Coast Guard Beach

I really loved this beach in Cape Cod. There were lots of seals 🦭❤️ The beach was well-maintained and peaceful. I found parking easily, but it was a weekday around 1 p.m., so it’s probably more crowded on weekends. The restrooms were clean. There were also some nice trails! Next time, I’ll bring my bike, there are so many beautiful spots to explore in Cape Cod!

Beautiful beach with good accessibility option! With your handicap parking placard, parking at the beach is allowed, rather than taking the shuttle. Lots of HP parking. The view from parking lot is nice with benches. Concrete and hard packed paths to a view point on the bluff,the restrooms building, the outside showers, and down the path along the road to beach access. From the road is blue accessible path to the beach. My husband’s battery powered scooter made it to the end. There were 2 beach wheelchair available.

This is officially one of my favorite beaches in Cape. When I first walked down to the beach, I saw a lot of people, but then I looked to my right and saw no one, for miles. We had to climb over this big boulder that felt like clay to get to the other side. It was rather challenging to get back once we did because of high tide. But it was well worth it. It's absolutely beautiful.

An awesome beach with many seals visible. There is a beautiful bluff at the beach.

So there is basically no way to visit this park if "out of season." The main parking lot is too far to walk (and there is no safe walkway). You have to take the tram. But the tram IS NOT RUNNING until "season," which, apparently, is not until late June. The parking near the beach consists of spaces for handicapped and, for some reason, locals. So, basically, no one else can visit until the shuttle is running. Is this not a NATIONAL SEASHORE?! Funded by FEDERAL INCOME TAXES?! Why do locals get priority? I pay federal income taxes just like them.

Beautiful long sandy beach! There's a big area that is lifeguard protected (which I recommend staying at because there can be sharks!). The coastline is pretty large so you have plenty of space to sit and enjoy the beach. The water is very cold though! You have to pay for the parking (but it can be used in the same day for all the other state parks/beaches on the Cape) and a shuttle takes you at the beach (3ish min ride), or there's a parking much closer for Eastham residents and disabled people. The entry of the beach is accessible and there were 2 beach wheelchairs available.

Nice beach that has historical buildings. Some trails to hike to and from this location.

Excellent place to go to the beach with ample parking and nice public restrooms. The old coast guard building is neat to look at as you walk down to the beach. The beach is expansive and easy to walk around. It was also very clean and well maintained. Saw some seals hanging out in the ocean while there in the evening.

Great beach. Nice sand. Good waves. Excellent parking and shuttle. We had a tremendous time here. Very safe. Very clean. Everything was very good.

Ok, so the lifeguard on the high chair is flying a purple flag with a big shark on it. And a green flag above it. The Coast Guard airplane circles the water. A seal or 2 or in the water. The lifeguard stands up raises her arm with 2 fingers towards the bathers and does this for 2 minutes with her arm up. Wtf was that? the signal to the sharks a table for this way? In all fairness, it's a beautiful beach. Waves were rough today lots of rocks rolling in some the size of spaghetti squash. Just not comfortable I'd get out in time if there was a shark nor that these 2 guards could get me in time before I am a chum appetizer.

Wake up Ranger! Turned away from parking only to find out plenty of parking for me-a Eastham resident with a sticker. Rude control freak. Lady was not interested in guy on bike telling her there were four spaces. How do people like that get jobs? Wake up!

Beautiful beach and dunes and in the summer it's perfect for the kids and the waves are amazing for surfing and boogie boarding

When I'm on the Cape, I usually spend most of my time at the beaches in Chatham, but my favorites are up in Wellfleet. I saw this beach pop up on a top 10 USA beach list, so I decided to make a quick stop here and check it out. We were on our way up to Provincetown from Chatham, so we stopped quickly to check it out. One of the biggest negatives of this beach is the parking situation! You do need to park away from the beach a bit and take a shuttle over, but there are a few spots closer if you are a town resident and you probably still need a permit. There are some beautiful views from the parking lot of the salt marshes. There is a slight elevation to get down to the beach, but there is a nice temporary walkway that they put out for the season. I was here in mid-June, so the beach was not TOO crowded. It was nice here, but I wouldn't describe this (or some of the others on the list) as top ten beaches! I did notice that they have real bathrooms here, which is also a major plus, because porta-potties are disgusting! They also have some outdoor showers, which are handy for a quick rinse before leaving. While this is a great beach, there are others in this part of the Cape that I like better. I'd recommend Cahoon or LeCount Hollow in Wellfleet over this one! FYI, Some of the pictures here on Yelp are not for this actual beach, they are for Chatham's Lighthouse Beach which is 15 miles away.

