35 Massachusetts beaches to avoid swimming at this weekend

If you’re planning a weekend beach trip, you’ll want to avoid the beaches closed due to unsafe swimming water. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) states that swimming in the water at these closed beaches poses a threat of illness due to high levels of bacteria. Symptoms of water-borne illness can range from nausea and vomiting to a sore throat and fever, or even rashes and infections.

Heading into the weekend, 35 Massachusetts beaches are closed. Here’s the full list.

What beaches in Massachusetts are currently closed?

The following Massachusetts beaches, listed by town, are closed as of Friday, July 17:

• Amherst:
  • Puffers Pond at Mill Street (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Puffers Pond at State Street (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Ashby: Damon Pond Beach (Other)
• Ashland: Hopkinton Reservoir – Main Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Barnstable: Keyes Beach at Sea Street (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Beverly: Mingo (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Brewster:
  • Cliff Pond at DYS (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
  • Cliff Pond at Main (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
• Dartmouth: Moses Smith Creek (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Duxbury: Landing Road (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Fairhaven: Fort Phoenix (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Falmouth: Megansett (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Holden: Eagle Lake (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Middleborough: Camp Yomechas (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Nantucket: Sesachacha Pond (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
• North Andover: Frye Pond Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Provincetown: Town Landing – Snail Road (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Quincy: Nickerson (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Salem:
  • Children’s Island – Back (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Children’s Island – Wally (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Ocean Avenue (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Willow Avenue (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Springfield: Camp Wilder at Right (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Swampscott: Kings (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Swansea: Coles River Club off Harbor Road (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Templeton:
  • Beamans Pond – Campground (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Beamans Pond – Day Use (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Tisbury: Owen Little Way (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Truro: Beach Point Landing (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Wareham:
  • Briarwood (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Forbes (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Standish Shores (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Winthrop:
  • Donovans (Bacterial Exceedance)
  • Pico (Bacterial Exceedance)
• Worcester: Lake Quinsigamond – Regatta Point Beach (Bacterial Exceedance)

Most beaches are closed due to bacterial exceedance, meaning the levels of bacteria in the water are higher than the limits set by the MDPH.

Those in the “other” category can be closed due to a variety of chemical or physical hazards, such as riptides and poor visibility.