Cape Cod Tourism Guide

Cape Cod National Seashore Guide

Cape Cod National Seashore protects 43,607 acres and nearly 40 miles of shoreline from Chatham to Provincetown: ocean beaches under sand cliffs, salt marshes, kettle ponds, pine woods, dunes, lighthouses and a dozen short trails. It has six fee beaches (Coast Guard and Nauset Light in Eastham, Marconi in Wellfleet, Head of the Meadow in Truro, and Race Point and Herring Cove in Provincetown) and two visitor centers, Salt Pond in Eastham, open all year, and Province Lands in Provincetown, open seasonally. In 2026 a day at the beaches costs $25 per car, or $60 for a season pass, paid by card at the beach fee booths.

This page is the practical hub for the park itself: the beaches it runs, the trails, the fees, the rules and the conditions to check before you go. The caveat is that the Seashore is a patchwork. Towns still own and run many beaches inside its boundary, including Nauset Beach in Orleans and Wellfleet’s and Truro’s ocean landings, and their rules and stickers are different. Everything here was checked September 23, 2026 against the park’s official 2026 visitor guide and website.

Salt Pond Visitor Center on a rise above Salt Pond in Eastham, with marsh grass and a small boat in the foreground
Salt Pond Visitor Center above Salt Pond in Eastham, the Seashore’s year-round front door.

On this page: At a glance · What the Seashore is · By town · Town beaches inside · Fees and passes · The six beaches · Visitor centers · Walking trails · Bike trails · Lighthouses and history · Wildlife and safety · Pets, fires and rules · Over-sand driving · Ranger programs · Accessibility · Planning a day · FAQ

Cape Cod National Seashore at a glance

Topic The short answer (2026)
Size 43,607 acres and nearly 40 miles of shoreline, Chatham to Provincetown
Established President Kennedy signed the law creating it on August 7, 1961
Fee beaches Coast Guard, Nauset Light, Marconi, Head of the Meadow, Race Point, Herring Cove
Entrance fees $25 per car per day, $20 per motorcycle, $15 per person on foot or bike; $60 season pass
How to pay Card or mobile payment only, at the beach fee booths when they’re open
Lifeguards Typically late June through Labor Day at all six beaches
Visitor centers Salt Pond (Eastham), open all year; Province Lands (Provincetown), open seasonally
Trails A dozen walking trails, most under two miles, plus three paved bike trails
Dogs Leashed, and only in specific places and seasons
Drones Prohibited

What the National Seashore is, and isn’t

Henry David Thoreau walked this shore on visits between 1849 and 1857 and called the Cape “the bared and bended arm of Massachusetts.” A century later, with development creeping up the Outer Cape, Congress created a national seashore to protect what was left, and President Kennedy, a Cape Cod summer resident, signed the law on August 7, 1961. The park now covers most of the ocean shore of the Outer Cape, from the elbow at Chatham to the tip at Provincetown, and most of the land in between that isn’t a town center.

It isn’t a fenced park with a single gate. Towns, roads, homes and town-run beaches sit inside the boundary, and you’ll drive in and out of park land without noticing. That’s why the most useful habit is to know who runs the beach you’re heading to. The six fee beaches listed on this page are the park’s; places such as Nauset Beach in Orleans, First Encounter in Eastham, and Wellfleet’s White Crest and Cahoon Hollow are town beaches with town stickers and rules. For a coast-by-coast comparison of both kinds, see our guide to the best beaches on Cape Cod.

This is also Wampanoag homeland, where the Nauset people lived long before the Mayflower anchored off Provincetown in 1620, and the Wampanoag remain part of the Cape’s present.

The National Seashore town by town

The park’s land runs through four Outer Cape towns, with its southern reach along the barrier beaches of Orleans and Chatham. Here’s what each town holds, drawn from the park’s 2026 guide.

Eastham is the park’s hub: Salt Pond Visitor Center, Coast Guard and Nauset Light beaches, Nauset Light and the Three Sisters, the Penniman House, and a cluster of short trails, including Fort Hill, Red Maple Swamp, Nauset Marsh, Buttonbush, the paved Doane loop and the trail and bike path to Coast Guard Beach. If you only have half a day, spend it here.