We stopped here to enjoy a beach day but between the handicap spots being far from the beach itself, the fog that day and shark warnings we didn't go in the water. It was a long walk to the waters edge and a lot of sand to climb through to get to the shore. We noticed a ton of seals in the water which was was cute. I looked for seashells since it seemed sketchy to go in. Even with the best of weather, it would have not been the best beach, i wish we dropped off some of our group at the path down to the water before parking.

Visited the Coast Guard Beach to check out summer seals. Seals are only in summer here, but I didn't come here until mid-Sep, because it is too crowded. 2018/9/23, I saw many seals swimming in the ocean and resting on the beach. I had never seen so many seals swimming in the ocean (have seen a lot on the beach though). It was so exciting to see them swimming! Super cute.

Couldn't have asked for a nicer beach! The parking lot is pretty big and they prefer card over cash. You take a free tram car from parking lot to the beach and it was one of the highlights of the day! They are every 10 minutes or so and it's a nice scenic route! Beach is amazing and clean and so are the bathrooms. There isn't a snack bar but there's a 7/11 not too far away (not walking distance though). The surf is great and not too rough and there were seals coming right up to us! The bike route is also very pretty and not to hard to do. By far one of my favorite beaches on the cape!

It's a killer getting into Nauset beach in Eastham on summer so thankfully Coast Guard beach is available. Safe, clean and beautiful beach. The only slight downside is the shuttle between the parking lot and the beach. In fairness, the shuttles run very frequently between 9 am to 5 pm and the drivers are a hoot. US park Service runs this place very well.

Had a fabulous time on Coast Guard Beach Beach today. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, I rode my bike to the beach, it was warm, I got to walk barefoot in the sand. Plus I got to watch surfers. Catching and riding waves. Plus there were a couple of seals frolicking in the water. Not sure who was cuter - the seals or the surfer dudes.

This Cape Cod beach is where the Mayflower first sighted land on November 9, 1620 after 65 days at sea. No parking is available; shuttle service from a large parking lot off Nauset Road. This beach is always on best beach lists everywhere. It tends to get bugs which I do not notice at other beaches and the water is a bit cold for me. I think people like it because it tends be a little more secluded than most beaches on the east coast so it doesn't get nasty crowded like many east coast beaches. You can see wild life here and it is pretty as well.

Gorgeous! Once we parked ($15) We took the shuttle which comes every 10-15 min. Plenty of seating and room for your stuff. Just a quick ride to the beach. Although it looked crowded, thanks to low tide we had plenty of room to set up. Waves were great and the water a refreshing 60. Shuttle home was not a crowded but we didn't wait for the last one at 5:15 in fear that one would be. We came here twice while on the cape, partly because it was the closest beach to where we were staying, and partly because we loved it so much the 1st time we wanted to go back again. The 1st time we went it was low tide, and it was really cool how the water carved designs into the sand. It felt like you could walk for miles, wading in and out of ocean pools, before you'd get to the breaking waves. The 2nd time we went it was medium/high tide, and there was a lot less beach space. No matter which time you go, it's a beautiful beach with clean sand, neat looking sand dunes, and clear refreshing waters! OH, and you just might spot a seal... we saw many both times we went... and if you bring binoculars, you might just spy a whale tail or 2.

This beach is gorgeous!! It was cold and windy but still a perfect beach hike! Saw a few seals and the views are breath taking! I've never been to the cape during the summer, I always come either in the fall or early spring- and even though a lot of local shops and restaurants are closed, I wouldn't have it any other way!

One of my favorite beaches on the cape! Lots of parking and convenient shuttle from the lot to the beach. Love the outside showers!

My family has a cottage with access to private beaches only a 5 minute walk down the road, so that's where I spend the majority of my beach time when I'm down the Cape. But whenever we feel the need to go to a 'real'/'good' beach, Coast Guard is always our #1 choice, no question. I find the whole parking far away/trolley thing to be annoying and inconvenient, but it is kind of fun (almost like Disney World! not really). The best part about the beach is it's true rugged New England-ness, with its huge waves, soft sand, and beautiful sand dunes filled with wildlife. The bathrooms/showers and lifeguards are a major plus as well. It's big enough that you never feel like you're on top of other people, also a major pro. Definitely worth a trip, if you're ready to commit to an entire day at the beach (IMO the parking fees and hassle to get to the beach may not jive with your plans of being on the sand for only an hour or two).

