Where to Go for a Less-Crowded East Coast Summer Vacation
Come summertime, there’s no place like the East Coast. The sun-filled months of June through August remind us why we voluntarily endure our beloved home’s long and harsh winters: to bike past cape-style cottages and hydrangeas down to the beach, where lighthouses and fishing boats dot the coastline; to indulge in salty oysters and buttered lobster rolls; to shop our way through quaint, historic downtowns.
For those chasing a New England summer (far from endless and always too short), a few seaside destinations will come to mind: Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, the Hamptons, Newport, the Cape—places where to summer is a verb. But as with many of the world’s most sought-after places, seasonal tourists can push availability, and cost, out of reach for many travelers.
This summer will be no different. Hyannis, Massachusetts, (home to Cape Cod’s main airport) was ranked the number one trending domestic destination in Hopper’s summer travel forecast, with Bar Harbor, Maine, (the gateway to Acadia National Park) not far behind at number three. According to data from Kayak, the average hotel room in Nantucket this summer will cost you $769 a night, and in the Hamptons, $621 a night. Even if you can swing it, that small town peace and quiet is often spoiled if a busload of people from the same place you’re trying to escape arrive along with you.
None of this means you can’t still plan the classically coastal getaway of your dreams. Lesser-known towns and islands—dare we say hidden gems—offer a chance for an authentic East Coast summer sans the crowds and sticker shock. The catch? You just need to know where to look. So, we tapped local experts and Condé Nast Traveler editors for their favorite under-the-radar northeast summer destinations, from New York up to Maine.
All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
All products and listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
GettyDuxbury, Massachusetts
This historic maritime community about one hour south of Boston was one of the country’s shipbuilding capitals in the 1800s. Now, it’s one of the largest oyster-producing towns in Massachusetts. But it’s as picturesque as it is productive: walk across a historic wooden bridge to the town’s sandy six-mile barrier beach for a dip in the bay’s calm waters, or take a scenic stroll through the charming downtown area lined with old ship captain’s houses and shops.
“Duxbury is definitely a hidden gem,” Chris Sherman, the CEO of Island Creek Oysters, tells Condé Nast Traveler. “A lot of people skip over us on Route 3 on their way down from Boston to the cape or the islands, and that's definitely preserved it as a nice little summer enclave that doesn't get whacked with crowds.”
To get a real taste of Duxbury, look no further than Island Creek, an oyster farm founded approximately 30 years ago that now has two onsite restaurants, in addition to the hatchery: the Raw Bar for casual outdoor dining and water views, and the recently-opened Winsor House, a full service seafood restaurant.
Ian Dagnall/AlamyMystic, Connecticut
About a four-hour drive from New York City, Mystic is a quaint coastal village split between the towns of Groton and Stonington, Connecticut. True to its Mystic Pizza lineage, the local “restaurant scene has definitely been elevated” in recent years, says Daniel Meiser, founder and CEO of 85th Day Food Community, a group that connects local farms to Mystic restaurants like Oyster Club & Treehouse, the Engine Room, and Port of Call. “There are a few more people in town than there used to be, but Mystic has stayed true to its roots.”
Meiser’s personal favorites include Noah's in Stonington Borough, Carson’s Store in nearby Noank (order a burger at the counter), and the farm stand at Stone Acres Farm. “When I worked in Hartford at Firebox restaurant, I would drive down to Stonington to fill a cooler of dayboat fluke from the town docks for the week’s menu,” he says. “I’d always stop by Noah’s for breakfast before heading down to the boats.”
Mystic is also a great home base for accessing other communities in Southern New England, such as Misquamicut, Watch Hill, Lyme, and Essex, says Amanda Arling, president of popular local favorites The Whaler’s Inn and The Shipwright’s Daughter. “You would be hard pressed to find another town that offers so much, is so easily accessible to most of the Eastern Seaboard, and still retains New England’s quintessential small-town charm,” Arling says.
