The sand castle competition, volleyball tournaments, and a few other events (do not fall for the ultimate tourist trap- the flea market/imitation seafood festival that seems to sucker naive tourists every yr the weekend after Labor Day) make it more worth while than some other New England beach infested with trashiness, air-headed tweens blaring dopey pop music, and phony gangsta-wannabe dorks. But it stops there.
The boardwalk? Fried dough, greasy pizza....you get the idea- same overpriced, crap food you can find at any run-down venue across the old U.S of A. NH beaches are so underrated beyond this dump, of course- it is possible to pull off free parking and no traffic delays if you know the abundant local access roads- I'm not naming the beaches as I don't want to ruin a good thing! Walkable distances too in terms of restrooms and adequate eateries. Clean water, clean sand, rocky/not rocky (options abound) minus the riffraff. I'm simply stunned any family actually spends big bucks and utilizes precious vacation days to stay at in the vicinity of Hampton Beach when far better options for people of all ages exist in close proximity.
So here's what to expect from Hampton Beach. First of all, it's a decent trip from most places in Massachusetts- this summer, when you want a real beach, do yourself a favor and take a day trip up here. The boardwalk is full to the brim with really trashy people, which you can see as an annoyance or a source of a lot of amusement- I recommend the latter. Parking is really expensive, and the convenience store ATMs charge exorbitant fees, so bring cash with you when you come up. But the beach is worth it- this is the only beach I've ever been to in New England that actually has waves. If you love the ocean and the experience of going to a real beach with a boardwalk (like Atlantic City in its heyday- I grew up going to the Jersey Shore), definitely make a trip (or two or several) up here during the summer. Make a day of it- get ice cream, play mini-golf, and just enjoy a leisurely, fun day at the beach. If you look past all of the people, it's a gorgeous place.
Review Source:A fun beach experience. Â Not my usual cup of tea but a fun location for an occassional day of fun and sun. Â I like the strip with its myriad of stores and fast food options, there is ample parking on all but the busiest days and the beach itself is OK for a crowded summertime destination. Â Blinks fried dough and Boardwalk Fries are great choices for totally bad for you but oh so good summertime treats.
Review Source:I never like coming here because of the type of people it attracts. I only go because it's close by and there happens to be food establishments very close by, even if they're extremely overpriced. Redoing some of the boardwalk and building new side walks and bathroom building has washed some of the grime away, but still not my first choice.
Review Source:Honkey tonk but you do have seem distractions and odd ball types and at least you have food options and stores although nothing special. Volleyball is good if you can get in some games and if you are higher level and can make your way into a game you could be deemed good enough to keep playing and I say that because it can be clicky. The water is alright but being near a nucleur plant and swimming just doesn't resonate well with me. Sometimes there are decent waves. It is an ok beach it has lots of people but if you get there early parking can be easy but most rather go later and the price goes up quite a bit from 5 to as much as over 20 and more if you get closer to the beach but my guess is 10 - 15 on your average day at a reasonable time. I would try it just to use it for comparing to other beaches.
Review Source:Since I come from Toronto and the beaches here aren't that pretty - Hampton Beach was seriously an exciting trip, especially after having the stomach flu.
I was going to New Hampshire to visit my nephews, when my uncle did a detour to see this beach. I just had a stomach flu two nights before and was still feeling a little gross from it. But, once I got to the beach, the sun was on full blasts and the waves were strong. There are so many people around, much more than I'm usually used to. Yet, it is still a very well maintained and clean beach. Definitely a well-known beach for a reason!
Sea breeze filled with frying grease, arcades from another era, miniature golf and fluorescent sweatshirts... steps away from a great, clean beach.
Nothing at Hampton Beach is classy or upscale. The only word that comes to mind is "comfort" -- not egyptian-cotton-sheets-comfort -- just good old unpretentious wacky comfort. The whole place is stuck somewhere between 1979 and 1987... and it felt just great.
Sometimes I think that people take themselves waaay too seriously. If you can't have fun at Hampton Beach there's a good possibility that you may be one of the people I think this about.
I love the beach and the boardwalk. I'm a big fan of boardwalks in general though. I'm a girl who needs a fix of beach-side video arcades, terry cloth, henna tattoos and mass quantities of junk food, every once in a while.
