Town of Duxbury - Beach Operations - Beach Update 5/21/2026
Town of Duxbury - Beach Operations - Beach Update
5/21/2026
Late Spring Beach-Crossover Hours:
- Monday – Thursday: 8:00AM – 6:00PM
- Friday – Sunday: 8:00AM – 8:00PM
- Starting Monday May 25th, 8:00AM – 8:00PM daily
Crossovers will be open tide, weather and avian activity dependent. Please check the tidal charts for high tides prior to coming to the beach.
Night-Time Driving Hours/Speed Limits:
Per state & federal regulations regarding endangered/protected avian species that all recreational driving activity must stop at 8pm once chicks are present on the beach. This will apply to any open beach OSV & the backroad access/cut-outs.
Speed limits may be as low 5MPH in many posted areas of the backroad and beach lots. Please be mindful that DBR field staff, pedestrians and bicyclists utilize the roadways, and may appear around a corner or hard to see area. Posted speed limits will be located along several areas of the roadways for safety.
Memorial Day Weekend/Crossover Status:
All Crossovers are expected at this time to open for the Memorial Day weekend, which starts on Friday 5/22. However, due to multiple plover nests that are expected to hatch at or near Crossover 1, we will have to reduce vehicle capacity to Crossover 1 starting Saturday 5/23 to approximately 60 vehicles. Vehicles on the beach at Crossover 1 will be unable to drive on the portion of the beach between Crossover 1 to Crossovers 2 or 3, and vice versa. Beach Operations will have a Beach Ranger stationed to monitor the areas on both sides of the restricted access points. Saw-horses will also be placed on the beach to denote the areas that vehicles will be unable to access.
Crossovers 2 and 3 are also expected at this time to remain open for the Memorial Day weekend. However, we anticipate from speaking with field staff, that additional restricted areas and limited vehicle capacity to all 3 OSV Crossovers will occur over the next several days. Information on restricted areas, vehicle capacity allowances and OSV closures will be disseminated to beach permit holders as soon as applicable. Field staff anticipates at this time that all Crossovers will be fully closed to permit holders on or before Sunday 5/31 due to multiple plover chicks hatching on the beach at that time.
Any available OSV vehicle access is split evenly between residents and non-resident permit holders. Beach Ops will be checking permits and advising which crossover may be open to the 2 different types of OSV permit holders to evenly distribute them across any open crossover access point.
Due to the challenging aspect of dealing with avian activity, we will determine each morning with field staff by approximately 8am, the following information that will be sent out daily via social media (X & Instagram) to permit holders on crossover access and vehicle capacity:
- What crossover(s) will be eligible to open if avian activity allows.
- How many OSV vehicles will be allowed at each open crossover to be evenly split between resident and non-resident permit holders.
- What time the crossover(s) will open. Any open crossover will close by 8pm unless circumstances due to avian species, tides or weather cause an earlier closure time.
We appreciate your cooperation and patronage to Duxbury Beach. We are fully aware that the limited OSV access, or full closure is not ideal to permit holders, but Beach Ops and DBR will do their best to provide what OSV access we can under difficult circumstances of protecting state/federal avian species along with public recreational opportunities.
Northern Lot for Non-Resident OSV Permits:
The Northern Lot will be utilized for non-resident OSV permit holders for overflow parking when the crossovers are closed or severely restricted due to avian closures. We will have a porta potty available in the lot for patrons. The lot is just north of the Blakeman’s Restaurant parking and Beach Rangers will be directing/checking permits when it is open.
Walk-On Resident Beach/Back-Road Cut-Outs:
When Crossovers are closed due to avian activity, this can often create confusion that the entire Duxbury Beach is closed. The only closure will be for vehicle access on the OSV beach where the chicks are present and are in danger of being near vehicles. The walk-on beach, resident and non-resident permit parking northern lot, and backroad/cut-outs will remain open for permit holder use.
