Coast Guard Beach

Coast Guard Beach is where Thoreau's Great Beach begins, an open Atlantic strand beside the former Coast Guard station with Nauset Marsh behind it. Lifeguards cover it from late June through Labor Day, and summer water on the Outer Cape usually runs 60 to 70 degrees. In summer, park at Little Creek and ride the shuttle, since the beach lot is reserved for Eastham residents and placard holders.

Directions

Photo: Dennis Weeks · CC BY 4.0

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Latest reading · SwimScore 66/100 (Good swim) for a typical swimmer: air 15°C, wind 38 km/h, waves 1.6 m, UV 1. Updated 23 Sept, 22:00 UTC.

Know before you go

Best conditions: Outer Cape ocean water averages 60-70°F in summer. Sunrise views over the Atlantic.
Getting in: Cape Cod National Seashore beach with a seasonal entrance fee. From mid-June to Labor Day the beach lot is limited to Eastham residents and vehicles with handicap placards; everyone else uses the Little Creek lot and shuttle. No drop-off.
Parking & transport: Little Creek shuttle lot is 1.5 miles east of Salt Pond Visitor Center via Nauset and Doane roads. 2026 fees: $25 per vehicle per day or $60 season pass; America the Beautiful passes accepted. No parking restrictions at the beach lot September to late May.
Lifeguards: Lifeguards typically on duty late June through Labor Day; none between Labor Day and the third week of June.
Water quality: Barnstable County's beach program samples Cape Cod beaches weekly in season for enterococci in ocean water; a beach is posted closed if a re-test also exceeds the state limit of 104 cfu/100 mL.
Season: Lifeguards late June-Labor Day; beach fees late spring to early fall.
Watch for: White sharks hunt seals in water as shallow as 3 feet; purple flags signal sightings
Rip currents, shore break and strong undertow
Gray seals haul out on nearby sandbars; keep 150 feet away
Facilities: Seasonal accessible restrooms · Wheelchair-accessible ramp to the beach · Nauset Bike Trail from Salt Pond Visitor Center