Charlestown Breachway

--TOP TEN TIPS--
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YES, there are dogs in my photos.  And YES, animals are not allowed at the Charleston Breachway.  Before someone launches off the deep end because of this, my dogs are service dogs.  And before you think you might simply bring Fido and tell them at the gate that he or she is a service dog, know that you have to fill out and sign paperwork.  And know that passing off your dog as a service dog when they are not is a civil violation, punishable by up to 30 hours of community service with an organization that serves individuals with disabilities. You should also know that just claiming your dog is a service dog is not a free pass.  Their behavior needs to be impeccable.  IMPECABBLE.  And if it is not, any business can ask you to get leave.

OK, now that that is out of the way, here are my top ten tips

1. If you have a pull-behind camper, Site 58 is the best site, followed by sites 59-74, 57, then any site on the end of a row. If you have a Class C then Site 74 may be better than Site 58 (just park nose in).  Sites 58-74 are on the water so although you are crammed like sardines, you can sit on the water and appreciate the space.  The sun sets in this direction so you can get a nice sunset from your spot.  Although Site 58 is on the end, and there is greenery in front of you, be prepared for no end to foot traffic and because the sites are so small it feels like people are walking through Site 58 even though they are not.

2. You are essentially camping in a parking lot.  A tight parking lot.

3. There is a daily use lot RIGHT NEXT to the campground (RV Parking Lot).  Notice I wrote DAILY use and not DAY use.  People can park in this lot in the middle of the night and go fishing right next to your "campsite" (and remember how I said it FEELS like people were walking through your site?  It FEELS like people are fishing from your campsite even though they are not.  There were people drinking -- I mean fishing -- at 3 o'clock in the morning when I was there).

4. The park is staffed for 2 of 3 shifts.  It IS NOT staffed overnight.  And the daily-use lot is not gated (nor is the "campground" parking lot).  It really is like parking at Walmart.  Except there are no parking lot lights to contain mischief.

5. Lock down your stuff.  They have had thefts - mainly coolers - kids looking for your liquor. However, I would still recommend that you lock your vehicle and chain up your generators.  (You can get a 30 ft. x 3/8 in. Braided Steel Security Cable at Harbor Freight for fourteen bucks - just thread it through everything you have outside and lock it with a combination lock, which you can also get for about thirteen bucks.  You will sleep more soundly).

6. Be prepared for sand everywhere.  PS - You will get sand everywhere, and I mean everywhere.  If you don't bring it in on your shoes, the wind will blow it in.  Leave your carpets at home.  Bring a swiffer in addition to a broom (and some of those swiffer wet things)  You will be glad you did - nothing is worse than sand in your bed.

7. Cell Service is spectacular.  Antenna TV is OK.  I brought a ryobi battery inverter and easily got two hours of TV without the generator.

8. The approach is a narrow-ish sandy gravel road with potholes.  If this is your first time, don't worry (like I did) that you have somehow missed the Breachway and will end up with no place to turn around.

9.  Although everyone has a generator and they are running from 8 am - 8 pm, they are not loud.  I think it's the ocean waves or the wind or the open space.  It is not like staying in a campground in the woods where you can hear the crickets at night.

10. Relax - the beach is awesome - especially once you walk away from the main parking lot - hardly any people.  It is a 1 3/4 mile walk one way (roughly).  Fish - fishing is spectacular.  YOU DO NEED A SALTWATER FISHING LICENSE.  But if you already have one for New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine -- they are reciprocal.

This beach is far nicer than the other beaches around. Scarborough is always so crowded, and the people at Charlestown Breachway are more laid back. It's quieter and nicer to tan at, or swim at.

Wonderful beach, wonderful waves, beautiful surf, and tons of adorable seagulls. Parking is relatively inexpensive, and there are plenty of small businesses to shop at nearby! Fishing and boating are common activities here, along with kayaking, paddle boarding, and of course, swimming. 5/5 would recommend 😁

Charlestown Breachway has been our family’s “go-to” for over 50 years. It is a natural Oceanside getaway, beach; fishing spot and campground. There is nothing fancy here, no bells and whistles, but just plain old-fashioned Fun .

we love camping here! you are slightly crammed in a parking lot, but the view of the water, the millions of stars in the sky, the sounds of the waves crashing makes you want to come back every year. you can reserve a spot up to a year in advanced.

Great location for surfcasting. Plenty of parking.

