• Atlantic Ocean beach at Cape Cod National Seashore

    Cape Cod

    National Seashore Massachusetts

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  • Access to the Coast Guard Beach in Eastham will be closed Tuesday, May 21.

    Access to the Coast Guard Beach in Eastham will be closed Tuesday, May 21, from 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM so seashore staff can create an accessible path in advance of the summer season.

  • Storm damage, construction affecting access at seashore locations; reduction in programming

    Due to erosion, there is no beach access at Nauset Light and Marconi beaches. Access at the Marconi Site is limited. Parts of the Nauset Marsh and Red Maple Swamp trails are closed. Nauset Bike Trail construction is underway. More »

Visitor Centers

Salt Pond Visitor Center is Cape Cod National Seashore's main visitor facility, with frequent orientation movies, a well stocked bookstore, a comprehensive museum, and restroom facilities. The indoor theatre routinely offers 5 short films daily on a rotating schedule. (Click here for film descriptions and schedule.) Offering breathtaking views of Nauset Marsh and the Atlantic beyond, this Visitor Center is also convenient to the popular 1.5 mile Nauset Marsh Trail and the Buttonbush Trail, a .25 mile multi-sensory trail that featuring a guide rope and text panels printed in large lettering and Braille, and the Nauset Bicycle Trai.

The museum collection at Salt Pond reflects the vast range of natural and cultural themes represented on Cape Cod. Quotes highlight themes that the museum's exhibits encompass, along with artwork from prominent artists. In the atrium, the museum offers highlights of the Cape's complex natural composition. Realistic models of native plants and mounted animal specimens emphasize the rich and diverse natural history of the Outer Cape. Displays cover salt marsh plants and animals, beach dynamics, upland plant communities and prominent residential and migratory birds.

Salt Pond Visitor Center is located at the corner of Nauset Road and Route 6 in Eastham. Hours: daily 9 AM to 4:30 PM (increased hours during the summer). Phone: (508) 255 - 3421.

 

The Province Lands Visitor Center is located on Race Point Road, off Route 6, at the northern end of Cape Cod National Seashore, approximately one mile from Provincetown. It is open daily from May 1 through October 31st from 9 AM to 5 PM. (508) 487 - 1256.

The observation deck at this Visitor Center provides a 360-degree view of the Province Lands dunes, the Outer Beach and the Atlantic Ocean. From this location you can see Race Point Ranger Station, Race Point Beach, the Old Harbor Life-Saving Station and the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown. Exhibits about local plants and animals and the Pilgrim's landing in Provincetown are featured.

The indoor theater routinely screens 5 short films daily on a rotating schedule. Eastern National has a bookstore with books, tapes, videos, toys and gifts all related to some aspect of Cape Cod and the National Seashore.

Did You Know?

vernal pond

The hydrologic system of lower Cape Cod consists of four distinct ground-water lenses, or flow cells, which receive recharge through precipitation. Other hydrologic features besides groundwater include kettle ponds, freshwater wetlands (vernal ponds), freshwater streams, and estuarine wetlands.