Wellfleet has Marconi Beach, the Marconi Station Site, the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail, the long walk out to Great Island, the Atwood-Higgins historic house and the park headquarters. Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, a separate nature preserve, sits nearby, and the Cape Cod Rail Trail ends in South Wellfleet.

Truro is the quiet middle: Head of the Meadow Beach and its bike trail, the Pilgrim Heights trails, the Pamet Area trails with their Bearberry Hill overlooks, Highland Light, the Highland House Museum and the Highland Links golf course on the bluff.

Provincetown holds the dunes: Province Lands Visitor Center, Race Point and Herring Cove beaches, the Province Lands bike loop, the Beech Forest and Hatches Harbor trails, the Old Harbor Life-Saving Station and the over-sand vehicle office.

The red and white tower of Nauset Light against a blue sky, with pitch pines around its base
Nauset Light in Eastham, built in 1877 as one of Chatham’s twin lights and moved twice since.

Which beaches inside the Seashore are run by the towns?

The park’s own map marks many beaches inside or beside its boundary as town-managed, which means town stickers, town fees and town rules rather than the Seashore’s pass. The main ones:

  • Orleans: Nauset Beach and Skaket Beach.
  • Eastham: the bay beaches, including First Encounter, Sunken Meadow, Thumpertown, Cooks Brook and Kingsbury.
  • Wellfleet: the ocean beaches at LeCount Hollow (Maguire Landing), White Crest, Cahoon Hollow and Newcomb Hollow, plus Duck Harbor and Mayo Beach on the bay.
  • Truro: Ballston, Longnook and Truro’s own Coast Guard Beach on the ocean side (not to be confused with Eastham’s), the bay beaches at Great Hollow, Fisher, Ryder and Corn Hill, and a town section at Head of the Meadow.

A Seashore pass won’t get you into a town lot, and a town sticker won’t cover a Seashore beach, so match the pass to the beach before you set off.

Fees, passes and how to pay

Fees apply at the six Seashore beaches from late spring to early fall. Visitor centers, trails and most historic sites have no entrance fee.

Pass or fee 2026 price Notes
Daily private vehicle $25 Good at all six fee beaches that day
Daily motorcycle $20
Walk-in or bike-in $15 per person Charged at the beaches in season
Seashore vehicle season pass $60 All six beaches for the calendar year
America the Beautiful annual $80 All national parks; U.S. citizens and permanent residents
America the Beautiful nonresident annual $250 For visitors from outside the U.S.
Senior annual / senior lifetime $20 / $80 U.S. citizens and permanent residents 62 and older
Military, veterans and Access passes Free Eligibility rules apply

Three details catch visitors out. Payment is by credit card, debit card or mobile payment only, so don’t count on cash. Passes are sold at the beach fee booths when they’re open, not at the visitor centers. And the Seashore pass pays for itself on the third beach day, since three daily fees cost $75.

The six National Seashore beaches

All six have lifeguards in summer, typically from late June through Labor Day, and in summer they all have restrooms or vault toilets, outdoor showers, drinking water, changing rooms and first aid. Every one except Nauset Light has an emergency call box that works all year. They face the open Atlantic, apart from Herring Cove, so expect cold water, real surf and rip currents.

Coast Guard Beach, Eastham

The park’s showpiece: a wide beach below a low bluff, with Nauset Marsh behind it and sunrise over the ocean. There’s no drop-off and very little parking at the beach itself, so in season you park at the satellite lot and ride the shuttle or tram, or walk or bike in on the Coast Guard Beach Trail or the Nauset Bike Trail from Salt Pond Visitor Center. Beach wheelchairs and Mobi-Mats are available in summer, along with accessible restrooms and changing rooms.

Dune grass above wide sand and breaking surf at Coast Guard Beach in Eastham
Coast Guard Beach, reached in summer by shuttle from a satellite lot or on foot and by bike from Salt Pond.

