Welcome to Eastham 

Eastham, with its vast town conservation areas including The Cape Cod National Seashore Park and the Massachusetts Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, has some of the best, most diverse, and most accessible nature spots in the East. Eastham has it all, including wooded trails, salt marshes, open ocean, protected bays and fresh water ponds. Sunsets that defy description, but will be kept in your heart forever, can be enjoyed from any of our beautiful bay beaches.  

Beaches | Kayaking & Canoeing | Biking | Hiking | Fishing Museums | Landmarks | Special Events Related Businesses: Arcades | Bicycle Rentals | Bicycling | Boat Rentals Boating and Fishing Supplies | Charters | Children's Activities Courses | Cruises | Ferries | Golf | Health and Fitness Kayaking | Miniature Golf | Outdoor Activities | Performing Arts Sailing | Sailing Lessons | Sportfishing | Surfing Tennis | Tours | Whale watching | Windsurfing


The National Seashore:  Approximately 27,000 acres of uplands from the southern tip of Monomoy Island off Chatham to Provincetown comprise the Cape Cod National Seashore. A bill, signed by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 ensured the conservation and preservation of some of the area's most beautiful natural surroundings as well as approximately 30 miles of the finest seashore on the Atlantic Coast. Eastham is considered the "Gateway to the National Seashore" with the Salt Pond Visitors Center, the Nauset Marsh hiking trails and two beaches, Coast Guard and Nauset Light. 2005 beach rates apply daily from late June through Labor Day and on weekends from Memorial Day through Columbus Day. Rates are $15 per day per vehicle or $45 for a Cape Cod National Seashore Season Pass. Parking lots for both Nauset Light and the Coast Guard shuttle lot tend to fill between 10:00am and 1:00pm. Cape Cod Bay Beaches


The Bay Beaches:  The western border of Eastham is lined with six miles of beautiful beaches overlooking Cape Cod Bay. Just as magical as the National Seashore, Cape Cod Bay offers calmer and warmer waters, amazing flats at low tide and breathtaking sunsets. The most notable and largest Eastham bay beach is First Encounter, the location where the native Indians first encountered the pilgrims in 1620. Eastham Beaches in Detail Town of Eastham Application for Visitor Beach Stickers Swim Instruction Pre-School swim program for beginners, intermediates & advanced plus certified American Red Cross courses for Junior and Senior Life Saving. Each program requires registration fee. Registration: Early June Location: Wiley Park Time: Monday-Friday, 9am - 12pm Contact: (508) 240-5974. 


The marshes and open waters surrounding Eastham provides some of the best kayaking and canoeing on the Cape and the East Coast. The preserved areas allow for complete escape and intimate exposure to the incredible wildlife that inhabits Cape Cod.  

Biking Eastham boasts two bike paths and several walking trails that travel through remarkably picturesque scenery. Both bike paths are paved and provide an opportunity for bicyclists and hikers to enjoy a very special encounter with Cape Cod's charm and beauty. Within and around the trails are heavily wooded forests, lakes and quiet kettle ponds, salt marshes, bogs, winding creeks and sandy beaches. The Cape Cod Rail Trail The Cape Cod Rail Trail ("the Bike Path") is a twenty-four mile path that starts on Route 134 in Dennis and ends at Lucuont Hollow in Wellfleet, having traveled the entire length of Eastham. The trail follows the old Penn Central Railway tracks. Today the tracks are gone, but the convenience to all of Eastham is easily accessible.

Just off the path, side trips offer ocean beaches and fishing piers, country stores and quaint villages, parks, picnic areas, and places to lodge and dine. MASSPARKS CAPE COD RAIL TRAIL Nauset Bike Trail Nauset Bike Trail starts at the National Seashore's Visitor Center and only two and one quarter miles later, ends at Coast Guard Beach. Magnificent vistas of the salt marsh and the great Atlantic Ocean are not to be missed. This trail is wheelchair accessible, and can be shortened by starting at the Doane Rock picnic area.  Hiking Nauset Marsh Trail Nauset Marsh Trail is a half-mile loop that skirts Salt Pond and Nauset Marsh and returns through transitional forest and fields. The area is well suited for studies of salt marsh ecosystems and upland succession. It also offers excellent bird watching opportunities. The Lady Slipper Trail The Lady Slipper Trail in the Wiley Park Conservation Area is a walking trail through the woods on Great Pond and Bridge Pond. There is also a beach at Wiley Park with parking and restroom facilities. Red Maple Swamp Trail Red Maple Swamp Trail with its serpentine boardwalk gives yet another dimension to Cape Cod that is totally unexpected compared to the Outer Cape's general landscape. This quarter mile walk is most colorful in the fall. A portion of this trail is wheelchair accessible via Hemenway Landing. Fort Hill Trail Fort Hill Trail is a one and one-half mile trail with some log steps on slopes. This walking trail offers spectacular view of Nauset Marsh, the Nauset Spit and the Atlantic Ocean. Bring your binoculars for some wonderful birding opportunities.

South Eastham Conservation Area:  SECA This area is home to a rich variety of habitats surrounding three small ponds, boasting some unusual tree species. Park on the trailhead on Peach Orchard Lane. Abutting the SECA is Upper Boat Meadow, which has magnificent walking trails and woodlands. Parking and access are available at the trailhead on Smith Lane as well as the bike path on Rock Harbor Road. The Nickerson Property 25 acres of Conservation land that has walking trails along Bridge Pond, Great Pond, as well as Widow Harding Pond. This is where Eastham's Herring Run flows into Bridge Pond and on to Great Pond. It is located on Herringbrook Road, with parking at the Cole Road Herring Run. Cottontail Acres Cottontail Acres is more of Eastham's conservation land with hiking trails trough the meadows peppered with wildflowers along Herring and Jemina Ponds. Enter at Samoset Road. Cedar Banks Trail Cedar Banks Trail is a one and one-half mile hiking path that connects to the Nauset Marsh Trail and continues on to Coast Guard Beach. Buttonbush Trail Buttonbush Trail is a short quarter mile multi-sensory loop designed for the blind with a rope guide, and interpretive text panels in Braille and large lettering. The Massachusetts Audubon Society Wildlife Sanctuary The Massachusetts Audubon Society Wildlife Sanctuary in Eastham and Wellfleet has five very unique walking trails, all starting at their Nature Center and cross through forests, meadows, and marshes, including a boardwalk out to Cape Cod Bay. Scenic Overlooks Scenic Overlooks can be found at several points, but can best be enjoyed from Fort Hill, Salt Pond Visitor Center, Skiff Hill Pavilion, and Nauset Light Beach. 

Golf on the Lower Cape:  The cape offers a number of great golf courses for all skill-sets and levels of play.  Our local favorites are Chequesette Country Club in Wellfleet and Highland Links in Truro located at the foot of the Highland Lighthouse.  Despite the spartan conditions at these two golf courses, the views are spectacular. 

For more sophisticated and challenging play, try the Captain's Golf Course, Ocean Edge Country Club, or Cranberry Valley Golf Course. Whatever you decide, we strongly recommend that you secure a tee-time reservation at least one week in advance of your visit.  Many of these courses accept online reservations and they all rent golf equipment.