Is it classy? Nope. Is there anything resembling upscale here? Nope. There is nowhere in sight that will satisfy your desires for fine dining or well-crafted cocktails. I recommend a steady diet of salt water taffy, so-so pizza and Dr. Pepper for the duration of your visit. The dense rows of shops are all tacky, and most seem to be peddling the exact same wares. The beach is crowded and it could be a sport to keep score of all of the inappropriately or horribly attired, except it would be way too easy. Everybody wins! (Or maybe everybody loses?!?)
The ocean here has some of the best waves around, it's one of the few spots in New England where surfers congregate and have an actual shot at catching a wave. New Hampshire has made good by sinking some money into the grounds and the new bathroom facilities are clean enough for a place that sees so much action. The Hampton Beach Casino/Ballroom occasionally books day-trip worthy entertainment. If you park in any of the numerous $5.00 lots, two blocks from the beach, getting in and out of here isn't really problematic. Of course, if you want to cruise the strip with your top down more power to you - but you probably already know what you're getting into when you make that decision.
I've never been here at nite, but I oh so-badly want to stay up late sometime and see what the nightlife has to offer. I can only imagine the cheap and easy, wondrously sleazy fun that is to be had once most of the happy kiddies are safely tucked away. Once the blankets and umbrellas and coolers and boogie boards are packed away and this place becomes a tawdry playground for the grown-ups.
Can you seriously say that doesn't sound like whole lotta fun?
The state of NH has put a lot of money into updating the buildings at Hampton Beach!
- There are new bathrooms on the South and North end with outdoor cold showers for rinsing off.
- There are new parking spots for motorcycles but bring something to rest your kickstand on as the pavement is so hot the stands are melting and sinking into the ground.
- You pay for street parking at various stations according to your spot number. For the day it costs more than parking at one of the lots but it works if you want to pull up for a few hours of sun and fun.
- The new main bath house is up and running but still is being worked on. Right now there are no showers but I hope they put some in.
- The bathrooms have warm running hand wash sinks. There is liquid soap but you need to squat down low to see the "very little" stem underneath the running water. Most people don't know it is there as there is only one and it is hidden (speaking for the girls rooms).
- There are mainly bathrooms, no changing rooms.
- They discourage washing your feet in the sinks...go figure.
- There are real mirrors now. Not the plastic circus mirrors they use to have that made you look either tall and skinny or short and fat.
- The grandstand is still being worked on to be finished in the fall.
- New Street signs making it easier to see "Street A" on down the line
At the far south end at what I call the actual State Park end, the cost is $15 to park.
There are spots for campers to set up, a little store, covered picnic tables and bath house.
There are life guards dotting the shore line from end to end and of course the water is cold. We went a few times and it ranged from mid 60's which felt warm down to 55 that gave you that quick fast bite when your foot hit the wave.
If you park on the North end before C street you can loop around to take Brown Street making it a tad bit quicker to get to 95. Otherwise you can cruise and people watch as folks go in and out of the various shops.
There are signs for new condo going up. With all of the recent renovations and new buildings coming I'd figure the older ones may be investing in upgrades and face lifts soon.
Ducked into an arcade and shot targets. Â Witnessed the betters win stuffed toys at the model horse race game. Â Watched boys throw baseballs at the pitching speed game. Â Sat down in this big room, captivated by make believe. Â
Being in that room amidst all these smiling people made me want to stay forever. Â My boyfriend opened a bottle of fizzy water. Â It squirted everywhere, on the table, all over my seat, and for some reason I just kept laughing. Â The moment felt easy like joy you could feel on your skin or happiness you could eat from a waffle cone or wonder you could bottle for posterity. Â And I wanted it to be this way every day.
Come on. Â If this place were any trashier you'd have to go to the town & get a permit to go there and you'd bring a truck bed full of garbage. Â This place is NASTY and it's only gotten worse. Â I was a local and worked at the beach for 5 summers and never understood why anyone who went there ever went back again.
