Report from the Beach, 5/21/2025

Memorial Day Weekend

Long Beach will be staffed for the summer season beginning on Saturday, May 24. The new 2025 beach stickers will be required beginning on Saturday.

Due to the presence of a piping plover nest in close proximity to the Crossover, we don’t expect to open for oversand vehicle access this weekend. Buffer areas are required around nests to protect them from disturbance, so some of the symbolic fencing that delineates areas closed to pedestrians has been expanded in that area.

There are also several plover nests along Ryder Way that will be close to hatching over the weekend. If any of these nests hatch, portions of the road will close at 7:00pm. Before you head out to the beach, be sure to check the Long Beach Information page for updates on vehicle access.

Crossover Vehicle Access

In addition to the plover nests described above, there are several more nests in the Crossover area that are expected to hatch over the next few days. Piping plover chicks leave the nest shortly after hatching, and it’s amazing how far and fast their tiny legs can take them! They weigh only about 6 grams when they hatch, which is the weight of about 5 potato chips! Because piping plovers are protected by the Massachusetts and federal Endangered Species Acts, vehicles are restricted from areas where they are present to protect the chicks until they are able to fly, which can take up to 35 days.

Ryder Way Access

As in past years, there are piping plover nests and colonies of least terns along Ryder Way. So far, there are 8 plover nests along the road as well as several other areas where plovers are active but have not laid eggs.

Under normal circumstances, once a nest hatches, vehicle access would be restricted to protect the chicks until they can fly, however, the Town participates in the statewide Habitat Conservation Plan for Piping Plover, which allows the areas beyond the chicks to remain open to recreational vehicles for limited hours.

The first plover nests expected to hatch along Ryder Way could hatch as early as Memorial Day weekend. The Day Parking Area and areas beyond are expected to close to recreational vehicles (including for fishing access) at 7:00pm by around May 29. This closure will be extended southward to the first cottage when another nest hatches around the same time. The average incubation period for plovers is 27 days, however, hatching can vary within several days before or after the predicted hatch date, so it can be difficult to pinpoint an exact date when these closures will be implemented. Be sure to check the Long Beach Information page for updates.

The Natural Resources staff will monitor the location of the chicks and manage traffic if they approach or cross the road or parking area. Delays may be caused by the presence of chicks in or near the road. Be on the lookout for the possible presence of chicks and adult plovers in the road and stop to let them pass. If you see chicks in or near the road, please notify staff. If a take occurs (e.g., a chick is killed), the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife may suspend use of the road and vehicle access will be limited to areas south of where unfledged chicks are located, so please use caution when driving through these areas.

Beach Sticker Information

New 2025 Long Beach 4x4 stickers will be required on May 24 to access Town beaches. Because the Town moved to a calendar year rather than a fiscal year sticker in 2023, the blue beach stickers that were valid for the 2024 season expired on December 31.

Stickers are being sold online through City Hall Systems, by mail, and in person at the Tax Collector’s office. More information about sticker purchases can be found on the Town's Beach & Pond Information page .

Bird Nesting Activity

So far this season, 41 pairs of piping plovers have nested at Long Beach, with several more to go! Least terns have returned to the beach and are settling into their nesting colonies but haven’t laid any eggs yet. Common terns have returned to their nesting areas at the point and have begun egg-laying. The ospreys that nest on the two platforms and on the “Sparkplug” channel marker returned this year and are currently incubating eggs. Horned larks, willets, killdeer, tree swallows, song sparrows, and several more bird species have been confirmed nesting at Long Beach so far this season.

Seasonal Dog Restrictions

The seasonal dog ban on certain portions of the beach went into effect on April 1. From April 1 through September 30, the partial ban restricts dogs from all Town properties north of the Day Parking Area, which is the small 4x4 parking area located about 2/3 of the way out to the Crossover. Leashed dogs are allowed on Ryder Way and the beachfront from the main parking lot northward to the Day Parking Area, excluding areas closed for shorebird nesting. Violations of the ban and/or the leash law can result in fines up to $100. More information can be found in the Information for Dog Owners pamphlet.

Rules & Regulations

Before you head out to the beach for the first time this season, please take a few minutes to review the information in the Plymouth Long Beach Rules & Regulations pamphlet. Hard copies are available at the beach at the Manter’s Point and Crossover guard shacks, as well as in the Department of Energy and Environment office on the first floor of Town Hall.

For the safety of yourself and those around you, observe the speed limit of 10 mph in all areas, including on the beach, on Ryder Way and in the Plymouth Beach parking lot. If you park along Ryder Way, please remember to park in the areas designated by signs, and do not block the road as other vehicles, including emergency vehicles, must be able to pass by.

Please become familiar with and follow all of the rules and regulations so that we can all have a safe summer while protecting Plymouth’s valuable natural resources.

More Information

More information about the Crossover and Long Beach can be found on the Long Beach Information page.

Information about other Town beaches and ponds can be found on the Beach & Pond Information page.

Report from the Beach, 5/21/25