M Street Beach and Carson Beach sit side by side along Dorchester Bay in South Boston, part of a continuous public shoreline managed by the state’s Department of Conservation and Recreation. Backed by a wide pedestrian and cycling promenade, the gentle, sandy beaches are a summer magnet for swimming, sunbathing, and strolling, with sweeping views across the harbor toward the downtown skyline and the Harbor Islands.
The two beaches form part of a roughly three-mile waterfront stretch that links Pleasure Bay near Castle Island with Carson Beach to the south. Carson Beach features a bathhouse and is one of the most popular city beaches in Boston, drawing neighborhood families and visitors alike. The flat, paved Harborwalk along the water makes the whole length easy to explore on foot or by bike, and the calm, shallow water is well suited to wading.
Good to know
- Free public beaches managed by the Massachusetts DCR; no admission
- A paved Harborwalk promenade connects the beaches and is popular for walking and cycling
- Carson Beach has a bathhouse; the shoreline links to Pleasure Bay and Castle Island
- Calm, shallow water makes it family-friendly; check the official DCR site for seasonal lifeguard coverage
Getting there
- Address: William J. Day Boulevard, South Boston, Boston, MA 02127
- Neighborhood: South Boston
- Nearest T: JFK/UMass (MBTA Red Line), about a half-mile away; MBTA bus route 11 also serves the area