Little Sandy Bottom Pond Beach - Swimming Hole near Pembroke
Pembroke,Massachusetts
42.039483, -70.828354
2.2 miles SW of Pembroke
GPS: 42°2'22.1"N 70°49'42.1"W
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State: Massachusetts

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Little Sandy Bottom Pond Beach is the Town of Pembroke's public swimming beach on Little Sandy Bottom Pond, a natural pond of roughly 54 to 60 acres in the Bryantville section of Pembroke, Massachusetts. It is one of four town beaches, along with Stetson Pond, Furnace Pond and the Town Landing on Oldham Pond. Locals just call the pond Little Sandy. It is a Great Pond under the state's Chapter 91 jurisdiction, and the town lists it among the ponds open to members of the public regardless of residency.

The beach is on the southeast shore of the pond, off Woodbine Avenue near its corner with Shepard Avenue, a short way west of School Street. This is a residential neighborhood of year-round homes, and the town does not advertise a beach parking lot. Park only where it is legal on the street and follow posted signs, since the town bylaw bars parking on town beach land except in designated spots. Pembroke's town center is about 3.5 km to the northeast.

Little Sandy has no stream flowing in or out. It sits at the top of a groundwater divide, so it is fed and drained mostly through groundwater, and it averages about 10 feet deep with a maximum near 20 feet. The swim area is a small sandy beach. In recent summers the town has staffed Little Sandy and Town Landing with lifeguards from 10 am to 4 pm daily, from late June through Labor Day, and the Little Sandy lifeguard house can be reached at 781-294-7845. Outside those hours and seasons you may use the beach at your own risk.

There is no fee. The town states that no stickers are required at its beaches, and the old resident-sticker rule in the bylaws is marked as outdated. Beach rules are enforced: no pets, alcohol, glass, smoking or open flames, no fishing or feeding waterfowl at the beach, and no tubes, rafts or other floats unless a Pembroke lifeguard approves them (life jackets must be Coast Guard approved). Children under 14 must be with an adult, and swimming from a town beach is not allowed after 10 pm. Motorboats must stay at least 200 feet off the beach.

The Pembroke Board of Health samples the four town beaches for enterococci bacteria through the summer and posts results online against a limit of 235 colonies per 100 ml. Little Sandy has tested over the limit at times and been retested, though most of its samples come in well under. Check the town's pond testing page before you go, especially after heavy rain.

Fishing is allowed on the pond away from the beach, with largemouth bass, white and yellow perch, chain pickerel and sunfish reported. The pond also has some history: from 1901 to about 1940 a hill beside it held Mayflower Grove, an amusement park with rides, an open-air theater, a dance hall and a replica of Plymouth Rock. The Pembroke Watershed Association monitors water quality here along with the town's other ponds.

Updated October 19, 2026

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Beaches and Ponds | Pembroke, MA

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https://www.pembroke-ma.gov/1755/Beaches-and-Ponds

Little Sandy Bottom Pond - North and South Rivers Watershed Association

What to know when planning your visit to Little Sandy Bottom Pond in Pembroke, MA. Location, parking, amenities and more.

https://www.nsrwa.org/listing/little-sandy-bottom-pond/

Pembroke Ponds Open to the Public | Pembroke, MA

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https://www.pembroke-ma.gov/1845/Pembroke-Ponds-Open-to-the-Public

Pembroke’s Ponds – Pembroke Watershed Association

Furnace Hobomock Little Sandy Bottom Oldham Stetson Furnace Pond General Information Furnace Pond is a 115 acre great pond with an average depth of 5 feet and a maximum depth of 9 feet. Furnace Pond receives water from Oldham Pond and from cranberry bogs and drains into Herring Brook and eventually into the North River.…

https://pembrokewatershed.com/learn-more-about-watersheds/pembrokes-ponds/

Pond Testing Results | Pembroke, MA

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https://www.pembroke-ma.gov/2026/Pond-Testing-Results

Town Landing Committee | Pembroke, MA

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https://www.pembroke-ma.gov/1760/Town-Landing-Committee
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