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Nauset Light Beach

CCC VisitedVerified Jun 25, 2026

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What is Nauset Light Beach like?

An iconic Atlantic Ocean beach within Cape Cod National Seashore, set beneath the red-and-white Nauset Light — the lighthouse made famous on the Cape Cod potato chip bag. Steep stairs descend the dune to a wide surf beach. Lifeguards are on duty late June through Labor Day. A National Seashore pass (not a town sticker) is required.

Plan your beach day

Nauset Light Beach

Get directions

Ocean View Drive, Eastham, MA 02642

Rules from Cape Cod National Seashore (NPS) (opens in a new tab). Check before you go; they change by season.

When should you go?

Best time to go

Checking today’s tides and sun times…

Now48°FClear

Wind8 mphFrom the W

Water61°FWaves 2.1 ft

Tides · next 24 hoursNOAA · Chatham

Loading tide predictions…

What’s there?

Faces: Not noted
Water: Deep
Current: Surf, strong current
Restrooms: Yes
Food: Not noted
Lifeguards: In season
Parking: Daily fee
Dogs: Off-season only
Fishing: Not noted
Kayak / SUP: Not noted

What should you know before you go?

Parking

On-site parking lot (fills early on summer days). Adjacent to the historic Nauset Light.

Stickers and fees

Cape Cod National Seashore entrance fee: $25/day per vehicle (2026), or $60 annual seasonal pass good at all six Seashore beaches. America the Beautiful passes accepted. Card only, no cash. Town of Eastham beach stickers are NOT valid here.

Dogs

Off-season only

Best for

Families, Surf & Waves, Swimming, Walking

Where is it?

Ocean View Drive, Eastham, MA 02642.

Get directions

Get directions Open in Google Maps

Where else can you swim in Eastham?

Ocean / Atlantic
Coast Guard Beach
Sticker or daily feeDogs: off-season only
One of Cape Cod's most celebrated Atlantic-facing beaches, part of Cape Cod National Seashore. Backed by a barrier beach and salt marsh, it offers classic open-ocean surf and sweeping sand. In summer there is no direct parking — visitors ride a free shuttle from the Little Creek lot or bike/hike the Nauset Trail from the Salt Pond Visitor Center. Lifeguards staff a designated stretch from late June through Labor Day.
CCC Visited · Verified 2026-06-25
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Bay / Sound
First Encounter Beach
Sticker or daily feeDogs: off-season only
Eastham's most famous Cape Cod Bay beach, named for the first encounter between the Mayflower Pilgrims and the Nauset people in 1620. On the west-facing bay side, it is renowned for spectacular sunsets over the water. At low tide the bay recedes nearly half a mile, exposing vast warm tidal flats and pools ideal for walking, shelling, and tidepooling with children. Calm, shallow water makes it a favorite for families.
CCC Visited · Verified 2026-09-29
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Bay / Sound
Cooks Brook Beach
Sticker or daily feeDogs: off-season only
Cooks Brook is one of Eastham's quieter Bay-side town beaches, tucked at the end of a residential road with a calm, shallow tidal shoreline that rewards patient explorers at low tide. The west-facing exposure serves up reliable sunset views away from the National Seashore crowds, and the smaller scale makes it feel like a neighborhood secret even in high season. Eastham sticker or day fee required.
CCC Visited · Verified 2026-06-27
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Bay / Sound
Campground Beach
Sticker or daily feeDogs: off-season only
One of Eastham's three Bay-side town beaches, Campground Beach offers protected, warm-water swimming on Cape Cod Bay with a gently sloping sandy bottom ideal for families with young children. The west-facing shoreline delivers the kind of long, slow sunsets that make the Outer Cape famous, with the water warming noticeably more than the ocean side by midsummer. Eastham resident sticker or day-use fee required; arrive early on summer weekends.
CCC Visited · Verified 2026-06-27
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Bay / Sound
Sunken Meadow Beach
Sticker or daily feeDogs: off-season only
Sunken Meadow Beach sits along Eastham's Bay-side town beaches, where the tidal flats extend far at low tide making it a favorite for clam diggers, shore birds, and families letting kids loose in ankle-deep water. The wide sandy flats and protected Cape Cod Bay water warm up well by July, creating ideal conditions for young swimmers and anyone who prefers a gentler ocean experience. Eastham sticker or day fee required.
CCC Visited · Verified 2026-06-27
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Bay / Sound
Thumpertown Beach
Resident sticker onlyDogs: off-season only
A small, scenic Cape Cod Bay beach reached by a staircase down the dune. West-facing with calm, warm bay water and wide tidal flats at low tide, it is prized for peaceful sunsets and quiet walks. A town beach sticker is required.
CCC Visited · Verified 2026-09-29
See details

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