The best thing that could possibly happen to this beach is a large fire and total rebuild. Â It is overcrowded and dirty. Â There's a LOVELY view of the Seabrook nuke plant when you face away from the water...but relax - Â if/when it has an "accident" you will all perish because (1) you are right inside ground zero and (2) there are only 2 "main" roads in and out of the beach so don't bother getting in your car. Â Go get a Blink's Fry Doe and ride out the wave of destruction while you eat away your feelings of despair in your fringed & beaded airbrush t-shirt of a skinny lady in a bikini that you've stretched over your size 2XL body. Â And when you're out on the sand, keep an eye out for the tampon applicators that are embedded in the sand while you're extinguishing your cigarette & leaving that butt there. Â Stay classy, Hampton!
There have been occasional gang issues at night at this beach for at least the last 25 years. Â Every beach south of Hampton has been run into the ground, so they just keep coming north. Â
Save your pennies, pack a picnic lunch & drive further up the road - go to Wallis Sands, North Beach, Odiorne State Park or someplace that hasn't been infested by the lowest common denominator of humanity. Â Each of those beaches is more than worth the price of admission.
Hampton beach has been called the white trash beach of New England, ghetto, and honky tonk. I hope you like fried food when you come for a visit because it is extremely hard to find any food on the beach that is edible or not fried. Hampton can be lots of fun, especially if you like people watching. The sand on this beach is clean but a little hard on your feet, typical of a lot of beaches in New England. There is no shortage of dive bars on the strip too. Parking is hard to find and don't be surprised to find parking rates similar to those found at Fenway Park if you go on the weekend (highest I saw was $30 but if you look hard you can find lots for $10 - $15). Lastly, it takes much longer to leave this beach than it does to get there, give yourself about 90 minutes to get back to Boston.
Review Source:No. Â Just no.
Why would anyone WANT to go here? Â It's a strip of overcrowded, overweight beach with NOTHING going for it that you can't find elsewhere.
Nothing good on the street, nothing worth seeing on the beach. Â Crowded beyond explanation.
Seriously, find anywhere and you'll do better. Â If you were thinking of going here, find another beach and be thankful you avoided here.
trashy, trashy, TRASHY. everyone here is trashy, all i see when i come here are the following: trashy broads and skanks, fat people who think they are hot s**t by wearing ultra tight swimwear and exposing their tremendous amounts of fat/rolls, creepers, sketchballs, and teeny boppers who think they are too cool for their own good. This place sucks ass. The beach is usually overcrowded (with trash), guys are creepy, the boardwalk is always packed and someone almost always will cut you off and get in your way.
On the "good" side- There are a lot of food places to hit up, and lots of small shops to venture into if you're looking for some cheap beachwear or knockoff handbags. Lots of henna tattoo spots... ugh. This beach is not nice in any way, shape, or form. It is like a dumpster.
We were unimpressed with the circus like atmosphere (shops & people) and the masses of bleached out weirdos. I think I'd rather go to Portland or Bar Harbor, ME where there are less riffraff. Californian beaches are better too. The people there are weird but not in a menacing way. There were times at Hampton where it seemed dangerously seedy.
Review Source:Yeah, it's honky tonk, but I love it.
It's great for the kids. Â Nice beach, lots of greasy fried seafood places, pinball arcades - blue collar, but nice.
Hampton Beach is NOT trashy. Â It's a very clean, nice beach. Â It's just that the shops and eateries are not as hoidy toidy as the towns just to the north, like Rye and Portsmouth.
It's a very clean, not pretentious place to spend the day with a S.O. or with the kids.
H.oly honky tonk
A.morous Adolescents
M.yriad of markets
P.lenty of parking ($5-20)
T.rying traffic (take 101 out. leave before 3:30)
O.pulent oceanfront
N.ew Hampshire
B.unches of beach
E.ssential establishment
A.dequate accommodations
C.overed (in tattoos) characters
H.eterogeneous hoopla (yes, this one was a stretch)
Looks like the southern end of the beach could be a bit more subdued with more parking available. Â But if you're looking for action (in more ways than one), head toward the side of the beach where 101 comes into Hampton. Â I'm serious about leaving before 3:30...especially if you need to get anywhere by 5 in Boston... it's a nuthouse trying to leave. Â If you go too far south (beyond 286), then you're into the Salisbury Beach traffic.