This is so beautiful! Please come and see it anytime of the year. The views are spectacular

Great beach! We have a National Parks annual pass so we gain free entry here. There's a shuttle that will take you and your family along with surf boards, beach bags, chairs and umbrellas from the parking lot to the beach. My husband loves to surf here. Mid-tide is the ultimate best time. If you walk out to the sand bar you can actually dive and cannonball right into the water since there's a shelf right off the back of the sandbar! The kids had a blast. There's also a huge bathhouse and showers so no need to go home salty and sandy. Tips: Wear bug spray. Green head flies are not fun! Show up early, the crowds get pretty insane. Wear comfortable slip on shoes. The sand gets extremely hot here and flip flops don't really cut it. Especially for little ones! Stay away from the seals. Seals are shark bait!

This absolutely gorgeous beach is on the hook of Cape Cod. We went on a Seal and Shark tour. There were many seals just down the shore. Although as soon as the tour was over we were asked to leave. Apparently the parking pass is only good for the hour long tour and then they ask for those passes back for other visitors to come to the park. You can drive down the road and renter if there is room, but I thought that was odd. But I still give it 4 stars and recommend anyone visiting the Cape to make a stop at Coast Guard Beach.

Really nice beach. Has clean indoor bathrooms and changing areas. Outside showers. Dogs seemed to be allowed as long as they were on leash. We enjoyed watching the seals poke up through the water. Rice big waves. The surfers had good luck when we were there.

Ride your bike here and avoid the parking fee!!! But beware of the mosquitoes at the bike racks!!! They will eat you alive!!! And they did. I seriously have about 10 bites from the 2-3 minutes it took for me to lock up my bike on the bike rack there. Those mosquitoes are clearly a different type of breed over there. Maybe they are amazonian mosquitoes on vacation at the cape because every time I went to lock my bike up I could feel another one of them biting me!!!! But you'll see I still give this beach 4 stars. It is just awesome. It has soft sand, actually has some waves which I hear are better at different times during the year, it has lifegaurds in case you like that, and showers and bathrooms that everyone can use too. And if you do drive here they have a shuttle that takes you to the parking lot from the beach too. We were the cool kids that biked from Brewster on the rail trail to the Salt Ponds entrance of this beach where they have the most fun bike trail leading up to the beach. I literally felt like I was in some awesome car commercial going up and down those hills, swerving left and and right on the turns. Definitely made that sand and towel feel that much more rewarding at the end!

With the spring starting out so cold, I have been dreaming lately of a nice summer day spent at Coast Guard Beach in Eastham, and that day cannot come soon enough. My family has been going to Coast Guard for years and years. We wake up early to make sandwiches and pack the coolers, pack up the car with the essentials (chairs, towels and the occasional boogy board depending on what the tide is like) and head on over. After a very brief shuttle ride - which is one of my favorite parts of the entire trip - we find our spot on the beach and immediately dump our stuff to go feel the water. Chilly, yes. But in ten minutes we're already sweating so we make our way into the cold water for a bit of a much needed refreshment. When I am at Coast Guard, I know I am in good hands. The lifeguards are beyond attentive and they are all very kind. They take a lot of pride in their job, and rightfully so. It's a great place to bring your kids because you know the lifeguards will be watching them closely to make sure they are safe. I also feel completely confident with the bathrooms being sanitary. I've never had a problem with them, though I wouldn't recommend going in there without shoes on. My favorite part about going to the beach is reading a book and then taking a nap while listening in on other people's conversations. If you are a people watcher, then going to the beach is the best place to sit back and observe and listen to different conversations. It's not about being rude, it's just entertaining. I can't wait for the summer, and I'm so excited for my first summer day at Coast Guard. It can't come soon enough :)

This beach was nice for a " new england" beach.... Now, I have been to beaches to in Miami , Hawaii, Dominican Republic, and the Jersey Shore.... so this beach was unique.. I didn't come here looking for turquois , warm waters... so I wasn't disappointed. The beach takes about an hour from Boston to get to. I suggest you do what we did , and drive to Idle Times Bike shop and park there and then ride your bike through the Cape Cod Trail all the way to Coast Guard Beach. !! It is worth the ride !! The beach wasn't that packed and the sand is clean. There were some rocks in the beginning but that wasn't a deal breaker for me . As to how this beach is always on " Top 10 " beach lists is beyond me . Don't get me wrong it's nice !! But not " Top 10 " nice !! lol Even though it was the last few days of summer in hot ass August the water mustve been 20 degrees the most. All in all this beach is above other NE beaches because of the " exclusive" feel it has , the water is nice ( with waves !) and the sand is clean and white.... If I wanna go to the beach , I will definitely consider Coast Guard Beach .

