Ocean Path from Sand Beach

The walk starts at the upper parking lot at Sand Beach, on the Park Loop Road. Ocean Path runs south beside the road, on concrete and packed gravel at first, rising over a small hill and dropping to Thunder Hole at 0.7 miles. Beyond it the path is rougher, through spruce and fir, and climbs to Otter Cliff, 110 feet above the sea and the highest point of the walk, crossed by two granite staircases. It then goes down to the granite slabs of Otter Point. Our line stops at the Otter Point parking lot. Return the same way.

It is 4.2 miles (6.7 km) round trip with 300 feet (92 m) of climbing; allow about 2 hours. The grade is Easy: gentle throughout, with uneven footing on the second half.

Since August 31, 2026 the last stretch of the path, about 200 yards from the Otter Point parking lot to its end at Otter Cove, has been closed for repairs, with no reopening date given.

Thunder Hole booms loudest about two hours before high tide, in a heavy sea. There are steep drops into the ocean and waves break over the rocks, so keep children back from the edge. A park entrance pass is needed ($35 a vehicle for a week; non-US residents pay $100 each more without an annual pass).

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.