Nauset Light Beach, Eastham

A smaller beach beside Nauset Light, reached by an access path with an 11 percent grade. The lot fills early, there’s no drop-off, and vehicles over 20 feet aren’t allowed. It’s a sunrise beach, and a short walk leads to the lighthouse and the Three Sisters. It’s also the one fee beach without an emergency call box.

Marconi Beach, Wellfleet

The cliff beach, with a large parking lot and steep stairs down to the sand. That stairway is why Marconi is the one fee beach without a beach wheelchair. It’s big and wild-feeling even on busy days. No RVs or buses in the lot.

Head of the Meadow Beach, Truro

The quiet one. The Seashore’s lot rarely fills, and the town of Truro runs a separate lot of its own nearby. Beach wheelchairs are available in summer. It’s a good choice when the Eastham lots are full, and a good place to watch seals offshore.

Race Point Beach, Provincetown

At the tip of the Cape, facing north, Race Point gets both sunrise and sunset views. The lot is large, and buses are barred from July 4 to Labor Day. Beach wheelchairs and Mobi-Mats are available in summer, the Old Harbor Life-Saving Station stands beside the lot, and whales sometimes feed within sight of shore. The Oversand Office for off-road vehicle permits is at the Race Point Ranger Station.

Herring Cove Beach, Provincetown

The gentlest of the six: Herring Cove faces west into the bay, with calmer water and sunsets over the water. The large lot bans buses from July 4 to Labor Day, food trucks turn up occasionally, and the beach has the park’s best accessibility, including Mobi-Mats, beach wheelchairs, accessible restrooms and wheelchair-accessible showers. It’s also reachable by bike on a spur of the Province Lands trail.

Visitor centers and offices

Salt Pond Visitor Center, at 50 Nauset Road in Eastham, is open year-round, daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (5 p.m. in summer). Start here for maps, exhibits, the park film, ranger program schedules and current conditions. Several trails and the Nauset Bike Trail begin at the building.

Province Lands Visitor Center, at 171 Race Point Road in Provincetown, is open seasonally from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., typically May through October, and its outdoor observation deck, with views across the dunes to the ocean, stays open all year.

The Oversand Office at the Race Point Ranger Station issues over-sand vehicle permits and was open April 10 through November 15 in 2026. Park headquarters is at 99 Marconi Site Road in Wellfleet. For live updates on closures and pet restrictions, the free NPS app includes interactive maps and works offline.

Walking trails

The Seashore’s trails are short, varied and mostly easy, which makes them ideal for half-days and families. These are listed from south to north, with lengths from the park’s 2026 visitor guide.

Trail Town Length What you’ll see
Fort Hill Trail Eastham 1-mile loop Open fields with wide views of Nauset Marsh and the ocean; links to the Red Maple Swamp Trail
Red Maple Swamp Trail Eastham 0.8 mile round trip Boardwalks through a red maple swamp
Nauset Marsh Trail Eastham 1.3-mile loop Salt Pond and Nauset Marsh, starting at Salt Pond Visitor Center
Buttonbush Trail Eastham 0.3-mile loop Forest and wetlands, with Braille and tactile features
Coast Guard Beach Trail Eastham 1.6 miles each way A walk from Salt Pond Visitor Center to Coast Guard Beach
Doane Trail Eastham 0.6-mile paved loop A wheelchair-accessible loop through young pine and oak, with a spur to Coast Guard Beach
Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail Wellfleet 1.2-mile loop A boardwalk through a cedar swamp, starting at the Marconi Station Site
Great Island Trail Wellfleet 3.9 to 8.8 miles round trip Soft sand to the wooded heights of Great Island; the far end floods at high tide
Pamet Area Trails Truro 0.6 mile each way, plus extensions Bearberry Hill overlooks of the Pamet River valley and the Atlantic
Small’s Swamp and Pilgrim Spring Trails Truro Each under a mile Pilgrim Heights: recovering pine and oak forest and views over the Province Lands dunes
Beech Forest Trail Provincetown 1-mile loop A beech forest around a pond, with excellent spring birding; don’t feed the birds
Hatches Harbor Trail Provincetown 3.3 miles out and back Dunes and salt marsh near Race Point

Two cautions apply to all of them. Ticks live in the grass and brush from spring to fall, so stay on the trail and check everyone afterward. And on Great Island, check the tide before you go: the route to the far end crosses flats that flood.