Coast guard is one of the more picturesque beaches on Cape Cod, and there are many here. There's a small-ish parking lot at the beach and a large one at the Visitors Center from where you can take a free tram. It is also located off a bike trail. Good facilities (bathrooms and changing areas).

Hey, lets wait in a line to get into the parking lot, then wait in a line again to get on a tram that takes us to the beach. The beach is very nice once you get there but the hassle is not worth it. But to all the tourists, please keep going to coast guard. I will be at Marconi.

This is one of the most beautiful beaches in Massachusetts! So clean, powdery white sand, lots and lots of room, changing areas and toilets. You can walk forever and watch the playful and curious seals! In the summer you have to take the shuttle as there is very limited parking. We were lucky to arrive early on an October Saturday with no problem parking. It was also FREE. Check out their website for more info.

I really like the shuttle system going on for this beach, you park in a remote, dirt lot and get picked up in a glorified people-mover to the beach -- the shuttle runs every 15 minutes (I think). When you're in the water, there is a very gradual dropoff. I am not that tall so I enjoyed the ability to go further into the ocean without having to tread constantly. Get here early enough and you can have quite a bit of space between you and your neighbors. The tail end of our stay saw an influx of beach-goers, so it seems as though it eventually gets packed. There are lifeguards on duty here for a portion of the beach, so that is nice as well.

I'll give it to CGB for being a very beautiful beach. However, I am not quite sure why this beach is so popular. The day I came, it was incredibly windy. I left as a sand-woman. The shuttle from the parking lot wasn't too painful, but I'm not quite sure why it's necessary. I can tell from the set up in the parking lot, though, that the wait for the shuttle can be a lot worse.

Beautiful beach. Somewhat clean bathrooms. Easy to park in the lot ($20), with the shuttle taking you right to the beach. The drivers were very friendly and nice. We sat near the lifeguard station and the kids had a great time.

After sitting down for a little while I started to notice one thing about this beach that was different from the other Cape Cod beaches I've been to. There's wildlife everywhere! The diversity of shorebirds running/flying around was a really cool sight to see. At one point we took a walk down the beach and noticed 2 seals playing in the surf. The topography was also interesting to see as the beach is lined by eroded cliffs. This beach is very easy to get to from route 6 but there is no parking lot at the beach during the summer season. Visitors must park down the road ($15.00 fee) and take a shuttle that runs every 10 minutes down to the beach. We had no problem with getting there and the shuttle was quick and easy. Like other beaches on the national seashore, Coast Guard Beach has nice soft sand and is relatively free of rocky sections. The only real buzzkill was the seaweed in the water. There was a layer of red seaweed throughout most of the surf that was unavoidable while going into the water.

I love it and we make a point of going there every chance we get! I do agree about the parking in summer, but I've gone Memorial Day weekend when it's easier because you can park in the smaller lots right at the beach.

Gorgeous beach and well maintained. I am from San Diego, so I am quite fussy about my beaches. One serious problem, though, is the greenback flies. Despite continual application of repellent, I was bitten continuously and made it unpleasant. The National Seashore should address this as soon as possible.

People kept telling me that the swimming in the Atlantic is super warm, and totally unlike swimming in the Pacific. Lies. It was freezing! The water temp is about 60F, even on an 85F day. I was told that's because Eastham is on the upper end of Cape Cod, and that the beaches on the South end are very warm. This beach is wheelchair accessible, with large mats covering the dunes down to the beach, and complimentary use of custom wheelchairs with giant balloon wheels for the sand. Parking is by permit and can be pretty tough, but there is a auxiliary lot nearby with a tram.

A beautiful beach with great facilities - even a changing room! If the parking lot is full, you can go to another, farther, lot and take a shuttle to the beach. The only downside for me was the FREEZING water! It was 56 degrees - are you KIDDING? No way am I going in sans wetsuit. I'll take Hawaii any time!

I think reviewing a beach is kinda silly, but honestly this is a GREAT beach. Kids love taking the little free trolley from the parking lot to the beach :) Requires a national park pass or beach day sticker.

Great beach if you have a dog! Just make sure to keep him/her on a leash. If you're not a resident of the town you'll have to park about a mile away and take a shuttle though. Also dogs aren't allowed on the shuttle so you'll have to walk which is a bummer. Besides that, great beach!

A walk from the Coast Guard Beach to Nauset Lighthouse Beach, 9am on a sunny August morning... It was absolutely beautiful. The sky is blue with a stretch of golden sunshine and some while clouds, the air is cool and there is a gentle breeze, and the sand feels soft and warn. You can walk bare foot in the wet sand where there is not much rocks and shells, leave a trail of foot prints behind. My son runs back and forth around me, enjoying the sound of waves crashing, and seagulls flying around us.