Beach Sticker Permit Sales-Resident Parking Lot & Over-Sand (Resident/Non-Resident)- Last Season Beach Permits have expired as of 3/31/26:
Beach Stickers for the 2026 season (valid April 1, 2026-March 31, 2027) are available to purchase ONLINE, in-person at the Treasurer/Collector’s office or mail-in/drop-off applications.
Town Hall hours are as follows: Monday 8am-7pm, Tuesday-Thursday 8am-4pm, & Friday (closed to the public) 8am-12:30pm. Please be advised that effective March 1, 2026, the Town of Duxbury Select board voted on updated beach and transfer station permit fees for the April 1, 2026-March 31, 2027 season.
Don’t want to wait in line? You can purchase your stickers ONLINE now! Drop-off and Mail-In Applications are also welcome (please include: copy of registration, check payment and self- addressed stamped envelope if you’d like your order mailed, otherwise it will be available for pick up once payment is processed). Applications & check payments can be dropped off at the Treasurer/Collector’s counter, the dropbox in the Town Hall lobby or in the dropbox in the back of Town Hall.
FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT BEACH STICKERS SALES PLEASE CALL THE TREASURER'S OFFICE AT (781) 934-1100 EXT 6001
Duxbury Beach Reservation New Public Access Dashboard- Avian Update:
DBR has a new link attached below for the public to utilize to retrieve real time data on avian activity, recreational activities that are allowed or may be restricted. Please click on the link below to access information from DBR. View here.
Symbolic fencing for protected avian species, consisting of green rebar, twine and signage has been installed by DBR/Beach Operations staff along the entire stretch of the beach on the upper portion of the dunes. These areas will be adjusted and moved out as additional nests are located on the beach. Areas behind the symbolic fencing represent closed areas where there is no public access to people or dogs.
Dog Permits & Rules and Regulations:
Permits to walk your dog on Duxbury beach are required year-round. Permits are on sale through the Town Clerk’s office, which is located in Town Hall. For complete information go to: https://www.town.duxbury.ma.us/town-clerk. Resident permits and non-resident permits have slightly different requirements so please reach out to the Clerk’s office to get all the pertinent information. All dogs must be on a leash year-round and must display the permit issued to their owner or be subject to fines and possible loss of privileges.
Please note these very important rules concerning dog access that start April 1st:
· All dogs are prohibited from the front beach, known as the Resident Beach, to the poles delineating the start of the first crossover beach from April 1to September 15.
· All dogs are prohibited from the bayside beach north of the Powder Point Bridge adjacent to the Resident Parking Lot from April 1 to September 15.
· Dogs and their handlers are prohibited from disturbing any endangered species or wildlife on Duxbury Beach. Dogs are not permitted to pass through Sensitive Wildlife Areas on the ocean side or bayside beach or dunes.
Leashed dogs may be walked in parking lots, the beach backroad, any open crossover beach between the north and south poles delineating the crossover beaches, and the bayside beach south of the Powder Point Bridge behind the guard station small parking lot.
Crossover Dune Posts:
Please be aware that vehicles are not allowed west of any dune post in order to maintain the stability and integrity of the dunes. During high tides vehicles must either exit the beach or drive as close to the dune post as possible without going west of the post. Driving west of the post is prohibited and subject to fines and revocation of vehicle permit.
Fires on the Beach:
Bonfires and campfires are prohibited anywhere on Duxbury Beach. Small cooking fires in a metal container are permitted but only on the OSV portion of the beach. No materials may be added to a fire within one hour of beach closing. All fires must be extinguished with water within a half hour of beach closing, and all fire remnants must be removed from beach property by the beach user. If beach goers see unauthorized fires on the beach, please alert the Duxbury Fire Department and Duxbury Police Department.
Please be sure to monitor our X feed for the most up-to-date information including any operational updates: https://twitter.com/BeachDuxbury.
As always, we appreciate your continued cooperation in adhering to all signage and directives from Beach Rangers and DBR Personnel.