Salt marsh grasses stretching toward the wooded heights of Great Island under a blue sky in Wellfleet
The walk out to Great Island in Wellfleet crosses marsh and soft sand; check the tide before you go.

Bike trails

Three paved bike trails run through park land, and the Cape Cod Rail Trail passes close by.

Bike trail Length Notes
Nauset Bike Trail, Eastham 1.6 miles Salt Pond Visitor Center to Coast Guard Beach via the Doane area; some hills and curves
Head of the Meadow Bike Trail, Truro 2 miles, plus a 0.8-mile connector High Head Road to Head of the Meadow Beach; leashed dogs allowed year-round
Province Lands Bike Trail, Provincetown 5.45-mile loop, plus spurs Dunes, pine woods and cranberry bogs, with spurs of 1.1 miles to Herring Cove and 0.5 mile to Race Point; steep hills

Bikes are allowed on these paved trails and on the park’s roads, but not on the walking trails. The Province Lands loop is short but hilly, so walk the steep bends if you’re unsure, and ride it early in summer, before the afternoon crowds.

Two cyclists on the paved Province Lands bike trail winding through sand dunes and low shrubs under a blue sky
The Province Lands Bike Trail, a 5.45-mile loop with steep hills and spurs to Herring Cove and Race Point.

Lighthouses and historic sites

Highland Light, Truro. The first lighthouse on Cape Cod, dating to the 1790s, was moved 450 feet back from the eroding cliff in 1996. Eastern National runs tours of the tower; in 2026 they ran daily from May 1 to October 25, and climbers must be at least 48 inches tall. The Highland House Museum next door, a 1907 hotel now run by the Truro Historical Society, opens seasonally.

Nauset Light, Eastham. Built in 1877 as one of Chatham’s twin lights, moved to Eastham in 1923 and moved again, back from the bluff, in 1996. The Nauset Light Preservation Society runs seasonal tours.

The Three Sisters, Eastham. The first Three Sisters lighthouses were built in 1838 and replaced in 1892; the three wooden towers now stand together in a clearing a short walk from Nauset Light. Parking is limited, and tours are seasonal.

Captain Edward Penniman House, Eastham. Completed in 1868 for a whaling captain, the house held every known comfort of its day, and the Penniman family lived there for nearly a century. It sits beside the Fort Hill Trail, with seasonal tours.

The white Second Empire-style Captain Edward Penniman House with its mansard roof and cupola, seen across a lawn
The Captain Edward Penniman House at Fort Hill, completed in 1868 and open for seasonal tours.

Old Harbor Life-Saving Station, Provincetown. A museum of shipwrecks and the U.S. Life-Saving Service’s rescues, beside Race Point Beach, with seasonal open houses; the beach parking fee may apply.

Marconi Station Site, Wellfleet. The site of the first two-way wireless exchange between the United States and Europe, in January 1903. Little remains of the towers, which the eroding cliff has claimed, but a paved trail, exhibits and an overlook tell the story, and the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail starts here.

Remote lights. Race Point, Wood End and Long Point lights can only be reached by walking miles through sand. The American Lighthouse Foundation hosts occasional open houses at Race Point Light; Wood End and Long Point aren’t open to the public.

The shingled Old Harbor Life-Saving Station with its lookout tower, seen through weathered dune fencing at Race Point
The Old Harbor Life-Saving Station at Race Point in October 2014, open seasonally as a museum.

Wildlife and safety

Give wildlife space. The park asks visitors to stay at least 150 feet from wild animals, from seals and shorebirds to coyotes, and feeding wildlife is illegal. Natural and cultural features are federally protected, so leave them where they are. To report an entangled, sick or injured seal, call 866-755-6622 or 508-743-9548.