The Breachway is a great beach. The water is almost always clean and the waves are huge. Just wear water shoes if you have them. A bunch of rocks on the way into the water. Just makes getting in and out of the water easier. They also have a lifeguard, not to mention the parking is only $6 but parking fills up fast so get there early. Beach opens at 830 so if you get there earlier it's free. If lot is full you will be forced to go to the town beach down the road where parking is $20. Big difference. Hope this helps. Enjoy the beach but beware of the undertow at high tide.

Wow, really nice views, beach, and inlet. Fished the inlet, suggest at least a 4 ounce or bigger weight. Water flows very strongly but did catch some nice porgys with frozen squid. Definitely a nice family beach.

Always pristine with a fight for the end of the breachway fishing spot. Too few spots for morning fishing and walks during the busy season...BUT... you can't beat the view and the access to some of the prettiest shore line and salt ponds/coastal marsh around. Fishing, crabbing and clamming all in one spot.

One of my favorite places to go at low tide and its not because of the beach. Limited parking so get there early. The beach is nice and clean and there is usually no seaweed. I would be careful to boogie board as the waves tend to crash rather than roll. There is a rocky barrier to fish off of. There are bathrooms but no concession stand or food trucks. Its only six dollars to park and have a great day on the beach or the flats.

Great place, great beach, great people, I could go on and on about all the great things about this place, but I'm not going to. Why do you want to read some unknown person rant and rave about a place when you can just go check it out yourself. No amount of descriptions I could sputter would ever do it justice. I will say this though, if you do go there, make sure that you are careful on and around the rocks. Other than that, have fun and enjoy yourself. I highly doubt that you will be disappointed.

My family absolutely loves Charlestwon breachway! The beach is one of the most beautiful in New England. We continue to come back year after year. Staff is always very friendly and helpful for any questions we may have. Limited capacity in the visitor parking lot so the beach never seems over crowded.

Love it me and my 12 year old daughter just went fishing for stripe bass didn't catch anything but good times together and that's why we do it but for the hard core fisherman plenty of people were catching fish just not us you can bring your camper spend the day or the week

Being going here since I was 5 years old. Has not changed much at all. I love it.

Great campground! Bring water, leave your fire pit at home (no open flame). Generators can run early morning and later in the day. In the fall keep an eye on the weather a storm can be cold and windy. Wake every morning to a walk on the beach and than watch the sunset later in the day.

If you come after 4 the gate keeper is gone and you have full use of facilities. Usually sufficient parking. wonderful opportunity to sit on big rocks. Run into ocean and play in the waves. A beautiful spot for views out to ocean or back inland over fast moving channel and distant meadows.

We visit the Breechway every year to fish.
Gorgeous place

Charlestown Breachway campground is located adjacent to the state public beach, parking lot and the breach-way itself. The campground is restricted to RVs only, and the RV must have fresh and waste water handling. There is no fresh water fill or waste water dump at this campground, although waste water dumping is available off-site (directions and pass available at check-in).

The RV sites are very close to each other with no privacy. As generator hours are extended here, noise and fumes can be a problem. Perhaps the best sites are those directly aside the breach-way, or at the very ends of the RV sites. For those campers with towable trailers, excellent maneuvering and parking skills are needed to park the trailer in the reserved site.

Recreational activities include fishing at the beach and breach-way, swimming at the beach, etc. Kayakers and paddle-boarders may find the area behind the breach-way particularly appealing as the water is calmer and leads into marsh areas.

I've been going there for over 25 years I love it over there. We had a lot of storms coming up the coast that year. In the mid-90s. The water was rough I was being tossed around like a tampon LOL because there was a red tide. I was riding that Coleman in a tube with two handles for a couple hours. And I'm talking about six to eight foot waves. Finally I caught right one. I was on top of that wave. Could not believe it myself. I was looking down to the water and I was at least six feet up. Next thing I knew I learned it on the beach. And I turned around and the water was like 40 feet behind me. People on the beach actually stood up and clapped and howled and whistled. always a good time and there's been a lot of good times after that I give A5 star rating baby!

This is dry camping, self-contained RV only, no tents, and no pets allowed, but the location is spectacular. On the camping side is the breachway with calm water. Next to the camping area is the parking lot for the beach, then the beach with open ocean. It's not soft sand, so wear water shoes. Great waves. There are about 9 RV sites that have an unrestricted view of the water and 18 sites that are right on the water. I can watch the kids playing in the sand and looking in the shallow shore area for hermit crabs, while sitting under the RV's awning in a comfy chair. So relaxing. We fill up jugs of ocean water for "flushing" and non-critical hand washing, and it is so dark there at night, that there were several times that I saw phytoplankton phosphoresce as white sparks as I was pouring. Just amazing!