Wallis Sands State Beach


Wallis Sands State Beach is a small state park located on the Atlantic Ocean in the town of Rye, New Hampshire. The park offers swimming at a sandy beach with a bathhouse and picnicking. The Isles of Shoals are visible from the beach. The parking lot can accommodate about 500 cars. The park charges a $15 per car fee that covers the use of the facilities.

History

During the 19th century and early 20th century, Wallis Sands was a Life-Saving Station of the United States Life-Saving Service and subsequently was a station of the United States Coast Guard. The station was discontinued around 1938.
In July 2010, nearly 150 beachgoers and swimmers were stung here on the same day by a lion's mane jellyfish. Most were treated on site with vinegar, and several children were taken to a hospital. A lifeguard had pitchforked a jellyfish – whose longest tentacle was – to try to drag it ashore and dispose of it; however, the dead jellyfish broke apart, releasing its nematocysts on the beach and stinging the crowd in the span of about 20 minutes.