Herring Cove Beach

We usually come to this beach for swimming and sun, but this year we came early evening for the best sunset views in Provincetown! Plenty of parking at night, and often it’s free that time of day. Get there about 1/2 hour before sunset; you won’t be disappointed!

This beach is beautiful! Location is close to the main part of Provencetown. It’s clean & the shore has a nice mix of sand and quartz. We’ve been here 3x now & it doesn’t disappoint. Brought the kids & they loved it. The bathrooms were clean and stocked each time we visited. It’s a must stop when we’re in town.

Dogs are allowed on leash during summer (toward the left side of the beach) - so nice to be able to chill at the beach with your fur babies and see other doggies doing the same. There are a dumpster and restrooms at the entrance. The high tide during the day was around 3:30pm when we were there.

Absolutely breathtaking! 1st of all, it's the sea shell collector's galore! Water is so gorgeous and clear and so turquoise! Waves are non-existent! I had a wonderful time just walking along the shore, chasing the headlight- wood end light, i believe. I walked about 1.5 until i turned around. Such a beautiful scenery, pristine blue waters backed up by sand dunes, just breathtaking. Besides the gorgeous scenery, the beach offers lifeguards, connections, showers, and restrooms. The parking, i believe, was $25 and included other parks as well, map included

Beautiful beach! I visited shortly after Labor day in 2023 and it was a perfect day. The snack bar isn't a typical hot dog type, think lobster roll with some more common snack bar options. You can even get an ice cold beer! Check the hours if plan on eating and if you get there early. The water is beautiful, my only other recommendation is to take water shoes, it's really rocky at the shore getting to water. The entire park is clean. Let's keep it that way

Loved it. The restrooms and changing rooms are very very well maintained. Two life guards were there as well. Lovely peaceful beach.

This is a national park and a $25 daily fee per car is required to enter. During season, be sure to get there early as the parking lots can fill up. There is a cute outdoor restaurant serving burgers and sandwiches. The beach is amazing, but can be busy during season. There are restrooms with showers and changing rooms so it makes for a great beach day all around!

One of my very favorite beaches on Cape Cod. You get both the ocean side and the bay side! Easy access, tons of parking, dog-friendly, very nice rest rooms and shower facilities, and even a snack bar with a covered picnic table area. It just couldn’t be any better.

Visited this beach in August and it was a nice experience, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Definitely check the tide schedule before you go. When I arrived around noon, it was high tide, and there was almost no sandy space left--so it can feel a bit crowded during that time. At low tide, you'll have more room to spread out. The water is cold, so come prepared if you plan to swim. The shoreline is also quite pebbly and rocky, so water shoes are a good idea for comfort. Overall, it's a beautiful spot, but planning your visit around the tides makes a big difference!

Part of the Cape Cod National Seashore. $25 to park/get in. Water is crystal clear. Clean. As in no paper/wrappers laying around.

Herring Cove Beach is one of the beaches in P-Town... it's all right, I still prefer Race Point Beach more, as it is prettier BUT I will say, this beach is more people friendly & just overall, more chill! They do have restroom facilities, some food options, & showers, which is nice. Not sure what the parking fee is nowadays but there is a fee for parking. It's not technically a nude beach but many people do decide to go nude here, clothing optional.

Amazing nude beach located about a 20 walk heading left of the Herring Cove parking lot entrance. Bring food and drinks and take your trash when you leave. Well worth the hike. Also accessible from the street where everyone parks their bikes. Can't miss it. Date of visit Sept 2025.

Very beautiful beach area surrounded by dunes. There is parking and the beach has a lifeguard. People were in the water, but this far north it is not exactly warm.

