New England’s Best Ever Unspoiled Under the Radar Beach

On the remote southeastern shore of Massachusetts, nestled between Rhode Island and New Bedford, lies New England’s best kept secret – no it’s not Ben Affleck’s tupee – it’s Horseneck Beach, boasting miles of unspoiled, white sand beaches, and breath-taking panoramic views of Buzzard’s Bay. If you bring binoculars you might even see the Obama’s playing golf on Martha’s Vineyard.

No, seriously, Horseneck Beach is no Phra Nang, but it’s as nice as anything on Cape Cod, and the campground is right up there with the campgrounds we stayed at in the Florida Keys. The campsites are scattered across the dunes behind the beachfront, the last row facing the water. You can’t access the beach directly from your campsite (you have to use the designated walkways at either end of the strip) but you can see the waves breaking over the undulating line of sand fencing and mounds of beach roses, which unfortunately were done blooming by the time we were there. This is the southernmost part of the barrier island, a couple miles from the wide, sandy stretch popular with families and daytrippers. Here the beach is mostly pebbles, but it’s the same expansive view of the sound, the sunset slanting across over the surf.

This was one of the few places we felt comfortable letting Allie off leash. Between the fence and the briars she couldn’t get very far, although once I had use the music feature on the tractive to find her, hiding in the rosebushes just a few feet away.

Horseneck Beach is located in Westport, MA. Looking at a map, you could describe this region, tucked under the flexed bicep of Cape Cod, as the armpit of Massachusetts. Thankfully, that nickname has already been claimed by Athol, which is more fitting metaphorically if not geographically.

This underappreciated region has been rebranded in recent years as the Farm Coast, and rightfully so. It’s the one of the only places in Massachusetts – other than the Valley– where I can easily imagine myself living. It has a similar rural character, with roadside farm stands and farm shops selling local organic everything, but here the countryside is flatter, more open, and the farmhouses have weathered shingles like you see on Cape Cod. You can sense the proximity to the sea, even when it’s just out of sight over the next hedgerow or stone wall. I sing Westport’s praises in more detail in an upcoming article in Travel+Leisure.