It has always been trailer park trashy for as long as I've been coming here, but that's what I love about it!  The beach and boardwalk are  long and parking is abundant and inexpensive, which is why its such a big draw for folks of every social status.  I took a long stroll there today in the beautiful weather and had a blast.  Just check your snob at the door and you'll be all set, otherwise keep on driving through and you'll soon get to gorgeous Rye.  And yes, you can avoid the toll by getting off at exit 60 and get there via route 286 east.  The two popular competing seafood joints are along this route.
Review Source:What do cold cold waves, Fry Doe, a crowded arcade with a shooting gallery, high school girls and bros, Â and a store dedicated to the Insane Clown Posse have in common? Hampton Beach, of course.
The beach itself was beautiful -- wide stretches of sand, cool and pristine water, some wave action -- and we lounged for hours under hot sun while intermittently diving in for a swim. It's only along the strip where the action picks up, and suddenly it's easy to be surrounded by gift shops, tattoo parlors, deep-fried everything and airbrushing.
Think Nantasket Beach and the Jersey Shore combined. Maybe add in a little Wisconsin Dells for good measure.
And one rickety waterslide.
____
We actually had a lot of fun at Hampton, but it was more for the beach and less for the spectacle -- though it's very much worth the trip across the border.
Leave the stick up your ass at the toll both.
I don't know what people are expecting from Hampton Beach, really. Â You are going to get the following around any similar arcade boardwalk/beach...
- people who smoke cigarettes
- people with tattoos
- kids
- some people you might have seen on an episode of COPS
- artery clogging food
- Fry Doe
- motorcycle enthusiasts
- white kids that think they're black
- more people with tattoos
- questionable fashion styles
- large women in small clothing
- booze
- neon clothing
- big hair
If any of the above (and more) offend you, stay away. Â Seriously. Â Stay home. Â Build a beach in your backyard. Â Do not pass 'Go'. Â Do not collect $200.
Hampton Beach is white trash decadence at its finest...and I like it that way. Â I want my Doe of the Fry variety, then maybe wash it down with some Fried Dough. Â I want to put $3 into a non-functioning Q-Bert machine. Â I want to play $38 worth of Skee Ball to win a $2.57 hand buzzer. Â I want to stroll on down to one of the watering holes for a couple PBRs, then stumble back up to the arcades to get the high score on 'Tapper'. Â I want to eat at the Italian place because te menu is lit up outside.
Hampton Beach was there before you and it will outlive you. Â It will not change because you are douchebag and you're uptight. Â You know what you're in for, so you have to deal with it or don't go.
There is one legitimate beef with this place...the parking. Â Went there recently and they have some new parking system with cash/card accepting kiosks. Â The prices are kind of insane. Â They also charge until midnight. Â It wasn't that long ago that I could go up after 8PM and not worry about paying for parking. Â Now they're checking that late? Â Blasphemy. Â I had this at Four Stars until my recent trip.
But really, Fry Doe.
Hampton Beach is a really long stretch of sand with plenty of waves and really cold Altantic water. We went in mid-June and had to come out often to restore circulation to our toes.
There is about 25-30 feet of wet sand with a few people walking and frolicking in the waves, another 10-15 ft of seaweedy sand, then another 50-60 feet of sand before the street. Most people are sunning themselves on the largest area of the beach. Cleanliness is not horrific for a free beach, but if you've been to one of the clean, paid beaches on the coast, you're in for a shock.
My two very young kids had a blast, but I won't be returning because of the other people there. Many of the reviews mention how blue collar this place is, and I don't want my kids to get influenced by it. Lots of alcohol and cigarettes around. The boardwalk looks interesting, with everything from McDonald's to fried "doe" and an arcade, but we were scared to get out because of the tatooed, smoking clientele.
There is a two-way street which loops around, with meter parking in between the two directions; a dollar gets you a whopping 40 minutes from 8AM-midnight, 7 days a week. It was crowded, and the traffic is pretty terrible, but we found a spot without too much trouble.
Trapped in time. Thats the best way to describe Hampton Beach. I had some sour childhood experiences here (almost drowning on the waterslides of death...staying at a place with bed bugs....etc) however every time I've been as an adult has been a nice experience. If you go at the end of the summer the shops are running great sales and I love how when you walk around some of the beach goers still think its 1989...or 1969...it really is fun and makes you want to put on that jean jacket with the peace sign patch (which as of last summer you could still buy there).