Man vs Shark and let's face it folks I didn't see one of those advertised APEX predictors at Herring Cove Beach. However this beach near PTown was very picturesque with sweeping views of the ocean, sand dunes on the back side offering a perfect Cape Cod photo experience for everyone. Most defiantly not the biggest shoreline so when leaving parking lot entrance points into the sandy beach it's a tad congested but you'll locate your turf to plant your flag. To my disappointment I didn't see a single seal today so the Carcharodon carcharias aka the Great White shark couldn't do what comes so natural and rip apart the cute animal. Come on folks we all really wanna have a Shark experience while vacationing in the cape. Few other notes is parking is $25 and gets you into six other beaches so if you beach hoping make sure you save the receipt. A clean changing area plus after beach showers exists and a snack bar with quality food and beer is open. And yes I did get my picture with the shark warning sign as you enter the beach, COME ON MAN it was on my bucket list to do in the cape.

Herring Cove is a great beach to visit in Provincetown. Pay the park admission fee ($20) and there is a large parking area. Covered restrooms and a food bar are near the entrance. We parked on the far left, and then went out the blue mat to the beach. This beach is nice with plenty of room. Just be prepared for the cold water! We usually visit from 10am to 1pm, and there is plenty of sun and sometimes a good breeze (in the summer). The tide will be going in or out, so when high tide approaches the beach really narrows. Most have to sit very close to the dunes. A decent beach for all and we appreciate the great views and fresh air.

We brought a picnic and spent a couple of hours here after our morning whale watching cruise. We parked in the lot north of the bathrooms. Very quiet and beautiful! This beach has lots of colored rock and quite a few shells to find. My husband took a nap and my daughter and I enjoyed walking the beach looking for rocks and shells. Definitely recommend some kind of footwear if you like long walks to protect your feet from the shells/rocks. We really enjoyed our time here. So peaceful!

Excellent beach for walking and for sunsets. We came here in the late Fall and enjoyed a long walk on the beach and a beautiful sunset. I have never been here during the summer so I can't speak to crowds or the quality of the water. The beach is rather rocky and shell-y so maybe not the most comfortable for walking barefoot. Beautiful views of dunes as well as Race Point Lighthouse. Lots of parking and space when we visited in November.

We went there for viewing sunset. We are shocked by the beauty of the nature. The beach is easily accessible. parking is free after 5 or 6 pm.

This is a peaceful beach...at least at the times of year I visit P-town. The bike trails go right by here so it is a great spot to stop and watch the ocean or get a drink at the snack bar. There are also restrooms available. It's easy to reach from downtown P-town by bike. A walk would be a bit of a hike but not terribly challenging. It's not a very wide beach, esp at high tide, but it is long and stretches out in either direction. Recently, the northern parking lot has started to collapse...it's like the beach is devouring it. I read an article that said they were trying to move it back but that has reduced the number of parking spaces available, so if possible, I would recommend biking to the beach.

nude beach beach on cape cod. walk 1/2 mile left at entrance. mostly gay but there are women and couples also. beautiful views and sunset. Bring cooler and food but pack light because of the walk.

From NJ and LI beaches its a great one. NJ/LI have much nicer finer white sands and almost pebble free. You really need water shoes here to "walk" the beaches. Too hard on the soles of your feet. Late September water temps cool, but no worse than NJ 200 miles away. Unique south facing beach that you can see the sunsets to the right of you over the water. Rare on the east coast. Sunday 9/19/21 was last day of fees to enter. I was there two paying and three free days. Loved it. I even surf fished the last day and watched a seal come by twice not 50 feet from the sand. VERY COOL! Plenty of parking and beach access and room on the beach. The people there are a very comfortable mix. I never saw any of the wild orgies or nudes that some claim they saw - in my 8 days there. It is a great LGBT friendly beach with lots of Cis couples. A comfortable beach. Loved it. And would come back in a heartbeat. But with water shoes this time. The fog does come across the water sometimes. You can see it coming across the water. A GREAT BEACH- better than Acadia Maine if you've been there too.

