Plymouth Beach is a small village located in Plymouth, Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is located directly south of Plymouth Center, and is adjacent to Plimoth Plantation

Plimoth Plantation

Plimoth Plantation is a living museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts that shows the original settlement of the Plymouth Colony established in the 17th century by English colonists, some of whom later became known as Pilgrims. They were among the first people who emigrated to America to avoid religious...

. Plymouth Beach consists of a motel, a restaurant and a small beachside community along Warren Cove

Warren Cove (Massachusetts)

Warren Cove is an exclusive oceanfront residential area Plymouth Bay in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Plymouth Beach and Rocky Point surround the southern edge of the cove. Stately homes along Warren Avenue have a commanding view of [Plymouth Long Beach],[Gurnet Light], [Duxbury] Bay, "Bug Light",...

.

Barrier beach

The village of Plymouth Beach is best known for its prominent barrier beach. The beach is approximately three miles in length. It begins just south of the Eel River

Eel River (Massachusetts)

The Eel River is a river mostly in the village of Chiltonville in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Its headwaters are springs and small ponds above Russell Millpond. Its watershed encompasses approximately...

 bridge on Route 3A, and juts out almost due north, running along the last ½ mile (0.8 km) of the river before it empties into Plymouth Harbor

Plymouth Harbor

Plymouth Harbor is the name of a harbor located in Plymouth, Massachusetts, a town in the South Shore region of the state. It is part of the larger Plymouth Bay. Historically, Plymouth Harbor was the site of anchorage of the Mayflower where the Pilgrims offloaded to establish a permanent...

. The barrier beach offers protection of Plymouth Harbor.

Plymouth Beach is also an important breeding and nesting site for several threatened and endangered shorebirds, including the Piping Plover

Piping Plover

The Piping Plover is a small sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America. The adult has yellow-orange legs, a black band across the forehead from eye to eye, and a black ring around the neck...

 and the Least, Arctic

Arctic Tern

The Arctic Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a circumpolar breeding distribution covering the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America...

, Common

Common Tern

The Common Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, breeding in temperate and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia and east and central North America. It is strongly migratory, wintering in coastal tropical and subtropical regions. It is sometimes...

 and Roseate Tern

Roseate Tern

The Roseate Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a number of geographical races, differing mainly in bill colour and minor plumage details....

s. The beach is a critical checkpoint in migratory birds flight. The birds stop at Plymouth beach to rejuvenate. The birds' routes typically span up to 3,000 miles (4,858 km) of non-stop flight. The barrier beach is intensively managed by the Town of Plymouth to allow some recreational activities while protecting nesting birds and the fragile barrier beach system. Plover and tern nesting areas are monitored and protected by Town staff. One of the largest Common Tern colonies in Massachusetts is located at the point. Plymouth Beach has a mix of public and private ownership, with 90% of the barrier beach owned by the Town of Plymouth.

External links

• Plymouth Town Website
• Information about Plymouth Beach at Pilgrim Hall Museum