A still freshwater lake with lily pads, tucked behind the dunes a stone's throw from the surf. The sand barrier keeps the salt out, leaving water sweet enough to swim. Lakeside campground open spring through fall.
Fresh water. That's the surprise of this place. A stone's throw from the salt and the surf, and tucked here in the lee of the dune and the forest sits a lake so still it grows lily pads, their flat green plates resting on the surface like coins. They call it Cranberry Lake. A low wall of sand and trees stands between you and the ocean side, and that's the whole trick of it: that barrier holds the salt out, so the water back here stays sweet enough to swim in. On a warm afternoon you'll see folks wading off the shallow shore while gulls wheel over the dunes behind. There's a campground tucked into the timber around the far edge, open through the warm months, roughly April into October, with a little store for the things you forgot to pack. Picture it: salt spray on one side of the sand, and on this side, dragonflies stitching the air above the lilies.