Review Source:I have been there about 5-6 times - All of the reviews here seem to capture it well. Â Point of clarification : I have never stopped the car and stepped out and experienced this place face to face - I just keep the windows rolled up and coast thru the loop trying to avoid any eye contact with the urchins. Â Kinda like watching TV - or going to a car safari - you may want to roll down your window a bit - but are afraid of being mauled. Â 3 stars for the fear and loathing - hard to find places that make you feel so alive.
Review Source:I'm totally giving Hampton 5 stars for trash! I mean, I myself am trashy, but this place is awesomely trashy. I mean I grew up not far from here and we spent a lot of time at the beach when i was a kid. And people think revere beach is bad!?
There is actually a lot to do and eat, and the beach is pretty big, but usually pretty crowded too. During the summer theres usually a lot of live music across from the ballroom and tons of arcades and fun things for the kids. I miss the good old days when you didn't see unwanted cooch hanging down because their short shorts are basically non existent.
My favorite are the old leather skins that wear gold jewels and have bleaach blonde hayuhs and bikinis. I miss it. Seafood fest is a good time though! If you go near the end of the fest they discount everything.
Oh, Hampton Beach!
You are a place for children to run around and drink beers on the beach until they get arrested. You are the land of inappropriately short skirts and arcade games with a little lobster roll here or there. Mostly I understand what the tricks are all about. I have survived summers that ended badly on your beach or on your roads; your tolls have gone from 50cents to 75 since the last time I was here.
My main objective is to not do anything slightly resembling an illegal act up at Hampton Beach, my every action is governed by this agenda. Have you ever had an altercation with a cop up there? The cops are oh-so-serious about what they do. So if you are riding motorcycles keep your visor down, or glasses on while the keys are in the ignition at the very least.
How many other places are there that sell knickknacks, samurai swords, and fudge all on the same block?! Not to mention all kinds of restaurants and hotels, old fashion photos, and fried dough all over. Nowhere, that's where.
I am horrified that there is a place in NH that gives you less time for your money than downtown Boston on a meter. A quarter only gives you ten minutes from 8am to midnight! Better to park in one of the lots behind the boulevard.
This place is kind of mostly nasty. There are lots of reasons not to go, but the nightlife is pretty interesting - worth experiencing at least once. I think it's a better time when you are there with people who actually live in the area, they know where to go and when as well.
Holy geez I could amuse myself people watching at Hampton Beach for a whole beach day no problem!! Â My amazement at being surrounded by SO MANY braces-clad tweeners and various other interesting people almost makes me forget that I just signed up to spend a day surrounded by them...
Two simple things make Hampton Beach worthwhile:
1) It's actually a long stretch of beach with decent sand and minimal seaweed in the water (yes its still cold) not too far from Boston
2) There's other amusement right "on" the beach other than just lying on the beach....
#2 makes this an especially great beach for mixed groups. At Hampton Beach, I never have to listen to my boyfriend whine that he is bored... plenty of things to keep him amused while I lay and get my sun with the other lazy and incredibly white people. Â Hell, go to the casino even! Â And when I get bored of being a bum too, which I inevitably do --- time to take a walk on the trashy strip and buy some overpriced milkshakes or take some pictures in one of the sticker photobooths largely populated by 14-year-old girls.
No huge rush back to the Hamp-Hamp, but inevitably I shall return for a sunny day of people watching and beach action.
i wasn't sure if i had the right hampton beach. the reviews here were way too high!
its TRASHY! Â i cannot describe the trashiness that is hampton beach. guys trolling the beach looking for young girls, teenage girls pretending they are older than they really are. i'm no prude, but i swear on my life i saw a girl wearing legit UNDERWEAR in replace of shorts one night. did i mention she could not have been older than 15? people drive in their cars down the boardwalk playing their music so loud for the soul purpose of people turning their heads to look at them and their tricked out cars (and sometimes not even tricked out cars. pretty shitty cars that they think are cool).
it's crowded. parking is hella expensive not to mention an absolute nightmare. bring your own food because it's all overpriced there. not to mention the deep fried twinkies. they should be renamed "heart attack waiting to happen!"
i only give it 2 stars because it is a beach in close vicinity to where i lived. i came here all while growing up. bah! i cant imagine myself coming here on my own free will ever again!
