Nauset Light Beach Moment of Zen - Orleans MA Life

Relish the taste of the ocean air, the sound of the breaking surf, and simply the best view on Cape Cod. Nauset Beach is a public beach inside the Cape Cod National Seashore Beach on the east coast of outer Cape Cod in Orleans, Massachusetts. Nauset extends south from a point opposite Nauset Bay to the mouth of Chatham Harbor.

Nauset Light Beach consists of a broad, sandy beach that is contained by a steep glacial scarp behind it. The cliffs provide a superb view of the great outer beach and the ever-changing sea. Warm enough to walk barefoot along the water's edge, but quiet enough to enjoy the sound of the ocean, the shore can offer some of the highest waves on Cape Cod.

It is popular with swimmers, surfers, boogie boarders and fishermen. Avoiding large schools of fish when swimming, and steering clear of seals or murky waters with low visibility is advisable and always swim, paddle or surf in a group.

Shark sightings are nothing new for Cape Cod, which has a reputation as a hot spot for white sharks. There have been several shark attacks on Cape Cod beaches in recent years, including a fatal one in 2018, when a 26-year-old man died after he was attacked by a shark at Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet. It was the first fatal shark attack in Massachusetts since 1936.

Unlike the shark featured in the 1975 film “Jaws,” great white sharks don’t intentionally target humans. But sharks can mistake swimmers for seals, their natural prey, and Cape Cod’s seal population has been flourishing under federal protections.

Nauset Beach in the fall is the perfect time to visit. During winter months, the beach profile is considerably lowered, sometimes exposing features such as the brick foundation of one of the earlier Three Sisters lighthouses.

There is not enough parking, but you can drop off the family and then ride to the beach. The beach is wide and if you're willing to walk, can always find a private section of sand.