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These are the beaches closed in Mass. going into the hot weekend

Scope out the list before you grab your beach umbrella.

By Morgan Rousseau

July 26, 2025

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Nearly three dozen Massachusetts beaches are closed as temperatures soared into the high 90s on one of the summer’s most sweltering Fridays.

The 31 beaches include both coastal beaches and inland ponds, which are closed due to unhealthy levels of bacteria or algae blooms, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s (DPH) interactive beach water quality dashboard,

The number of beach closures is up by six since last weekend. 

Temperatures are expected to settle into the 80s on Saturday, with partly sunny skies beckoning would-be beachgoers. However, health officials warn that if a beach is closed, it’s best to stay out of the water to avoid getting sick.

State law requires local health officials to track bacteria levels at over 1,100 public and semi-public beaches. Testing frequency ranges from daily to monthly and varies by beach, depending on how susceptible each is to water quality problems. 

Beach bacteria levels can increase due to rain washing pollution into the ocean, leaky septic systems, sewer overflows, animal waste, or farm runoff, according to the DPH.

The dashboard updates every hour from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, even on weekends, during beach season.

The list below reflects the latest info as of 4 p.m. on Friday, July 25.

Massachusetts beach closures as of Friday, July 25, 2025

Ashland

• Hopkinton Reservoir-Upper Beach (DCR)

Ayer

• Ayer Town Beach

Barnstable

• Keyes Beach (Sea Street)

Beverly

• Brackenbury

Brewster

• Upper Mill Pond

Concord

• Walden Pond – Main (DCR)

Danvers

• Sandy Beach 

Dartmouth

• Moses Smith Creek

Eastham

• S. Sunken Meadow
• Cook’s Brook

Holden

• Eagle Lake

Marblehead

• Grace Oliver

Mashpee

• Santuit Pond @ Town Landing
• Santuit Pond @ Bryants Neck

Methuen

• Forest Lake: Swimming Beach

Oxford

• Carbuncle Pond

Pittsfield

• Lulu Pond Beach (DCR)

Provincetown

• Winston Avenue

Salem

• Ocean Avenue

Salem

• Children’s Island – Back

Springfield

• Camp Wilder @ Right

Swampscott

• Kings

Templeton

• Beamans Pond – Campground (DCR)

Templeton

• Beamans Pond – Day Use (DCR)

Townsend

• Pearl Hill Pond Beach (DCR)

Upton

• Upton Town Beach

Winchendon

• Lake Dennison State Park (DCR) @ North Camp Beach
• Lake Dennison State Park (DCR) @ Day Use Beach

Winthrop

• Halford
• Donovans

Yarmouth

• Gray’s 

Morgan Rousseau

Morgan Rousseau is a freelance writer for Boston.com, where she reports on a variety of local and regional news.