I've had some amazing times at Hampton Beach over the course of my lifetime, and while most of them revolve around things like me riding on the handles of a beach cruiser at 3 am and drunken skim boarding and people watching from the decks of The Sea Ketch, I realize it's complete trash and wouldn't give it up for the world. THA WORLD.
Don't bother trying to park along the boardwalk, just park behind the water slides and get it over with. So what if it costs $10, it'll save you the pain of trying to pull out into traffic later. Go see a trash metal band at the Casino, stop at Casino Fast Foods and say hi to Terry (Hi!) and then play the Uncle Fester electrocution game in the arcade. Oh Hampton, I've spent many a night drunken falling down your boardwalk ogling girls with too tight booty shorts that say Angel and debating the cost vs. humor level of buying my boyfriend a piece of rice with our names on it encased in a glass tube with glitter and water, while someone looks over me in a pair of Jokleys paired with an airbrushed Tupac tshirt. I got no beef against Tupac, California is my anthem.
Misplaced your Def Leppard mirror? Â Can't find the roach clip with feathers attached to adorn your feathered hair? Â How about your favorite pink half-shirt with the fringes and beads and an adorable silkscreened kitten? Â Fret not my fine friend! Â All can be found here at the boardwalk on Hampton Beach! Â Throw in some old school arcades, Harley mamas everywhere and don't forget jellos shots at the aptly named bar Guido Murphys! Â How could you NOT have fun?
Review Source:Go on a Wednesday. Here's why...
Less people crowding the beach
Cheaper hotels due to lesser demand mid-week
Free fireworks show at night
About halfway down the beach there's an outdoor stage right by the beach which has free live bands every night. After Wednesday's show is over there is a fireworks display to rival a 4th of July display in most smaller towns.
Lindsay B's review mentioned parking being expensive. If you go early enough in the day you can park all day for less than $5 in some lots Ashworth Street (Rt 1-A South) and you can always park at metered spots where $10 will buy 8 hours (basically all day).
Free fireworks, Free music, $3.00 parking, countless resturants and shops on the "boardwalk" get Hampton Beach, NH a 4 / 5
We just went to this wonderful beach yesterday. The beach itself is gigantic - approximately 3 miles of lovely, wide, sandy beach. Unfortunately, we were there in the middle of a weekend afternoon, and it was extremely crowded. There was certainly room for everyone, and the people watching was fun (the beach draws people from all over the US and even Canada), but it was a little crowded for my tastes.
One of the big draws of this beach is the very long "boardwalk" (actually a sidewalk), with food and games and more food and palm reading. It's a fun place to spend an afternoon and about $20 on entertainment. Also, they have a large theater that houses many nationally-recognized musicians every day of the week.
Overall, a good place to go if you're looking for a great beach experience. But, get there early, because parking can be terrible (we saw a lot advertising $30 for the whole day!!!), but we just parked on a side street for free and it worked out for us.
Hampton Beach is much more than just a Beach. It is a place to spend the day. From its interesting shops, to variety of eateries, to entertainment such as arcades, and hotels/bed and breakfasts right on the beach, Hampton is a true resort town. Â The wide open beach is beautiful any time of the year, but comes alive in the summertime. The water is kinda chilly but refreshing on a hot day. Waves are moderate size here, Big at times, and there is a nice sidewalk the entire length of the beach stretching for over four miles perfect for a bike ride or rollerblading session, or a jog/walk. Good place to walk the dog as well.
Hampton Beach is accessed from route 1A , route 1 or route 95.
TIP: To avoid the tolls. Take the Salisbury Exit toward Massachusetts and then go up 1A through Seabrook beach to Hampton. You can park at the parking meters and just come back and feed the meter again when you need to. Or if you're lucky enough you might get a free space. More parking is available down the north end of Hampton Beach. Though it is a bit further walk from the central business district and arcade area.
Enjoy your day at Hampton Beach! Don't forge to bring plenty of sunscreen!
ATMS are available along the main street in some of the businesses.