Southern Maine’s long beaches couldn’t be better designed for long winter walks. Beaches are level and largely clear when inland trails are snow-covered, and the sand is more stable and easier to walk on than it is in summer. Beaches are free of half-exposed roots and the ups and downs of woodland trails, and easier on knees.

The winter beach is peaceful and quiet; it is not uncommon to find yourself alone on the long stretches of white sand. Look around to see islands, rocky points, dunes, beach houses, tidal pools, lighthouses, and the endless reach of the sea to the horizon. Maine’s iconic pine trees add hues of green to the rocky points.

Look down to find treasures in the sand, especially if you walk at low or outgoing tide. In winter, the sand is more exposed and less trampled, so you’ll find smooth water-tumbled rocks, sand dollars, and other seashells more easily than in the summer. Many winter beach walkers carry bags to collect plastic debris that could harm wildlife.

Apart from the pleasure of a brisk walk, its benefits are well documented: weight control, joint health, boosting immune function, cardiovascular fitness, and increasing energy levels. And walking outdoors improves both physical and mental health by reducing tension and increasing vitamin D levels, which are vital to bones, blood cells, and the immune system.

So dress warmly, wear boots or sturdy shoes, and bring binoculars. You may spot sea ducks and loons (whose plumage turns gray in the winter) bobbing on the waves, and sanderlings and Purple Sandpipers scurrying along the waterline. And if you choose a beach like York’s Long Sands, you might also see dedicated surfers catching the waves.

For long walks, two beaches stand out: Wells and Old Orchard.

Wells Beach

The Main Beach, reached via Mile Road in Wells, is a mile and a half expanse of sand, dunes, and tidal pools south of the opening to Wells Harbor. Additional beaches on Drake’s Island, north of the harbor, and on Crescent and Moody’s beaches, south of Main Beach, bring the total to seven miles of sandy shoreline.

The latter three beaches, which have very limited access in the summer, are more accessible in the winter when private residences are largely vacant and parking is plentiful. Drake’s Island is a favorite spot for shell collectors, with more variety than most Maine beaches.

A short distance from the beach on Mile Road, you can warm up over a bowl of one of Maine’s best chowders at Billy’s Chowder House.

Old Orchard Beach

Maine’s best-known beach is Old Orchard, a popular resort town since the mid-1800s. In summer, its seven continuous miles of soft white sand are alive with kids, sandcastles, beach balls, towels, and umbrellas. In winter, the popular pier is often the only thing to interrupt the view along the length of the beach.

You can reach the beach from pathways all along Grand Avenue as far south as Ocean Park. There, the Goosefare Brook inlet interrupts the beach, which continues south into Ferry Beach State Park. Not to be confused with the park is the separate Ferry Beach, farther south along the Scarborough River channel. This smaller beach is in a more protected spot, away from the direct wind off the Atlantic.

Warm up with coffee at Ocean Perk, off Grand Avenue in Ocean Park, at the southern end of Old Orchard Beach, or at Café 64, a few steps up Portland St. from The Pier. Nearby, Beach Bagels is another good warm-up spot after a beach walk. Or, if you’ve worked up a thirst in the cold winter air, the beach continues north of The Pier, and about 200 yards beyond, Lone Pine Brewing Co. serves brews and pizza all year round.

Winter Beach walks don’t need to be long expeditions, and these beaches are just right for shorter jaunts.

Mother’s Beach in Kennebunk. Photo courtesy Stillman Rogers Photography

Mother’s Beach, the last in an arc of three along Beach Avenue in Kennebunk, is cosseted between two large rock formations that protect it from heavy surf in the summer. That makes it a safe place for children to play in the water—hence the name—Mother’s Beach.

Of the other two, Gooch’s Beach, the closest to town, is the longest at just over half a mile, making it a favorite for running laps. Middle Beach is rockier but a favorite among beachcombers looking for water-worn sea glass. All three are connected by a sidewalk

The appeal of these beaches in the summer is that they are free from a busy boardwalk and commercial activity, which is a downside in winter because there’s no nearby spot to warm your hands around a cup of coffee.

In Portland, walkers head to East End Beach, at the base of the Munjoy Hill neighborhood, reached from Cutter St. or from the Eastern Promenade Trail. The narrow sand and pebble beach is about 300 yards long, with sweeping views across Casco Bay and the inner islands. It’s a popular place for letting dogs run free, with a designated off-leash area open all day in the winter.

Allagash Brewing Company sponsors regular clean-ups at East End Beach through Blue Ocean Society’s Adopt-a-Beach program, removing debris before it harms wildlife.   

The beach is about a 15-minute walk from the harbor area, but a closer warm-up spot is Double Great Coffee on Congress Street, near the Observatory. For a Maine touch, ask for coffee spiked with maple syrup.

These four beaches are only a tiny fraction of those where you can walk. So bundle up and head for your closest stretch of wave-washed sand. Once you discover the pleasures of winter beach walking, you’ll never again think of beaches as just summer destinations.

Story by Bobbie Randolph, a New England travel writer and life-long beach walker. Her favorite childhood beachcombing haunts were Parson’s Beach in Kennebunkport and the tiny shingle near Fort Constitution in Newcastle, where her parents took her to collect sea glass after winter storms.