Be shark smart. White sharks hunt seals along the Seashore’s beaches, sometimes in water as shallow as three feet. Stay close to shore, swim in groups, avoid seals, schools of fish and murky water, limit splashing, and follow lifeguards and the flags; a purple flag means a shark has been sighted. The free Sharktivity app shows recent sightings.

Watch for rip currents. Keep children within reach, and swim parallel to shore if a current pulls you out. From Labor Day to the third week of June there are no lifeguards at all.

Respect the cliffs. The Outer Cape’s bluffs erode and collapse without warning. Stay off the cliff faces, use the stairs and paths, and don’t sit at the base of a steep scarp.

Pets, beach fires and other rules

Pets. Where dogs are allowed, they must be on a leash no longer than six feet. They may use the Doane Trail, the Pilgrim Spring Trail and the first half mile of the Great Island Trail, but no other walking trails. On bike trails, they’re allowed year-round on the Head of the Meadow trail and from November 1 to April 30 on the Province Lands and Nauset trails. At freshwater ponds, they’re allowed from October 16 to May 14, and on park fire roads all year. Dogs aren’t allowed on lifeguarded beaches in summer, though leashed pets may pass through to reach open sections, and they’re barred from posted shorebird nesting areas from March to October, closures that can change daily.

Beach fires. A limited number of free daily beach fire permits can be reserved up to three days ahead, in person or by phone, from 9 a.m. Reserve at Salt Pond Visitor Center for Coast Guard, Nauset Light and Marconi, and at Province Lands Visitor Center for Head of the Meadow, Race Point and Herring Cove.

Other rules. Drones, metal detectors and public nudity are prohibited throughout the park. Glass containers, rafts and other flotation devices, snorkels and swim masks aren’t allowed on lifeguarded beaches. Over-sand vehicles need a permit from the Oversand Office, and driving areas close for nesting shorebirds.

Over-sand driving

Parts of the Seashore’s outer beach, most famously around Race Point in Provincetown, are open to over-sand vehicles with a permit. Permits come from the Oversand Office at the Race Point Ranger Station, which was open April 10 through November 15 in 2026, and vehicles must carry the equipment the park requires before they’re allowed on the sand. Routes close, sometimes for weeks, to protect nesting shorebirds such as piping plovers in spring and summer, so check the park’s over-sand page before you plan a trip around it. If you’re not driving, remember that stretches near Race Point share the sand with vehicles; walk the other way for solitude.

Ranger programs, apps and ways to help

Rangers lead walks, talks and evening programs, mostly in summer, and the schedules are posted on the park website’s events calendar, in the NPS app and at both visitor centers. Dog owners can sign up their pets for the park’s B.A.R.K. Ranger program, which teaches the leash and wildlife rules. The Friends of the Cape Cod National Seashore, a nonprofit supporting the park since 1978, funds projects including the printed visitor guide, and the Nauset Light Preservation Society keeps Nauset Light running and rents its keeper’s house by the week.

Accessibility

The Seashore has made real efforts to open its beaches and trails. Beach wheelchairs are available in summer at every fee beach except Marconi, and Mobi-Mats give firmer footing at Coast Guard, Race Point and Herring Cove. Coast Guard and Herring Cove have accessible restrooms and changing facilities, and Herring Cove has wheelchair-accessible showers. The Doane Trail in Eastham and the Marconi Station Site in Wellfleet have paved paths, and the Buttonbush Trail includes Braille and tactile features. Park films carry captions and audio description, some publications come in large print, and the park brochure has a free audio-described version in the app stores.

Planning a day on the National Seashore

The Seashore stretches over about 40 miles, so plan one area per day rather than trying to see it all at once.

Eastham, a half day or more: start at Salt Pond Visitor Center, walk the Nauset Marsh Trail or bike to Coast Guard Beach, then visit Fort Hill, the Penniman House, Nauset Light and the Three Sisters. Good in any season.

