Coast Guard Beach

Coast Guard Beach offers opportunities for families to explore together.

NPS/Tyler Setterlund

Quick Facts

Location:

Intersection of Nauset Road and Ocean View Drive, Eastham

Significance:

Mayflower passengers first sighted land here after crossing the Atlantic in 1620

Amenities

12 listed

Accessible Sites, Beach/Water Access, Information Kiosk/Bulletin Board, Parking - Auto, Picnic Table, Restroom, Restroom - Seasonal, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Showers, Toilet - Flush, Trash/Litter Receptacles, Water - Bottle-Filling Station

Coast Guard Beach is the southernmost beach managed by Cape Cod National Seashore. It marks the start of what author Henry David Thoreau called the "Great Beach," an uninterrupted sandy coastline stretching north for over 20 miles. Coast Guard is a prime swimming beach during the summer season.

From Memorial Day through mid-September, the primary parking area for this beach is at Little Creek, located a short distance west of the beach on Nauset Road. An open- air shuttle provides transportation to the beach. During the summer, parking at the small lot on the beach is restricted to local residents and vehicles displaying handicap placards. There is a seasonal pet prohibition on the south side of the beach to allow for nesting and migrating shorebirds.

Coast Guard Beach is named for the old white Coast Guard building that still stands on the dune above the beach. Nesting and migrating shorebirds share the sand with beachgoers, and seals and sharks are at home in the waters just offshore.