For many, the word “sand” immediately evokes thoughts of lazy summer days at the shore. Your toes sink into soft, warm beaches. As you approach the water’s edge, the cool currents pull the grains from beneath the soles of your feet. But, not all sand experiences are the same. Here are five wonderful but different ways to explore sand in New England this summer.
1. The Sand Dunes of Cape Cod National Seashore
Cape Cod National Seashore was established in 1961, and according to the National Park Service, nearly one third of it is made up of coastal dunes. This represents more than 8,500 acres, primarily on the outer Cape, and some of these dunes reach more than 100 feet tall.
But where did these striking formations come from? The landscape resulted from erosion, ocean currents, winds, and the deforestation of this once wooded area by settlers centuries ago. Beachgrass, goldenrod, bayberry, beach plum, and other hearty plants help to stabilize these spectacular mounds of sand.
Among the many spots to experience the dunes are Race Point Beach in Provincetown, Nauset Light Beach in Eastham, Sandy Neck Beach Park in West Barnstable, and Marconi Beach & Cahoon Hollow in Wellfleet. Provincetown has the additional draw of guided tours and views of the now-famous artists’ shacks that have been named historic landmarks.
2. Singing Sand at Manchester-by-the-Sea
This beach is slightly less than a half-mile wide, but what makes it truly unique is the sound it makes. More of a squeak than actual singing, just walking on the beach can bring forth this unique sound. According to the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, “These sounds, known as singing, barking, or whistling, may be caused by an abundance of similarly sized, nearly spherical grains of quartz sand on the beach. Walking over this material is thought to cause a vibration as the layers of sand grains slide over each other.” Visitors who want to experience this phenomenon are advised to stick to the upper portion of the beach where it is dry, so the grains don’t stick together. Here’s a video demonstrating how to make the sand “sing.”
3. Ripples, Ridges, and Runnels at Brewster Tidal Flats
Let’s start with some vocabulary. Ripples are the low bumps that form in rows in the space between the high tide mark and the low tide mark. Runnels are those pools of water parallel to the shoreline that form on the beach behind built up bars of sand (ridges) when the tide goes out. You’ll often see small children splashing in them. If you want to have ten miles of space to explore ripples, ridges, and runnels to your heart’s content, head to Brewster, Mass., to North America’s largest tidal flat.
4. Sand That’s Purple, Pink, White . . .
No, this isn’t the beginning of Joseph’s Coat (The Coat of Many Colors), although you might be singing that now. This is about the color of the sand. Most beach sand in Massachusetts is composed of light colored quartz and feldspar, so the sand in the area will generally be white, gray, or tan. Crane Beach in Ipswich is a great example of this. But not all beaches are the same. New England may not have the black sand beaches of Hawaii, but did you know you could find purple and pink sand here?
Plum Island Beach frequently displays swaths of purple sand. The color is created by a combination of reddish garnet, a green mineral called epidote, and black grains of augite combined with the quartz and feldspar. The garnet is likely from metamorphic rocks along the coast. The purple coloration is most prominent near the dunes beyond the reach of high tide.
Connecticut’s Hammonasset Beach State Park provides visitors a chance to experience pink sand. Once again, garnet plays a role and, combined with magnetite, it is responsible for this striking sand color here. It is thought to have been deposited as the glaciers melted. The color is often more apparent in the winter when the lighter white sands wash back to the sea leaving the heavier pink grains behind.
5. Step Onto a Sandbar
Sandbars are banks of sand built by the action of the waves that are just below the water’s surface or are partly exposed. Some sandbars are known as “social boating sandbars,” where all manner of watercraft passengers meet up like a tailgating party on the water. Two popular ones in Massachusetts are Billingsgate Island in Eastham, a once thriving fishing village that became submerged, and Brown’s Bank in Plymouth Harbor.
For those who prefer to walk, Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester offers a long and beautiful sandbar at low tide. For a bigger adventure, make a trip to Silver Sands State Park in Milford, Conn. This park, which includes half a mile of shoreline, features a sandbar that you can cross at low tide to access the 14-acre Charles Island, a beautiful wildlife sanctuary.
Five More Sand Experiences
1. International Sand Sculpting Festival competition in Revere: Located at Revere Beach, America’s first public beach, this annual event (July 17-19 this year), gathers sculptors from around the world.
2. Sand Beach at Acadia National Park in Maine: This beach is the jumping off point for several popular hiking routes and is an incredible spot for stargazing.
3. Looking for sand dollars? Long Sands Beach in York, Maine is known for being one of the best spots to find these seaside souvenirs. Keep in mind that these were once living creatures, so make sure to only pick up sand dollars with no spines on the bottom. If there are spines, return them to the water as they are still on the move.
4. Sandy desert … in Maine? In the middle of the forest in Freeport, Maine, The Desert of Maine has 25 acres of glacial sand dunes. There are no longer live camels there though.
5. Digging for dinner: clams are on the menu: Whether Woodman’s of Essex; the Clam Box of Ipswich; Bob’s Clam Hut in Kittery, Maine; Sullivan’s on Castle Island; or someplace else, fried clams (whether strips or whole bellies) are a New England classic. In the meantime, try making this Rhode Island Clear Broth Clam Chowder from Weekends with Yankee, join the Weekends with Yankee team on a bike ride in search of the best fried clams, or watch the America’s Test Kitchen team prepare a clambake.
To learn more about all things sand, check out this edition of our newsletter, The Deep Dive Newsletter, where we go deep into topics to inspire curious readers.
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