It is a steep $20 fee to park, so some people might consider biking or walking in. The beach is OK, nothing to write home about. As you walk to the left, away from the parking area, you will see the gay section, but every one is welcome everywhere. I've heard the food bar is good and reasonable. Restrooms and Port-0-Johns are available.

This beach is amazing. The water is so warm. Very swimmable. Either drive or bike here. If you walk, be in good shape as it is quite a work out. Being here feels like you are out in another world. You are so far away from everything. Try to walk the rock break water and make it to the point lighthouse! You can make it! I advise to stay clear from the parking area, as it is full of kids and tourists and RV's. Hike in and enjoy the beauty of nature. Yes the dunes are cruisey w/ naked men lurking about.

Perfect harmony and a peace brought on by the entrancing views of twilight with the sun tucking itself in upon the expanse of the Atlantic... Approx 7:00P on April 9 was a sunset that I shall never forget. Perhaps I have never witnessed a sunset over the Atlantic waters; this was sublime.

This snack bar is hands down the best one ever. The Pilgrim Lake sandwich! Ridiculously good. Eggplant fries? They rock. Even the watermelon is great. Second year visiting this snack bar and I gotta say, AWESOME!

It is a peaceful beach. One of farthest point in Cape Cod. So there are not many people especially in spring. Seals are not yet here in 2018/4/21. Probably will back to check in June or September to avoid busy season.

Herring Cove Beach is a short walk or even shorter bike ride away from the center or PTown. The beach was really nice and expansive so not super busy especially if you move a bit down from the main entrance point. The main entrance point has its perks though: snack shop, nice restrooms, a place to shower off the sand and a bike rack.

Don't exfoliate your feet before walking on this sand. I'm just sayin'... you've been warned. Some highlights include: -Beautiful setting -Quiet and serene -Lots of gorgeous shiny rocks in the sand for collecting -Bathrooms nearby, but not seen from the beach There are no faucets to wash you're feet when you head back out (that I noticed)... Oh, and, thank you, to the group of lesbians that looked at me like I was a tasty ham sandwich. Actually, my ego and I both thank you.

Nice beach and more "people friendly" than Race Point Beach as there are many more amenities, but I still think Race Point is prettier. The beach is fairly narrow and has somewhat of an angle so it's not very flat. Plus, a lot of cars and RVs pull right up to the beach where parking backs up right onto the beach. If you're in a car or RV it's great, if not, then it's somewhat annoying cause depending on which car you're near, you'll be hearing whatever music they're playing in their vehicle. The nice thing though, compared to Race Point, is that there's a new beach shack and snack bar outsourced by Far Land Provisions, which is an excellent general store in Provincetown. Large restrooms with separate changing rooms and showers and lifeguards. If you're in a large group, or have a car or RV, or maybe just want to join an RV party, then this is the beach to be at. And although we left before sunset, I heard the sunsets there are beautiful.

One of the best beaches around. Family section at entrance, walk left it becomes gay and or nude. Amazing sunset too.

New beach house and snack bar Far Land (did I see bud light?). Large restroom and separate changing room with showers. Also outdoor showers with foot showers. Shaded picnic tables and lifeguards. From the beach house you can walk out to the beach. To the right, an RV party. To the left, families. Don't ask me how the RVs get there.. bike rack. Large parking lot. The beach itself is fairly narrow and not very flat. Perhaps the farther you walk from lifeguards, the wider it gets.. At high tide you lose much of the available space, so claim a spot early! Big parking lot. Grainy sand with some scattered pebbles, not the same sand as you would have at, say, Reid state Park in ME. Bikeable from pier, approx 20 min. Ride down commercial st. Keep going when the road bends left. Pass the adorable quieter B&Bs. You'll come to the break wall walk, but hang a right and keep going. Stay straight when you see a sign for 6a west (don't turn!). By bike, there's a stop en route to the beach house buy I don't know what that's about.. could be cool. But just crest the hill and you'll see the beach house, cross the crosswalk and zip along a short bike trail and through the lot.

my favorite of the cape beaches! The water is really warm and clean and you do not feel like you are in a cess pool like on other bay side beaches. The beach is big, the porta-potties are not so good and unless you are gay and looking for a hook up do not go back into the dunes. But there is a lot of parking, and the beach and water is just the best relaxation ever. Maybe this is because I would nurse a hangover here all day and every day for a month, but seriously, it rocks!

