Denise Goldberg's blog

Saturday, July 14, 2018

purple sand

Yesterday afternoon I gave in to a desire to see the ocean, heading to the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge for a bit of a wander.

While the beach in the refuge closes every year on April 1st for the piping plover nesting season, the refuge remains open. There are places to wander on the inland side of Plum Island, and a boardwalk trail opposite one of the parking lots leads to an overlook of the ocean and beach. I walked the Pines Trail, took the connector trail to Parking Lot 5, and headed out on the boardwalk.

From the platform at the end of the boardwalk I saw a narrow strand of beach colored with purple sand. The man-made structure was a perfect spot to sit for a while, to absorb the beauty and the sound of the ocean.

looking down the beach at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

The beach in the refuge is still closed and will remain so until the birds are done with it. For information on the (annual) closure, click to this information sheet.