A curling wave breaks against the backdrop of a pink sunrise.
Visiting the beach to watch the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean is a beautiful experience. NPS image

Cape Cod National Seashore

National Seashore / Lakeshore · Massachusetts · National Park Service

The great Outer Beach described by Thoreau in the 1800s is protected within the national seashore. Forty miles of pristine sandy beach, marshes, ponds, and uplands support diverse species. Lighthouses, cultural landscapes, and wild cranberry bogs offer a glimpse of Cape Cod's past and continuing ways of life. Swimming beaches and walking and biking trails beckon today's visitors.

Plan your visit

Trails & hiking

Biking · Hiking · Snowshoeing

Camping

Camping · RV Camping

Site types & reservations: see the official site.

Know before you go

Phone
508-255-3421
Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

Things to do

Highlights: Arts · Painting · Poetry and Literature · Colonization and Settlement · Maritime · Lighthouses · Ships and Shipwrecks · Military · US Coast Guard · Monuments and Memorials · Native American Heritage · Science, Technology and Innovation · Wars and Conflicts · Cold War · Animals · Birds · Fish · Tortoises and Turtles · Climate Change · Coasts, Islands and Atolls · Dunes · Estuaries and Mangroves · Groundwater · Natural Sounds · Night Sky · Oceans · Whales · Scenic Views · Trails · Wetlands · Marshes · Swamps

Activities & features: Auto and ATV · Auto Off-Roading · Fishing · Freshwater Fishing · Saltwater Fishing · Golf · Guided Tours · Bus/Shuttle Guided Tour · Front-Country Hiking · Hunting and Gathering · Hunting · Paddling · Canoeing · Kayaking · Stand Up Paddleboarding · Junior Ranger Program · Skiing · Cross-Country Skiing · Surfing · Swimming · Saltwater Swimming · Wildlife Watching · Birdwatching · Park Film · Museum Exhibits · Shopping · Bookstore and Park Store · Gift Shop and Souvenirs

Photos

  • Low tide exposes rippled ridges of sand and water.
    NPS photo
  • A red kayak floats on a pond facing a forest colored with red and orange leaves.
    NPS photo
  • A flock of birds flies along a beach with waves in the background.
    NPS photo
  • Boardwalk trail runs through a swamp surrounded by green ferns and tall trees.
    NPS
  • A brilliant sun rises over the ocean reflecting light on the water's surface.
    NPS

Nearby parks

Parks of Massachusetts

Natural Bridge State ParkFall River Heritage State ParkBillerica State ForestBreakheart ReservationKenneth Dubuque Memorial State ForestNew England National Scenic TrailNickerson State ParkHampton Ponds State ParkSaugus Iron Works National Historic SiteShawme-Crowell State ForestMount Greylock State ReservationWinthrop Shore ReservationErving State ForestJ.A. Skinner State ParkWest Bridgewater State ForestLongfellow House Washington's Headquarters National Historic SiteBoston National Historical ParkDunn State ParkSandisfield State ForestSouth Cape Beach State ParkAdams National Historical ParkOctober Mountain State ForestBristol Blake State ReservationEllisville Harbor State ParkWatson Pond State ParkWindsor State ForestOtter River State ForestBrimfield State ForestMyles Standish State ForestBradley Palmer State ParkMaudslay State ParkSandy Point State ReservationScusset Beach State ReservationRobinson State ParkBalance Rock State ParkCallahan State ParkBelle Isle Marsh ReservationBridgewater State ForestAmes Nowell State ParkBoston Harbor Islands National Recreation AreaBoston Harbor Islands State ParkLowell Heritage State ParkMoore State ParkHolyoke Heritage State ParkPurgatory Chasm State ReservationAshburnham State ForestOld Harbor ReservationLawrence Heritage State ParkWashington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic TrailLowell National Historical ParkMount Sugarloaf State ReservationHorseneck Beach State ReservationRed Bridge State ParkBoston African American National Historic SiteMohawk Trail State ForestDorchester Shores ReservationDouglas State ForestAshland State ParkLynn Shore ReservationD.A.R. State ForestSpringfield Armory National Historic SiteAshmere Lake State ParkHopkinton State ParkWarwick State ForestFort Phoenix State ReservationMystic River ReservationSalem Maritime National Historical ParkBorderland State ParkHalibut Point State ParkSouth Beach State ParkQuinsigamond State ParkBeaver Brook ReservationLake Lorraine State ParkElm Bank ReservationChicopee Memorial State ParkNasketucket Bay State ReservationWachusett Mountain State ReservationBlackstone River and Canal Heritage State ParkNeponset River ReservationStony Brook ReservationLake Wyola State ParkFranklin State ForestMiddlesex Fells ReservationGreat Brook Farm State ParkWells State ParkClarksburg State ParkMinute Man National Historical ParkLawrence Riverfront State ParkBeartown State ForestMount Grace State ForestFreetown-Fall River State ForestWebb Memorial State ParkPittsfield State ForestF. Gilbert Hills State ForestMassasoit State ParkConnecticut River Greenway State ParkCochituate State ParkWendell State ForestLeominster State ForestSavoy Mountain State ForestDighton Rock State ParkTolland State ForestBlue Hills ReservationC.M. Gardner State ParkPilgrim Memorial State ParkWhitehall State ParkSpencer State ForestCharles River ReservationFrederick Law Olmsted National Historic SiteWompatuck State ParkSalisbury Beach State ReservationPlum Island State ReservationAlewife Brook ReservationNew Bedford Whaling National Historical ParkWalden Pond State ReservationWahconah Falls State ParkLynn Heritage State ParkHarold Parker State ForestJohn Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic SiteNantasket Beach ReservationWillard Brook State ForestRevere Beach ReservationDemarest Lloyd State ParkMount Tom State Reservation

125 parks mapped in Massachusetts

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Guides for the trip

All guides →

Sources: National Park Service, Google Places · updated 2026-08-12