Bob Gundersen/GettyBlock Island, Rhode Island
Just 13 miles off the coast of mainland Rhode Island, Block Island boasts similarly stunning scenery to the more-frequented Cape Islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, but with less fuss. It may not be as anonymous as other entries on this list, but with just 1,000 year-round residents and 44% of the island protected as a dedicated nature preserve, it won’t be hard to find peace and quiet on the 9.5-square-mile island.
The most common way to get around Block Island is by bicycle, and sustainability is a “huge initiative to the island,” says Anika Kimble-Huntley, chief marketing officer at Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, who calls the area a “special place for bird watchers and enthusiasts, as it’s a migratory stopover in the spring for fall birds.”
Take the hour-long ferry from Point Judith, Narragansett or Newport (or, splurge a little for the high-speed 30 minute ferry). You can reserve a spot onboard for your car, but you won’t need it.
Anthony Gallo/GettyFishers Island, New York
Fishers Island is one of the East Coast’s best-kept secrets—and that’s no accident. There are no hotels on the island, meaning the majority of visitors own or rent their homes, and the only way to get there is by boat. The Fishers Island ferry from New London, Connecticut, takes just 45 minutes; if you’re interested in a day trip, the earliest ferry leaves at 7 a.m. and the latest returns at 3:30 p.m.
In the words of local real estate brokerage Shutters & Sails, one of the only online sources with information about the island: “Fishers Island is the ultimate gated community—only the gate is a ferry.”
While Fishers Island may be ultra-exclusive, don’t expect a Hamptons-style social scene here. There’s only one bar in town, the Pequot Inn, plus a few small cafés and an ice cream parlor. But there are a surplus of beautiful beaches to spend your time at, in addition to a world-renowned golf course and several sailing clubs.
“Isabella Beach is among the most beautiful in New England, yet a busy day at this mile long beach will find only about 20 cars in the parking lot,” the Shutters & Sails website says. “Equally lovely and more intimate Chocomount Beach is ‘crowded’ with eight families along its 1/3 mile stretch of white and purple (from mussel shells) sand.”
Thomas H. Mitchell/GettyThe Farm Coast, Massachusetts and Rhode Island
New England’s “Farm Coast” is a region in Massachusetts and Rhode Island that encompasses the rural communities of Tiverton, Little Compton, Westport, and South Dartmouth, where rolling green fields meet the sparkling blue sea. The closest urban hub is New Bedford, once a major whaling port that is now one of the largest commercial fishing ports in the US (pro tip: it’s home to some of the best Portuguese food in the state).
The Farm Coast “has been a real sleeper for a long time and it's stunningly beautiful,” says Sherman of Duxbury’s Island Creek Oysters, which also has a tinned fish cannery located in New Bedford. “It's one of the few places in New England where you still get these gorgeous saltwater farms that cascade down to Buzzards Bay.”
Because agriculture is at the heart of the place, farm-to-table is taken seriously here. Sherman recommends The Back Eddy restaurant in Westport, Massachusetts, for seafood and Little Moss restaurant in Padanaram Village, South Dartmouth.
Walter Bibikow/GettyCamden, Maine
One of the few towns on the East Coast with a beach and ski mountain 10 minutes apart from one another, Camden’s town slogan is “where the mountains meet the sea.” That means you can go for a hike in Camden Hills State Park and end the day with a sunset swim (with both saltwater and freshwater beach options).
When you’ve had your fill of the natural world, Camden’s charming downtown strip scenically located along the harbor is home to some seriously good eats, fun shops, and cool art galleries: grab breakfast at the cozy Zoot Coffee and dinner at local establishment Long Grain for deliciously fresh Asian cuisine.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Camden does attract a fair amount of summer traffic; the adjacent fishing village of Rockport offers a more laid-back, less-touristy feel. While it’s definitely worth its own trip, Camden also makes for an ideal pit stop between Portland and Bar Harbor if you’re heading to Acadia National Park this summer.
%252001.jpg)