Great new pavilion with clean, modern rest rooms, changing rooms, showers, outside rinse stations, and a snack bar that is well above average. The beach to the left is virtually all adults. You can get away with being topless, but roll over if you see a park ranger coming down the beach on an ATV or on foot. Patrols are infrequent probably because no one complains. Other beachgoers don't care what you wear. People told us they were there topless for a week and never saw a park ranger on the beach. Thongs and Speedos are not uncommon. My husband and I wore sheer g-string swimsuits walking to and from the pavilion without drawing much apparent notice. The lifeguards are the nicest on the Cape. We had some wonderful conversations. Best wishes to the recent college grad who will be entering the Peace Corps after the summer!

A great beach to watch sunsets. This is a local favorite so be sure to get there at least half an hour before the sunset. People fishing kids playing... a great piece of Cape Cod.

Who wouldn't give this gem 5 stars!! $20 for the day- well worth it plus you can go beach hopping. We're from Long Island. Beaches are plentiful but there are always stupid rules. What's amazing about this place? Plenty of parking. Beautiful bathrooms that are CLEAN, outdoor showers- also CLEAN, and the best part- the snack bar that doesn't have just fries and soda. You can get some legitimate food here!! Lobster rolls, hot dogs on brioche buns, eggplant fries, iced coffee, and much more. Icing on the cake?? Beer and wine available for purchase that you can bring on the beach!!! Openly without hiding it!! Amazing. Who doesn't want to drink rose wine from a can while relaxing on the beach?? Dogs also allowed. The beach is a 2 minutes walk from the parking lot which once again is a major win when you're hauling all your beach stuff. Mobi mat to get to the beach so it's super accessible and there's no giant hills that you need to trek down. Super calm water which is great for young kids. Crystal clear. I recommend bringing water shoes if you're planning on going in- it's a bit rocky. I believe there's also live entertainment that you can catch on various nights. If you bring the bikes you can bike in for free. It's a hike though- my lazy ass wouldn't do it ‍. We've tried race point and cornhill as well as the beaches right in Ptown and this beach far surpasses all! No more shopping around, this is now our go-to! Things to consider: more families, more "crowded"- but we're a young, gay engaged couple and didn't mind anyone one bit! Now that we found it were not going anywhere else!!

I was wavering between 4 and 5 stars, but I had to go all the way with 5 stars because I fully recognize that if it wasn't for this federal land/park, I would never be able to afford to have an experience like here. For $15 you get to drive up and park right in front of the beach and water. We backed in, opened up the back of our car and ate lunch staring out into the ocean 15 feet in front of use. The only cons are that there is not a lot of beach, so it can get pretty crowded, and the sand has a lot of debris and rocks/pebbles in certain spots. Other than that this place rocks!

Great place to go for sunset as it is one of the few westward facing beaches in Massachusetts. It is rocky, so bring a lawn chair to protect your tush.

One of the best beaches on the Outer Cape, next to Race Point. The little tidal pool that comes in during high tide is SO MUCH FUN! I have been going ever since I was little, and was too scared to full on brave the FREEZING oceanside of the Cape, so this little pool was nice...so bring your kids, and you won't have to worry about them getting knocked over by the waves! (just make sure to look up the tide chart so you go when the pool will be filled in!) Anyways, it is nice, and I never worried about parking because I always drove my truck over the dunes. It gets really crowded in the summer, but if you keep on driving down the beach you can find a semi private spot away from all the trailers. Just make sure to watch out for the Piping Plovers! These endangered birds are protected on much of the CC Nat'l Seashore..and you will see parts of the beach blocked off so they can breed. And, if you are driving on the dunes, make sure to take enough air out of your tires...we have gotten stuck a few times going over those little dune hills!!!

