Higgins Beach
Encyclopedia
Higgins Beach is a small beach
located in the state
of Maine
in the United States
. It is located in the town of Scarborough in Cumberland County
. The beach is north of Prouts Neck and Old Orchard Beach
and south of Crescent Beach State Park.
This northeast-southwest trending beach measures approximately 0.6 mile (0.965604 km) and is approximately 7 miles (11 km) south of Portland
and 110 miles (177 km) north of Boston
. It lies between bedrocks at the southwest, sometimes known as Thunder Cove, and the Spurwink River
on the northeastern end. This small seaside community has about 300 cottage
s. In addition, the community has two inns (The Breakers and the Higgins Beach Inn) which are open during the summer season.
Higgins Beach is most known for its family-oriented oceanside neighborhood, striped bass
fishing
, the beach's quaintness, the shipwreck
embedded in the beach's sands, and surfing.
The beach has had public access for as long as the town has record, but with very little public parking. In 2010, the town of Scarborough purchased a small parking lot accommodating approximately 75 vehicles. Higgins Beach has managed to retain its small-town characteristics, something that larger beaches in the area such as Old Orchard
have lost in return for commercialization
and tourism
. This beach, by contrast, survives on the small number of families who have returned year after year for decades. Some of its current residents began coming to Higgins Beach in this way.
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
located in the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located in the town of Scarborough in Cumberland County
Cumberland County, Maine
Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 281,674. Its county seat is Portland, and is the most populous of the sixteen Maine counties, as well as the most affluent. Cumberland County has the deepest and second largest body of water in the...
. The beach is north of Prouts Neck and Old Orchard Beach
Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Old Orchard Beach is a town and census-designated place in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 8,856 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area....
and south of Crescent Beach State Park.
This northeast-southwest trending beach measures approximately 0.6 mile (0.965604 km) and is approximately 7 miles (11 km) south of Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
and 110 miles (177 km) north of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. It lies between bedrocks at the southwest, sometimes known as Thunder Cove, and the Spurwink River
Spurwink River
The Spurwink River is a primarily tidal river in Cumberland County, Maine, in the United States. It rises in the town of Cape Elizabeth and flows west, then southwest, through salt marshes to its mouth at the Atlantic Ocean. It is bridged by Maine State Route 77 at the river's approximate halfway...
on the northeastern end. This small seaside community has about 300 cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
s. In addition, the community has two inns (The Breakers and the Higgins Beach Inn) which are open during the summer season.
Higgins Beach is most known for its family-oriented oceanside neighborhood, striped bass
Striped bass
The striped bass is the state fish of Maryland, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and the state saltwater fish of New York, Virginia, and New Hampshire...
fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, the beach's quaintness, the shipwreck
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
embedded in the beach's sands, and surfing.
The beach has had public access for as long as the town has record, but with very little public parking. In 2010, the town of Scarborough purchased a small parking lot accommodating approximately 75 vehicles. Higgins Beach has managed to retain its small-town characteristics, something that larger beaches in the area such as Old Orchard
Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Old Orchard Beach is a town and census-designated place in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 8,856 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area....
have lost in return for commercialization
Commercialization
Commercialization is the process or cycle of introducing a new product or production method into the market. The actual launch of a new product is the final stage of new product development, and the one where the most money will have to be spent for advertising, sales promotion, and other marketing...
and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. This beach, by contrast, survives on the small number of families who have returned year after year for decades. Some of its current residents began coming to Higgins Beach in this way.
External links
- HigginsBeachMaine.com - Real Estate Sales, Rentals & Community Info Live Rotating Beach CAM
- Higgins Beach Webcam - Live Webcam of Higgins Beach
- Higgins Beach Inn
- Breakers Inn
- Higgins Beach Association
- Higgins Beach parking spat launches debate, Facebook group Portland Daily Sun, November 9, 2010
- Live view of Higgins Beach