Willard Beach & Waterfront

Willard Beach

Park hours: Open daily, 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM. For dog hours and rules, go to the Visiting Parks page.

Water Quality

Check current Water Advisory status for Willard Beach.

The City participates in the Maine Healthy Beaches program, and tests water bacteria levels twice per week from Memorial Day until Labor Day. A water quality flag is located at the main entrance of the beach. If the flag is yellow or orange, contact with the water is not advised. If it’s green, then it’s safe for swimming. Please avoid swimming or playing near the stormwater outfall, since it sometimes contains elevated fecal bacteria levels. See additional water quality information on the Water Resource Protection Department page.

The Beach

Willard Beach is a small sand and pebble beach tucked between Fisherman’s Point and the campus of Southern Maine Community College in a quiet neighborhood of South Portland. Just four acres in size, the beach hugs Simonton Cove and is enjoyed immensely by visitors and locals alike. Spread out in the sun and take in the views of Fort Scammel, Peaks Island, and Cushing Island in Casco Bay. Go for a refreshing swim, listen to the buoys clang offshore, and watch the ferries and lobster boats ply the waters of the bay. At low tide, tidal pools offer wildlife discovery opportunities for kids and nature enthusiasts alike.

Amenities 

The Willard Beach bathhouse is open each summer providing restrooms, a snack bar, and outdoor showers.

Parking and Access

A free parking lot is available for 75 cars a short walk from the beach on Willow St. On-street parking is not permitted.

Access to the Spring Point Shoreway Trail on SMCC's campus is located at the north end of the beach. The trail leads a short distance to Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse, in operation since 1897 at the entrance to Portland Harbor. 

A stair case at the south end of the beach provides access to Fisherman's Point park where visitors can enjoy sites of Portland Head Light and open ocean on the horizon.

Boat Launches & Landings

South Portland offers boaters access to Portland Harbor, Casco Bay and beyond via two locations: Fore River Boat Facility (locally known as the public boat ramp) at Bug Light Park, and Knightville Landing in Thomas Knight Park.

Operating Your Boat in the Vicinity of the Bridge

Casco Bay and Portland Harbor host a wide variety of commercial and recreational watercraft. General knowledge of local practices and traffic patterns everywhere in the harbor will ensure your safety. Because the boat landing is nestled in the shadow of theCasco BayBridge, smaller vessels must exercise considerable caution and common sense.

Large, deep draft ships must pass through the bridge opening and can not maneuver significantly during transit of the bridge. Some vessels will be assisted by tugs that will also need room to maneuver. Boaters are strongly encouraged to adhere to the following guidance to avoid larger ships, and avoid possible incidents or injury due to local conditions:

  • Stay clear of the bridge when large vessels are making their approach and passing through the bridge opening. Be patient. This evolution usually takes less than 15 minutes.
  • Do not dock or undock from the time the siren sounds prior to the bridge opening until after the siren sounds when the bridge closes. It may be prudent to wait a little longer.
  • Listen to VHF radio Channel 13. Commercial vessels announce their intentions when getting underway from their berth or entering the harbor. Monitoring this channel will alert you in advance to their intentions.
  • Use an adequate number and size of mooring lines and fenders. Tidal currents can be relatively strong at any time of the year. Prop wash from tugs and surge from larger vessels may add additional strain on your mooring system. Bow lines, stern lines, and fore and aft spring lines are strongly encouraged.

There is at least six feet of water along the floats at Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW). It is advisable to use the main channel to pass under the bridge unless you have local knowledge. Please see the Navigation Alert and photo showing conditions immediately to the south and east of the bridge.

Emergency

VHF Radio Channel 16 Phone: 911 or 207-767-2806

Your location is:
Knightville Landing
Thomas Knight Park in South Portland
1 Ocean Street

Non-Emergency

Public Safety Dispatch in South Portland 207-767-7625

Other Information

  • The floats are available on a "first come - first served" basis and are primarily intended for transient recreational boaters.
  • Water taxis, fishing vessels, and other small watercraft are welcome to pick up and discharge passengers.
  • Recreational boaters are permitted to stay for a few hours up to ten consecutive days when they pay according to the fee schedule above.
  • If you use the water hose, please turn the water off and coil it on the reel when you are finished
  • It is permissible to "raft" with the consent, in advance, of the inboard boat. Both boats must pay as per the fee schedule above.
  • "Non-boaters" are permitted on the floats.
  • The city assumes no responsibility for the safety of any vessel docked, moored, or otherwise engaged in the pier or floats and will not be liable for fire, theft, or damage to any vessel, its equipment, or any property in or on said vessel, and offers the pier and floats on an "as is" basis.
  • The owner/operator of vessels at the pier or floats will conduct themselves and their guests so as not to create any annoyance, hazard, or nuisance to the pier, other vessels, or members of the public. Noise will be kept to a minimum.
  • No open fires of any kind are permitted in Thomas Knight Park, on boats, docks, floats, walkways or the pier.

Please review the other guidelines and useful information posted on the kiosk in the park.