Published: June 1, 2026 | Last updated: July 6, 2026
A Little Pocket of Beach Paradise
Ferry Beach State Park in Maine is a quiet alternative to the state’s busier beaches. This guide covers the park’s rare Tupelo trees, the easy 2‑mile bike ride to Ocean Park, and the best places to eat — including a soda fountain that feels like a time capsule.”
Ferry Beach State Park is a scenic 117-acre park tucked away in Saco, Maine, between Old Orchard Beach and the Camp Ellis community. It’s the kind of place where you park once, ride your bike to the beach, and spend the day moving between sand, shade, and a soda fountain. Peaceful, less crowded, and genuinely relaxing.
🏖️ Beaches
Ferry Beach
The beach features a stunning expanse of soft, white sand looking out over Saco Bay. Sheltered slightly by the bay, the waters are typically calm and popular for swimming, sunbathing, sea kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and surf casting for striped bass.
Beaches Outside the State Park
If you take the bike ride to the Ocean Park neighborhood (only 2 miles away), you’ll pass a number of beaches. Because you’re on a bicycle, you can easily access these semi-private beaches — public sand, but parking restricted to residents. On a bike, you roll right past the “residents only” signs. No questions asked.
🚴 Bike Rides
This day trip is more about relaxation than logging miles. The main ride is an easy 2-mile spin from the state park entrance to the Ocean Park neighborhood — a quiet summer community of old cottages, beach roses, and shady streets.
The route follows Bay View Road, which runs parallel to the shore. You’ll pass small pocket beaches, hear the surf, and catch glimpses of Saco Bay between the houses. At Ocean Park, lock your bike and walk out to the beach, grab a sandwich at the general store, or step back in time at the soda fountain.
For a longer ride, continue north toward Old Orchard Beach Pier (about 4 miles one way). The road gets busier, but the views open up, and you’ll have your choice of beachfront snack bars.
🍽️ Food
Ocean Park Subs & Grocery
A deli/bakery/grocery store. Perfect pit stop for something simple. Across the street is a nice park with a gazebo — take your lunch there and enjoy.
Ocean Park Soda Fountain
Step back in time. This place serves breakfast and lunch, right across the street from the gazebo. A genuine time capsule.
📜 Local Knowledge & History
🌲 Park Trails
The park maintains nearly 2 miles of easy, well-kept intersecting wooded trails. Key routes like the Tupelo Trail and Red Oak Trail feature boardwalks over wetlands filled with cinnamon ferns and sphagnum moss. These trails are fun to ride. Be mindful of walkers, hikers, and runners — share the resource.
🌳 Tupelo Trees
One of the park’s most distinctive features is a rare, 100-acre stand of Tupelo (black gum) trees. These trees are highly unusual at this northern latitude and thrive in the park’s small “pocket swamps.”
🚿 Outdoor Showers
Outdoor showers are a luxury. I always note when a location has them. So enjoy a day of outdoor recreation — get salty, sandy, sweaty — then rinse off before getting back in your car.
📌 Tips for Ferry Beach State Park
- Ride the wooded trails – The trails through the 100 wooded acres are serene and fun on a bike.
- Ferry Beach – Outstanding sand, and on off‑days, not crowded.
- Bike ride to Ocean Park – This little summer community is only 2 miles away. Worth the trip for the soda fountain alone.
- Park once, ride all day – There’s a parking fee at the state park. Leave your car there. Ride everywhere else.