This beach is my favorite in P-town for one reason: Hatches Harbor. I don't often venture to the left side (virtually all adults, mostly gay guys). One thing I will mention about the left is that you can walk through the moors and get all the way back to the town, if you wish, which is kind of cool. If you go to the right, past all the lesbians, straight people, and RVs, you can find a relatively quiet area. And from there, I walk even farther down the beach to Hatches Harbor, about a twenty to thirty minute walk that gets people-free very early on. What is Hatches Harbor? It's an area that's full of essentially small, shallow pools at low tide, but fills up to huge ponds and barely a sandbar left to walk on during high tide. Nesting seagulls, pretty shells and rocks, minnows and crabs, beach plums, and no people? It's the place for me. Walk even further and you could get all the way to the lighthouse! My suggestion: bring a full fresh water bottle. Other notes: Non-New Englanders have reported this beach being very rocky for their taste. I didn't notice a difference. The water is always warmer than Race Point. There's a recently renovated pavilion with a snack bar, etc. by the parking lot, but I bring my own food (cheaper). Dogs are allowed. This is a good beach for kids.

One of the lesser known smaller beaches of the national seashore, this beach is perfect for swimming. Much less crowed than the other popular beaches in the area, it's easy to find a spot to stretch out on for the day. You're going to see some interesting sights so don't say I didn't warn you when oil slicked boys in blinding white Speedos with Gucci sunglasses sashay by. most importantly however is the water, and yes while the sand, as others have mentioned, is rough when the water is this warm and clear you won't care about the rocky bits or the speedo bits for that matter.

Not on our list of favorite beaches in the cape. Over the years we have been to many beaches with our young kids, Herring Cove kind of feels like a lake beach compared to others. Sand is coarse and rocky which is painful to walk on I saw many struggle to get to the water. Sand is also not fine enough for master sand castles, but bring shovels and buckets and dig in anyway. Also no critters like hermit crabs to collect. Not a lot of shells either. There are many interesting smooth and colorful rocks to collect. Wind was not strong enough for kite flying which is only allowed outside the protected area. There was a good amount of boat traffic to watch. Top notch bathrooms, change rooms, showers and concession. We didn't try the food since we always pack lunch, beverages and snacks, but many were enjoying the food. Not a bad place to spend the day but there are so many better cape beaches to consider before this one.

Things to note about the beach, it is rocky and a long walk from bike parking (depending on which part of the beach you go to). Herring Cove is a great beach with clear waves and plenty of room to relax. I only saw one bathroom that was VERY far away from where I was located. Very clean, very calm, but very cold.

So far, this has been my favorite beach among the few beaches I have visited on Cape Cod. Easy to get to with ample parking, the parking spaces are right up on the sand. In fact, with the wind blowing the sand on to the road, it became offroad driving at times. The restroom facilities were large and clean. There is apparently a concession stand but it was closed by the time we went. We visited during the early evening as there was no fee at that time.

Always like visiting this beach when visiting P-town. Nice and clean and huge, so lots of privacy!

Pretty spot..clean water..plenty of parking at 5 PM when we went for a dip...beach bliss

Beautiful beach. When you are driving out there are huge sand dunes which are amazing! There is parking right against the beach so don't have to walk far with all of your stuff. While the beach is long, it be a tight squeeze when it's high tide. There were lots of rocks in the water, so water shoes might be a good idea for next time. Water was very calm, the dogs loved it!

Best beach yet. I walked about a mile.Very few people on the beach to the left at 8:30 am No signs ,sandy beach with half dollar sized pebles,clean clean very little trash there was a bouy on a pole which marked the place to stop. I took off the swim trunks and enjoyed the day'remember t0 carry your suit with you.Beach patrol !!!!!