Great, clean beach with fun waves. Easily accessible. Lost of fun with the entire family

a nice beach with good surf. little parking but you can walk or take the shuttle from the Doane Rock picnic area. the walk may be a pain if you have a lot of stuff with you, but is a nice trail if you are a rare simpleton at the beach. because of it's location it doesn't get as crowded as other beaches with is super nice. Also has a really clean bathroom!

Located on the Atlantic side of the Cape, Coast Guard beach is popular amongst surfers and beach goers alike. Lots of sand, lots of surf, and lots of parking for the throngs of crowds that frequent the beach. Yes, it's serene, but it can get very crowded, especially as the tide comes in and creeps visitors further up towards the dunes. If you want something a bit more quiet (with warmer water), try the bay side. Otherwise, enjoy watching the surfers (and sometimes seals!).

Solid solid beach but am writing about fishing. Surf casting. Get yourself up early. Tme it if you can for sun rise and low tide. Watch the sun come up out of the Atlantic while you are walking down to the spit where Nauset harbor empties into the ocean. Keep walking. Put your pole on your shoulder, follow the sand bars off the shore, get wet, talk to the seals, find a well or cast into the deepwater by the last buoy, yes, at least this year, at low tide you could walk almost all the way out there in waist deep water, catch some blues. first cast into the deep water, took my line headed straight away, fought it back...dinner; with clams dug from salt pond bay. oh yeah.

Soft sand, gorgeous waters, clean and clear. The beaches in this area (including Nauset Light Beach) are voted some of the best in the country. Shuttle service if parking is full. Parking for the shuttle is $15 all day. Full facilities.

Great Beach!! Yes the green heads were a bit much. But great views, the waves were great to boogey board on. There was an occasional seal that would pop up to investigate here and there. Nice breezes, perhaps a bit much for normal umbrella, many people held onto theirs. Bathrooms are well maintained. Lifeguards on duty, during specific times. Tram ride from parking lot about a mile away, lot on premises Is for handicapped. Parking fee is normal for any beach on the cape. Had a great time while there. Pack your own lunch or snacks, no snack bar onsite. There was a nice deli, down the road across from Fire House and Windmill. Enjoy your day there.

This beach puts all other beaches to shame. Unmarred by buildings, boardwalks, loud music, lights, cars etc. Coming to Coast Guard Beach truly is an escape from the outside world. If you come during the peak season on a nice day the beach will be very crowded, but if you get there early enough you can always stake out a good spot. You can also get a permit from the Visitor's Center to hold campfires at night. I can honestly say there is nothing better than listening to the crashing ocean while looking up at some of the brightest stars you have ever seen and toasting some marshmallows over a fire. The only drawback is that there is no parking, and you must take a shuttle from the parking spot about a mile or so up the road. Luckily my house is within walking distance so this problem isn't much of a problem at all! :)

This is a GREAT beach! I thought the remote parking/tram riding might be a drag, but it was fine & my 4 year old thought it was the best part of the day (he thought it was a train ride!). The ride was fast & efficient, the beach was really clean, well-staffed & had outdoor showers and real restrooms (not the gross port O potty kind...ick!). We went on a perfect sunny August morning & the water was chilly but very refreshing with pretty gentle waves (ie my son wasn't getting beaten up by them & was having a great time). I thought the parking was a little high, but it's pretty much the same throughout the Cape & it IS a national seashore beach (with rangers, tours, & protected status), so it's worthwhile. This beach seemed a little les crowded than Nauset Light, just up the road & a quick walk up the beach.

Wonderful beach, great tram service, but it's always crowded and hard to find a spot. I would come back if there weren't so many people there all of the time. Also, parking is a fiasco, the lot fills up very quickly in the morning and it costs $15 dollars which doesn't amuse me. Great waves when the tide is high.

Pros: View of untouched Nauset Marsh from the dunes above is spectacular. Frolic in the freezing water with seals, but beware of the lurking great white sharks. Beach is handicap accessible. Cons: No parking. Trolley access only, which is a few miles up the road.

Did a 3.5 mile run through the trails and it was amazing. A quiet area with plenty of distance to cover and gorgeous views all around!

I came here in the off-season. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was a beautiful afternoon for a walk. It is a gorgeous beach! Maybe I'll try going here during the summer and update. But it is definitely a gorgeous beach to walk when all the tourists are gone!

Shuttle in from the overflow parking lot. Or walk. Worth the trip. Huge expansive and beautiful beach