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Nauset Beach, Cape Cod

Orleans, MA

41.788385° N, -69.934870° W

Where: End of Nauset Beach Road, Orleans View Map

Water Type: Salt water

Type: Surf

  • local_parking
  • wc

Good for: Bodyboarding, Skimboarding, Surfing, Swimming

About

Nauset Beach is an expansive, 10-mile long beach stretching to Chatham Harbor. While it is a large beach, it fills up quickly so plan to arrive early. There is a restroom and several food trucks onsite. Nauset Beach North and Nauset Beach South are open to over-sand vehicles (OSV) with a special permit, but are subject to closure, so be sure to check the status with the Town of Orleans.

The sand is soft and clean, and there is good amount of waves and surf. Nauset is perfect for swimming, boogie boarding, skim boarding, and surfing and is a great spot to watch sunrises. In the off-season the beach is perfect for long walks with no crowds and no charge for parking.

Hours of beach operation are 7:30am - 4:30pm.

PARKING:
Parking fees as of 2024: $30/daily, $125.00/week, $300/season. Daily parking may be purchased in person at the Orleans Sticker Office from 9-1, Monday-Friday or at Nauset Beach with credit card ONLY.

Parking stickers are required Memorial Day through mid-June on the weekends and then daily from mid-June through Labor Day.

DOGS:
Dogs are not allowed on Nauset Beach, including the parking lot, from April 1 - September 1, 2025 (Labor Day).

LIFEGUARDS:
Lifeguards are on duty 9am - 5pm daily from June 16 – September 1, 2025.

CONCERTS:
Nauset Beach Summer Concert Series - starting July 1st, and every Monday evening of the summer from 6:30 - 8:30 PM, featuring rock, blues, jazz, reggae and more. Concerts are held at the Nauset Beach Gazebo with rain dates on Tuesdays.

BE SHARK SMART:
Watch this educational safety video on how to stay safe at the Cape Cod National Seashore (https://vimeo.com/172032770/e8d02c722d).

Reviews

177 total reviews
9/20/2025

We loved this beach very several reasons - it is vast, it is wide, and the water and sand were so clean.


Bloomfield, CT
1 review
Member since: Jan 2023

8/23/2025

Best flats for boogie boarding and body surfing.


Orleans, MA
3 reviews
Member since: Nov 2012

7/20/2025

Hands down best beach on the Cape! Clean, busy but tons of space, food available (but bringing your own is part of the experience)! Waves can be strong so keep a close eye on the kiddos, and yes, you may get called out of the water because of a shark siting.


New York, NY
2 reviews
Member since: Jul 2019

8/10/2025

Great waves, perfect for boogie boarding, and enjoyable scene with food trucks and souvenirs for sale.


Essex Junction, VT
2 reviews
Member since: Aug 2022

8/22/2025

Beautiful clean beach with food trucks and bathroom/ changing areas. We loved the waves!


Delmar, NY
2 reviews
Member since: Nov 2007

8/9/2025

Every summer we buy an Oversand Permit so that we can drive onto Nauset. I highly recommend it! We look forward to it every year!


Sudbury, MA
2 reviews
Member since: Aug 2025

7/21/2025

Beautiful beach with perfect sand and lots of seals!!


Stuyvesant, NY
2 reviews
Member since: Feb 2008

8/2/2025

If you have a 4x4 SUV, splurge for the OSV permit ahead of time. It is worth every penny!


2 reviews
Member since: Feb 2025

6/21/2025

Beautiful beach. Great waves at high tide and fun sand bar at low tide. Restrooms and life guards are available. Great outer cape ocean beach.


Somers, CT
2 reviews
Member since: Oct 2023

6/16/2025

HUGE beach with lots of space. There’s a “food court”/small shop area as well as a public restroom building with changing rooms. Plenty of parking. Water was too cold to swim but we dipped our feet in, walked the shore, collected rocks and enjoyed the view!


Sicklerville, NJ
2 reviews
Member since: Jun 2025

 
   
Show More Reviews

Nauset Beach Vacation Rentals

Orleans
ID 37738
4 BR
1 ½ bath
Sleeps 7
The Salty Sweet Cottage
The Salty Sweet Cottage
Distance to beach: 4.3 miles Nauset Beach and .8 mile Skaket Beach
5.019 reviews
East Orleans
ID 36880
3 BR
2 baths
Sleeps 6
Coastal Chic East Orleans in Ideal Location
Coastal Chic East Orleans in Ideal Location
Distance to beach: 1.5 mi to Nauset Beach and 2.5 mi to Skaket Beach
5.01 review
Orleans
ID 38839
2 BR
1 bath
Sleeps 4
Perfect Cape Cottage Close to Nauset Ocean and Village :
Perfect Cape Cottage Close to Nauset Ocean and Village :
Distance to beach: 1/2 mi Meeting House Pond; 1 mi to Nauset
5.02 reviews
Orleans
ID 35270
2 BR
2 baths
Sleeps 5
Newer 2 BR near Nauset with custom features.
Newer 2 BR near Nauset with custom features.
Distance to beach: 1.0 mi to Nauset Beach and 2.0 mi to Skaket Beach
5.08 reviews
East Orleans
ID 39511
4 BR
2 ½ baths
Sleeps 10
East Orleans Waterfront Vacation Haven, Sleeps 10
East Orleans Waterfront Vacation Haven, Sleeps 10
Distance to beach: 1.7 mi to Nauset Beach and 4 mi to Skaket Beach
5.03 reviews
Orleans
ID 39496
3 BR
2 baths
Sleeps 7
Cranberry Retreat/Close to Nauset Beach; Firepit
Cranberry Retreat/Close to Nauset Beach; Firepit
Distance to beach: 2.5 mi to Nauset Beach and 3.5 mi to Skaket Beach
3 reviews
Orleans
ID 37090
3 BR
1 bath
Sleeps 6
Dog Friendly/Centrally Located/Walk to Eldredge Park
Dog Friendly/Centrally Located/Walk to Eldredge Park
Distance to beach: 3.2 Nauset Beach and 1.6 mi to Skaket Beach
5.01 review
East Orleans
ID 39652
4 BR
2 ½ baths
Sleeps 9
Stunning home near Snow Shore
Stunning home near Snow Shore
Distance to beach: 2.5 mi to Nauset Beach and 2/10s of a mile to Snow Shore on Nauset Harbor
1 review

Location