Wallis Sands State Beach facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wallis Sands State Beach
Wallis Sands State Beach Location in New Hampshire
Location	1050 Ocean Blvd., Rye, New Hampshire, United States
Area	30 acres (12 ha)
Elevation	0 feet (0 m)
Designation	New Hampshire State Park
Established	1964
Administrator	New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation
Website	Wallis Sands State Beach

Wallis Sands State Beach is a fun public beach located right on the Atlantic Ocean in Rye, New Hampshire. It's a great place to visit if you love sandy shores and ocean waves! This state park offers a beautiful sandy beach where you can swim and relax. It also has a bathhouse for changing, picnic areas for lunch, and a large parking lot for up to 500 cars.

Beach History: From Rescue to Recreation

Wallis Sands has an interesting past. Long ago, in the 1800s and early 1900s, it was a very important place for helping people at sea.

Life-Saving Station Days

• It used to be a special station for the United States Life-Saving Service. These brave people rescued sailors and others in trouble on the ocean.
• Later, it became a station for the United States Coast Guard, who also help keep people safe at sea.
• The station stopped operating around 1938.

Becoming a State Park

• The state of New Hampshire bought the first small piece of land for the park in 1901.
• In the 1950s, this small area was used as a simple roadside park.
• The park grew bigger, reaching about 18 acres. Special walls called jetties were built to protect the beach from strong waves.
• Finally, in June 1964, Wallis Sands State Park officially opened to the public!

Ocean Life and Safety at the Beach

Being at the beach means sharing the ocean with its amazing creatures. Sometimes, these creatures can cause a surprise!

Jellyfish Encounter

• In July 2010, something unusual happened at Wallis Sands.
• Almost 150 people, including swimmers and beachgoers, were stung by a type of jellyfish called a lion's mane jellyfish.
• Most people were treated right there on the beach with vinegar, which helps with jellyfish stings.
• A few children needed to go to the hospital for more care.
• A lifeguard had tried to move a very large jellyfish, which weighed about 40 pounds and had long tentacles, off the beach.
• However, the jellyfish broke apart, releasing its stinging cells into the water and sand. This caused many people to get stung in a short amount of time.