Wellfleet and Truro, a full day: Marconi Station Site and the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail in the morning, a swim at Marconi or Head of the Meadow, Highland Light in the afternoon (last tour 4:30 p.m. in 2026), and the Pamet trails if you have energy left.

Provincetown, a full day: Province Lands Visitor Center and its observation deck, the bike loop through the dunes, Race Point and the Old Harbor Life-Saving Station, then sunset at Herring Cove.

For full day-by-day plans that combine the Seashore with the rest of the Cape, see our Cape Cod itineraries, and for bases close to the park, our guide on where to stay on Cape Cod. Note that the Seashore has no campgrounds of its own; nearby camping is at state and private campgrounds, including Nickerson State Park in Brewster and Wellfleet Hollow State Campground. The park’s map also marks a summer hostel in Truro, and the Nauset Light keeper’s house rents by the week for anyone who wants to wake up beside a lighthouse.

When to visit the Seashore

Summer brings lifeguards, open visitor centers and every tour running, along with full lots by late morning. September is quieter and still warm, and October brings color in the marshes, the last lighthouse tours and fewer people on the trails. From November to April, the beaches and trails are nearly empty, dogs have more access, seals are easy to spot, and Salt Pond Visitor Center stays open, though fee booths, lifeguards and seasonal programs close. For month-by-month detail, see the best time to visit Cape Cod.

Cape Cod National Seashore FAQ

Is Cape Cod National Seashore free?

The visitor centers, trails and most historic sites are free. The six fee beaches charge from late spring to early fall: in 2026, $25 per car per day, $20 per motorcycle, $15 per person on foot or bike, or $60 for a season pass. The $80 America the Beautiful pass also works, and payment is by card or mobile only.

Which National Seashore beach is best?

Coast Guard Beach in Eastham is the classic, with surf, dunes and marsh views, but it’s reached by shuttle in summer. Herring Cove in Provincetown has the calmest water and the best accessibility, Marconi has the dramatic cliffs, and Head of the Meadow in Truro is the quiet choice whose lot rarely fills.

Are dogs allowed at Cape Cod National Seashore?

In limited places. Dogs must be on a leash no longer than six feet and are allowed on the Doane and Pilgrim Spring trails, the first half mile of Great Island, some bike trails in winter, ponds from mid-October to mid-May and fire roads. They’re not allowed on lifeguarded beaches in summer or in posted nesting areas.

Can you have a fire on the beach at the National Seashore?

Yes, with a free permit. A limited number of daily beach fire permits can be reserved up to three days ahead at Salt Pond Visitor Center, for the Eastham and Wellfleet beaches, or Province Lands Visitor Center, for the Truro and Provincetown beaches, in person or by phone from 9 a.m.

How long does it take to see the National Seashore?

Plan at least two days to see the highlights, one for Eastham and Wellfleet and one for Truro and Provincetown. A single day can cover Salt Pond, Coast Guard Beach, Nauset Light and the Marconi Station Site, but the Seashore stretches about 40 miles, so trying to see everything in one day means too much driving.

Is the National Seashore worth visiting in winter?

Yes, if you like empty beaches and bracing walks. Salt Pond Visitor Center is open year-round, the trails and beaches stay open, seals are easy to see and dogs have more access. There are no lifeguards, fee booths or seasonal tours, and many nearby restaurants close, so plan meals and dress for wind.

What’s the difference between the National Seashore and town beaches?

The National Seashore runs six fee beaches, open to everyone for a daily fee or a pass. Towns run many other beaches, some inside the Seashore’s boundary, such as Nauset in Orleans and Wellfleet’s ocean landings, with their own stickers, fees and rules. A Seashore pass doesn’t cover town beaches, and town stickers don’t cover Seashore beaches.

Related Cape Cod Guides

Sources and verification

The details on this page were checked on September 23, 2026 against the National Park Service and the other agencies and organizations listed below, led by the park’s official 2026 visitor guide. The guide is compiled from those sources and claims no first-hand visits.

Cape Cod Tourism Guide is an independent publication, not affiliated with the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, the National Park Service or any business named here.

Photo credits