A wide range of sea glass and mermaid loot abound in this tucked away, must-visit beach. 40 Steps Beach is in a magnificent location that's hidden from outsiders. Lucky for us, a local shared this fabulous tip with us and we were able to explore. Read on to see what treasures I found including what you need to know before your visit!
All About the Beach
40 Steps Beach in Nahant, Mass is a cozy neighborhood beach located on Nahant Road in Nahant, Massachusetts. This beach is small, so I would only plan to go here during low tide. It's located right in the middle of a very well-to-do neighborhood with huge fancy houses. I was told about this beach by one of the locals I met in a gift shop in town. He said he's found marbles, bottle stoppers and whole bottles too. So the Mr. and I decided to add this beach to the list.
Pretty little treasures!
Where Do You Find Sea Glass
The beach is very tidy and was loaded with millions of tiny smooth pebbles and not much sand. Which is just perfect for trapping sea glass, but I was happily surprised at the amount of beautiful little mermaid tears that I found. Every time I brushed away a layer of colorful pebbles close to the water's edge, I would see three to five sweet little gems glistening in the sun.
Oh! hello yellow.
I scored mainly clear, brown, green, aqua, two blue, a yellow and one teal. I would say that many of these small well tumbled beauties are jewelry grade and a few are craft grade.
The beach was once forty steps down, but with erosion over the years, more steps were added to access the beach. Because large rock formations surround the beach, it's a popular spot for cliff jumping off and into the water.
I have included a photo of a parking lot near 40 steps beach but it's a private lot across from another beach cove. The lot requires a town permit and is strictly enforced. It's right next to Northeastern University Marine Science Center. Strangely this 2nd little beach had no sea glass on this day even though it's just a few yards away from 40 steps beach. If you're in the area I'd check out both beaches.
Private Lot!
Note: There is NO street parking at all, I heard that the police will ticket, so my hubby gave me 15 minutes (he does that a lot! LOL) to run down to the beach and check it out. Honestly, I'd find a safe place to park and Uber there. I could have spent all day just digging for sea glass. This is a great beach for sea glass and pebble collectors.
Don’t understand how you can “check out both beaches” in Nahant when “non-residents” can’t park anywhere. They obviously do not welcome anyone outside their exclusive community.
Hi Andi
My husband dropped me off and stayed with the car. Parking was a nightmare!
It looks like you could park in the area of the public library, which is very close.