Updated August 2026
Best beaches in Maine by water quality
Maine has 104 public beaches in the EPA monitoring dataset, 53 of them with enough bacteria samples to grade. 8 earn an A for consistently clean water, while 8 grade an F for frequently exceeding the safe-swimming limit. Full ranking below. National lists: cleanest beaches in the US and beaches that exceed bacteria limits most often.
Maine beaches on the map
Ways to pick a Maine beach
Cleanest water (Grade A)
- Crescent Beach — Cumberland
- Fortunes Rocks Beach — York
- Scarborough Beach — Cumberland
- Popham - Center Beach — Sagadahoc
| Grade | Beach | County | % over limit | Samples | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Crescent Beach | Cumberland | 0% | 42 | Excellent |
| A | Fortunes Rocks Beach | York | 0% | 35 | Excellent |
| A | Scarborough Beach | Cumberland | 0% | 30 | Excellent |
| A | Popham - Center Beach | Sagadahoc | 0% | 27 | Excellent |
| A | Middle Beach (Biddeford) | York | 0% | 22 | Excellent |
| A | Fort Foster - Pier Beach | York | 0% | 20 | Excellent |
| A | Wells Beach | York | 2.3% | 86 | Excellent |
| A | Mitchell Field Beach | Cumberland | 2.8% | 36 | Excellent |
| B | Moody (Ogunquit) | York | 3% | 33 | Good |
| B | Stovers Point Preserve | Cumberland | 3.1% | 32 | Good |
| B | Footbridge (Ogunquit) | York | 3.1% | 32 | Good |
| B | Long Sands Beach - South | York | 3.3% | 61 | Good |
| B | Sand Beach | Hancock | 3.6% | 28 | Good |
| B | Crescent Beach (Kittery) | York | 5% | 40 | Good |
| B | Broad Cove Reserve | Cumberland | 5.3% | 114 | Good |
| B | Kettle Cove Beach | Cumberland | 5.3% | 38 | Good |
| B | Drakes Island Beach | York | 5.6% | 72 | Good |
| B | Crescent Beach (Wells) | York | 5.7% | 35 | Good |
| B | Pine Point | Cumberland | 6.3% | 48 | Good |
| B | Oob - Central | York | 6.5% | 201 | Good |
| B | Pemaquid Beach | Lincoln | 6.7% | 45 | Good |
| C | Oob - Ocean Park | York | 7.1% | 85 | Fair |
| C | Long Sands Beach | York | 7.6% | 197 | Fair |
| C | Hills Beach | York | 8.6% | 35 | Fair |
| C | Sea Point Beach | York | 8.9% | 45 | Fair |
| C | Hadley Point | Hancock | 9.1% | 33 | Fair |
| C | East End Beach | Cumberland | 10.1% | 119 | Fair |
| C | Colony Beach | York | 10.3% | 107 | Fair |
| C | Fort Foster - Horn Point | York | 10.3% | 39 | Fair |
| C | Bay View | York | 10.5% | 38 | Fair |
| C | Laudholm Beach | York | 10.6% | 47 | Fair |
| C | Sandy Beach | Knox | 10.8% | 37 | Fair |
| C | Higgins Beach | Cumberland | 11% | 145 | Fair |
| D | Mackerel Cove | Cumberland | 12.4% | 105 | Poor |
| D | York Harbor Beach | York | 13.3% | 60 | Poor |
| D | Wells Harbor | York | 14.7% | 156 | Poor |
| D | Goochs Beach | York | 17.3% | 104 | Poor |
| D | Short Sands Beach | York | 17.3% | 52 | Poor |
| D | Mothers Beach | York | 17.4% | 144 | Poor |
| D | Lincolnville Beach | Waldo | 17.5% | 57 | Poor |
| D | Hulls Cove | Hancock | 17.5% | 40 | Poor |
| D | Seal Harbor | Hancock | 17.9% | 67 | Poor |
| D | Town Beach | Hancock | 18.6% | 43 | Poor |
| D | Kinney Shores | York | 20% | 105 | Poor |
| D | Willard Beach | Cumberland | 21.5% | 233 | Poor |
| F | Laite Beach | Knox | 25.7% | 74 | Failing |
| F | Cape Neddick Beach | York | 28% | 118 | Failing |
| F | Middle Beach (Kennebunk) | York | 29.4% | 143 | Failing |
| F | Goodies Beach | Knox | 29.7% | 111 | Failing |
| F | Goose Rocks | York | 32.6% | 267 | Failing |
| F | Ferry Beach (Scarborough) | Cumberland | 34.6% | 107 | Failing |
| F | Little Beach | York | 37% | 73 | Failing |
| F | Riverside (Ogunquit) | York | 37.1% | 175 | Failing |
Download the full Maine beach safety ranking
All 53 graded Maine beaches with their Beach Safety Grade, exceedance rate, sample counts, and program status — from EPA monitoring data. Enter your email to download. A grade is a multi-year classification, not a same-day safety clearance.
Maine beach grade updates
Get new grades and water-quality updates for Maine beaches by email.
Where to stay near Maine beaches
Find beachfront hotels, condos, and vacation rentals across Maine — live availability and prices.
Top-rated places to stay near Maine beaches
Prices for Oct 2–4, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Watch Maine beach grades
Get an email when a graded Maine beach posts a new sample or swim advisory.
Frequently Asked Questions
The table ranks Maine beaches by Beach Safety Grade from EPA bacteria samples. Grade A beaches have the fewest exceedances of the safe-swimming limit.
Hotels, condos, and vacation rentals for Maine beaches are on the map on this page. Compare water quality in the table, then book from the town you actually want to swim from.
Maine beaches vary. Of 53 graded beaches, 8 earn an A for the fewest bacteria exceedances and 8 earn an F for exceeding the safe-swimming limit most often. A grade is a multi-year record, not a same-day clearance — check the county advisory the day you swim.
The day you swim. A grade is a history of samples, not a same-day clearance — check the county advisory before you get in.