A nice beach - great place to watch the sun set. Great place to scope cute gay guys (and some not-so-cute, but it's the beach, people gotta sun!) Just waaaayyyy too rocky. Nothing that can be done about that, but just know that there are less rocky beaches close by.

Wow. Totally worth the hike. From Commercial, keep walking ALL the way past Provincetown Inn (if you are too hot by that point just go to the Inn pool!) turn the corner with the road and in about 1/4 mile you'll see a whole bunch of bikes... take that trail about ...I dunno ... another 1/2 mile (mostly sand and some water crossings - bring the right footwear) and you'll see a whole bunch of dune trails leading up and over onto the beach. 'Boy Beach' is to the left (families to the right).

Compared with race point beach, this one is much closer to the commercial street. It is a very good place to watch sunset in summer.

Awesome beach with beautiful clear waters. The main beach entrance is pretty crowded but after a short walk south from the main area you can enjoy very roomy stretches of sand. There is also a south entrance so you don't have to bother with going all the way up. Good if you're walking or biking from town. Here you have to cross a sort of tidal flat with water rising up to your thigh in some areas at high tide. We went during full moon so the tides were low and starting to rise at around 10am and full height by noon. The tide recedes by around 4pm. So you can either work around the tide or just get wet and arrive at the beach with that mizu mizu shii look (japanese idiomatic expression meaning fresh, supple, and dripping with dew). Also at the south entrance there is a very informative sign from the state parks office reminding visitors that nudity and sexual activity are not permitted. It was a rather detailed and thoughtful advisory on the situation. Luckily we didnt witness any lewdness or nudeness. Well there was that one naked kayaker.

Amazing, beautiful beach. This is the place to go if you are looking to have the ultimate beach day experience. The bay water was calm and beautiful, perfect for swimming (and if you have kids, this is the place to take them!). We arrived around 9:30AM and easily found parking right near the beach, which so convenient because we didn't have to carry our things far at all. This is peak season, so the convenient beach parking filled by 10:30AM, though there is other parking father away (and the parking cleared by 3PM). The bathrooms and everything were super clean. Tip: If you want to see a spectacular sunset, come here! There is free parking after 6PM. The beach faces West, and the sunset over the water was majestic. Nothing like it!

Lots of seaweed. Water is cold. Disappointed. Don't come here if you don't have to. There are lots of other beaches in Cape Cod

Families to the right. LGBT to the left. I love that the beach was not packed when we visited. There was enough space for everyone. Expect to walk a long distance to the left from the parking area. Although nudity is prohibited, some people continue to do it. I am not bothered by it.

One of the best beaches in New England. Nothing like walking thru sand dunes to get to the beach. Sunsets are incredible at times. Only complaint is sometimes they have bon fires which can get smokey.

one thing i forgot to do before biking to herring cove was to read the yelp reviews. so i got the whole "herring cove is beautiful" and "straight and gay areas are present" and figured it out from there. unfortunately my camera was dead for the week (ARGH) so pictures will wait, but several nuggets: the straight part is where there is a very large parking lot and bike rack areas and very boring and regular beach. the gay part is through a little clearing that is closer to commercial street and reasonably marked off by a lot of bikes on a fence and lots of pretty men pouring in, who amble through DUNES (!!!) and little pools of water and fine sand, miles, to this more isolated paradise stretch of a beach which is totally worth your while. and the VIEWS! little did i know that tidal changes mean that ankle-high pools of water can become waist-high (i'm not very tall) within 2 hours, and then , well cell phones in pockets during a waist-high water trek aren't happy, and you complete the rest of the story. but it's fun. especially the queer bit. the pools of water in the dunes make everything extra surreal.

cape cod certainly has the best stretch of beaches in MA. enjoyed walking the famous dunes and saw WHALES and seals offshore. also saw FOX and WILD TURKEYs driving through the national seashore park. how cool is that?