Great Island Common

What a beautiful park! Super clean, sprawling lawns for kids to play, expansive playground, gorgeous views, picnic tables and some charcoal grills too, and a great New England beach. We drove 1.5 hours from the Boston area to come here for a gathering… we will definitely visit again. Entry fee was $ 4 per person. Very much worth it!

This is so beautiful!
I read an article on USA today about how this is a great visit for residents of New England during Labor Day weekend/​before summer ends. I happened to be in the area so I drove up with my husband.
It’s a few dollars to get in (I forget exactly how much), but paying once allows you access all day. The policy is trash in, trash out, so bring bags to take out your garbage if you plan on bringing any food, etc. into this lovely little park.
There’s picnic tables, an area with sand for a beach feel, volleyball net, and lots of wonderful views of the Atlantic Ocean. This is really worth a visit, especially if you’re like me and have never been to a coastal area before.

Beautiful scenery and would be a pretty place to bring kids to play, however, I wish the beach area was longer. I was looking for a nice place to take a run along the shore and this was not the place. Not really worth going too far out of your way to come here and not worth the $ 4 if you’re not planning on staying for long.

Missed it on the first drive pass, but found it pretty quickly. $ 6 to get in and park, public restrooms, a little gazebo, and plenty of places to go play some frisbee. Found some sea glass on the beach adjacent to the parking lot, but it was mostly rocks. There were baby ducks, though!
Bathroom was clean enough, but there was no soap in either the men’s or women’s room so you might want to bring your own.
Love the painter sculpture. Would be awesome to take a photo of the sun rise through.

I spent my birthday having a picnic with my family at the park yesterday. It’s absolutely beautiful there!
Although I realize that the park doesn’t «officially open» for another week, a portable toilet would have been appreciated by the many families enjoying the afternoon together and needing to use a bathroom.
Also, am I missing something? I didn’t see any signs telling me that the traffic moved one way only around the loop to the parking area. We saw lots of people driving in both directions, yet we got yelled at by some guy that obviously knew more about the rules than we did;). Maybe signs go up when the park opens for the season?

I loveee this park! It’s very nice because it is sort of hidden. It’s not really that well known, so I have never really seen it overcrowded or anything like some other parks.
It’s a great alternative to going to Hampton Beach or Rye or anywhere like that if you just want to take a trip somewhere on a beautiful day. It’s closer, cheaper parking, and less crowded.
It has public bathrooms, a large grassy area with trees, picnic tables, grills, and volleyball courts.
The best thing about this place, though?
THE BEACH! =] This park has a small little piece of land that is all sand and right on the water. It’s kind of like having your own private beach because its never that busy.
The whole park is on the water, which is also really nice. But the fact it actually has a section that is soft, white sand and water access makes this park a gem in my opinion.
**Also: you only have to pay for parking during the summer season**

My opinion of the park is probably influenced by the fact that I visited during the winter. It was cold and windy so I didn’t have a good chance to really explore much of the park itself. I did walk out onto the ‘pier’ to get a better view of the two lighthouses and the lighthouse keeper’s house out in the water, all of which were scenic. The beach area looked fairly small. From the other reviews I thought that it was a bigger area entirely. I did notice the picnic tables and grassy area that would be nice to hang out or play in during summer weather. The sculpture with the painter silouhette was fun for photos. Overall, it was a nice location. I’m sure it is a great spot when it’s hot. I wouldn’t really recommend going there in the winter, which is why I gave it three stars. I was only there about 30 minutes due to the freezing temperatures. We did not have to pay admission, however, which was a bonus. They only charge a fee during the busy season. It’s very close to Portsmouth, so it could be an interesting place to explore if you find yourself in this area, literally minutes from downtown.

I almost hate to review this place because other people would then discover it and it would lose the main charm — which is that it’s almost never crowded.
I live in New Hampshire but grew up in New Jersey, so I feel like I know beaches. Great Island Common is clean, quiet, and just simply beautiful. There is a spacious grassy area for your picnics and Frisbee playing. There is a really nice playground, which we often go to even when it’s too cold for going to the beach. There are several jetties to walk out on and enjoy the scenery. (And take great photos.)
But the best part is the lovely, clean beach. There are two areas where tide pools form and the children can beach comb. There is a long sandy beach and nice, clean water. Why would anyone recommend Rye beach over Great Island? Rye has a busy roadway just behind the beach. Great Island Common has a bucolic grassy field.
For me and my 7 year old daughter, it cost $ 4. I parked right next to the bathhouses. We showered there before going home.
It’s the perfect place to go to the beach.

Great Island Common is a pretty good spot that definitely serves a big place in the community. There’s the Great Island 5K road race that begins and ends here and tons of things to do in the summer. You can have a cookout with the grills and gazebos that are there and there’s even a volleyball net, a playground for your kids and beach right nearby. To top it all off you can even go fishing from the rocks, and many people do. In the summer admission is $ 5 for non-​locals and free for locals I believe. It isn’t too touristy at all and there’s a huge field in the middle that you can play frisbee or capture the flag on. I’ve had many a cookout here and it’s a great place. If you want to go to a beach, go to Rye instead though. All in all, this is the best around for a cookout.

Absolutely gorgeous!
Best picnic spot I’ve ever seen. You can play a mean game of whiffle ball, swim in the ocean, grill some meat products, and drink some brew-​dogs (on the sly as they are not allowed), all for admission of 5 balloons a head.
Wow. Beautiful spot. Not as crowded as the Cape, an easier drive from Boston. Dinner in Portsmouth after some outlet shopping in Kittery. Perfect.