Take the family out to beautiful Demarest Lloyd State Park in Dartmouth, MA.If you want to bring the family to a “kid friendly” beach, enjoy a day at the Demarest Lloyd State Park in Dartmouth. This little known summer haven offers shaded picnic areas, views of the Elizabeth islands and 600 yards of shallow saltwater beach along beautiful Buzzards Bay.

The surf is much calmer than nearby Horseneck Beach and because it’s not deep, the water stays relatively warm most of the summer. During low tide, you can walk out to the sandbars and investigate colonies of small crabs, periwinkles and mussels and let the kids explore sea life “up close and personal.”

The park has on-site restrooms and shower facilities, and offers daily sightings of hawks, ospreys, terns and other less common sea birds. You can canoe, kayak, swim and fish, or hike along the walking trails in the scenic forest area.

Demarest Lloyd State Park, located on Barney’s Joy Road in South Dartmouth, is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Visit www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/southeast/deml.htm for more details.