If tidepools were your favorite part of the beach as a kid, you’ll love Thomas Point, where low tide leaves ankle-deep rivers between stretches of moist, sometimes muddy, sand. There’s a small sandy beach overlooking Thomas Bay, an occasional sailboat in the distance.
A day at this clean tidal beachfront park in Brunswick is just $4 for adults, $2.50 for kids under 13, and the park is open from 8 a.m. to sunset. It’s a family-friendly place where kids can get their toes in the water—or deep in the mud—with no waves to worry about, no large crowds, no parking stress and very little temptation to spend.
Restrooms are in a bright-yellow cabin, where you can change into swimsuits (or rinse your feet outside when you’re done in the mud). From there, follow a very short wooded path down to the water or go back to the parking area and take the wooden staircase down to the beach.
The immaculately manicured fields are perfect for lawn games. The lawn closest to the front entrance has a playground with swings, seesaws, slides and a metal climbing scape from the days when playground equipment was more about self-exploration than safety. The lawn closer to the beach has a couple of decorative lighthouses painted with iconic Maine attractions and a snack bar in an old train car. The Loose Caboose snack shack serves brown or red hot dogs grilled with toasted buns, a few flavors of Gifford’s ice cream, prepackaged drinks and snacks, and block ice and ice cubes.
Picnic tables can be found near the Loose Caboose as well as closer to the woods in the shade. Even on a hot day you can find a patch of shade at this park, which is adjacent to a campground with 84 wooded acres and 100 campsites. There’s a bandstand and stage used for special events, when the music can be quite loud. But on the average day, you’re more likely to hear trees swaying in the wind, children running around gleefully and people asking to pet other folks’ dogs. It feels like you’re away from it all, but Thomas Point is just off Route 24, less than 2 miles from Route 1 (and 6 miles from Interstate 295).
Special events at Thomas Point Beach
Band Camp X Music and Arts Festival (July 26-28); see Picks of the Week.
Green Woods Roots and Culture Revival (Aug. 9-11). A reggae and biofuel-powered celebration and feast with craft beer, local food and goods, herbal medicines, and permaculture and living soil demonstrations.
Camping for Maine Highland Games and Scottish Festival, which is held at Topsham Fairgrounds, Aug. 17; see Featured Event.
Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival (Aug. 28-Sept. 1). Camping “in the rough” is free with multi-day tickets to the four-day bluegrass festival celebrating its fortieth year.
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