars driving on the sand, mere feet from the ocean.

It reminded me of a Frankie Avalon-Anette Funicello movie or a Beach Boys song. "Surf's up, dude!"

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The sand at Daytona Beach is considerably harder – or packed – than sand at Westport's Horseneck Beach, Fairhaven's Fort Phoenix or most Massachusetts beaches, which are not conducive to motor vehicle traffic.

I'm not sure that the population of piping plovers and other protected bird species that nest near the shorelines of Massachusetts would enjoy having to dodge your Honda or Toyota.

However, driving is allowed on some Massachusetts beaches. In many cases, an off-road vehicle (ORV), four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive vehicle is required.

Vehicle traffic is allowed on the beach at Cape Cod National Seashore from Long Nook Beach to Race Point Lighthouse, Sandy Neck Beach in Barnstable, Nantucket, Norton Point Beach on Martha's Vineyard, Plymouth and Duxbury, among other places.

Many locations require a permit to drive on the sand, so check before you go.

Kinlin Grover's "Vacation Cape Cod" lists beaches on Cape Cod that offer off-roading.

National Park Planner provides tips for driving in the sand.