Eastham is a quintessential paradise where Outer Cape Cod begins - a narrow strip of rural country with marshes, ponds, bogs, ocean, and forests that are unharmed by time.

It is bordered on the east with miles of the majestic Atlantic Ocean, and on its west by Cape Cod Bay. Eastham's First Encounter Beach is the site of the first meeting between the Pilgrims and the American Indians in 1620. Eastham is now known for its pristine beaches and conservation areas.

Today visitors enjoy this conservancy with miles of walking and bike trails through woods, fields, marshes, and several sites that are in the National Historic Register of Places. Experience glorious sunsets, fish, swim and kayak from bay beaches. Experience Eastham's past at its museums, working windmill, and lighthouses. Explore Eastham's restaurants, shops and art galleries for a taste of local culture.

Jump to a section:

• Attractions
• Eastham Landmarks
• Beaches
• Biking
• Hiking
• Wineries
• Eastham Events
• Cape Cod Events
• Museums/History

Cape Cod Attractions/Things To Do

• Martha's Vineyard - Each of the Island's six towns provides access to spectacular beaches, outdoor activities, and a selection of shops, restaurants, performing arts and attractions. Named for a local whaling captain, Owen Park overlooks Vineyard Haven Harbor, home to hundreds of wooden boats in the summertime. A peaceful spot located near the ferry and Main Street, Owen Park and Owen Park Beach are great places to enjoy a picnic or wait for the ferry. Local town bands as well as visiting bands hold concerts here in the summer. Take a journey down the rural roads of Martha's Vineyard, past fields and farms, to the simple fishing hamlet of Menemsha. The town beach at Menemsha, overlooking Vineyard Sound, offers views of the Elizabeth Islands and is considered the premier spot to watch the sunset on the island.

• Audubon Sanctuary - Wellfleet Bay's 1,100 acres of salt marsh, sandy beach, pine woodland, freshwater pond, and rare heath land attract a wide array of wildlife, especially songbirds and shorebirds. Discover the true nature of Cape Cod as you amble along the five miles of trails that traverse these habitats. The Nature Center's green architecture, friendly volunteers, and a beautiful butterfly and hummingbird garden complement these scenic trails.

• Cape Cod Whale Watch - Watching the majestic whales rise from the deep is an awe-inspiring experience. Whale watching crews leave regularly from Plymouth, Barnstable and Provincetown Harbors, and most guarantee a sighting. No matter where you embark, your cruise will take you to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, the Atlantic whales' favorite feeding grounds. Each year, beginning in late winter, whales return to the Sanctuary, which encompasses over 600 square nautical miles. Since the water is shallow here, plankton upon which whales feed rises closer to the surface. During your excursion, naturalists will help you spot, identify and learn more about humpback, finback, minke whales, and the endangered right whale. You'll see whales breaching (leaping straight out of the water into the air), spyhopping (holding their heads high out of the water as if having a look around) or sounding (executing a dive).

• Plimoth Plantation - Become part of the living history experience at Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, MA. Through its primary living history exhibits, the 1627 Pilgrim Village and Hobbamock's (Wampanoag) Homesite, Plimoth Plantation seeks to re-create the people, time and place of 17th-century Plymouth. Period costumes and dialect, authentically reproduced buildings and artifacts are some of the vital components of this unique experience. On the Mayflower II - a full-scale reproduction of a 17th-century vessel - visitors learn about the Pilgrims' 1620 ocean crossing, as well as about construction techniques of both 17th-century and 21st-century ships. As you enter, you'll see an exhibit on New England's Native Peoples, an explanation of why the colonists left England and Holland, and a hands-on exhibit explaining 17th-century navigation. In the 1627 Pilgrim Village, each day corresponds to a day in the year 1627. As colonists talk to you in 17th-century dialects you'll hear about issues of land ownership and payment of debt, or even the colony's latest gossip. In the Crafts Center, artisans demonstrate the making of goods that the colonists either brought with them or imported from Europe. The Nye Barn is a contemporary exhibit created to give visitors a more in-depth look at the museum's rare breeds program. The Plantation's newest indoor exhibit, Thanksgiving: Memory, Myth & Meaning, leads visitors from present day celebrations and traditions backward through time, ending with the 1621 harvest celebration from the perspectives of the participants, the Wampanoag and the English.

• Cape Cod National Seashore - The Cape Cod National Seashore offers ranger-led activities, hour-long programs for children ages 6 to 12, including environmental games, explorations and activities, and beach browsing on the Outer Cape to find clues to the marine life offshore and the forces that shape the land during an hour-long walk. Take an hour-long tour of the Province Lands dunes to see what plants and animals call this changing land home and how they need to be protected and a two-hour open house, including information about the shipwrecks of Cape Cod and the heroic work of the life savers inside the historic Old Harbor Life Saving Station.

• Cape Cod Scenic Railroad - The Cape Cod Scenic Railroad offers four scenic and exciting excursions. The award-winning Elegant Dinner Train was featured among the top three dinner trains nationwide by TV Food Network's Dining on the Train. Recapture the romance of a by-gone era while you enjoy a five-course gourmet meal served on crisp white linen by a friendly and attentive staff as you journey through scenic Cape Cod. You may prefer the Luncheon Train or our Family Supper Train. For a less formal train ride, try the Scenic Excursion Train. Named one of the top ten scenic train rides in the country by USA Today, the two-hour scenic excursions are perfect for all ages. Climb aboard the Cape Cod Central and feel the thrill as the whistle blows and your fun-filled adventure begins. The rhythm of the train and the spirit of the crew will whisk you away on an exhilarating two-hour journey by rail. You'll pass beautiful cranberry bogs, natural woodlands, and lush marshes as you make your way between Hyannis and the Cape Cod Canal.

• Cape Cod Melody Tent - Located in Hyannis, the Cape Cod Melody Tent features concerts, music, plays, events and shows, For more than 50 years, it's one of the Cape's best places to see a concert.

• Cape Playhouse - Located in nearby Dennis, the Cape Playhouse is America's Oldest Professional Summer Theatre, offering a variety of Broadway plays, comedies, mysteries and musicals with matinee and evening performances. Children's Theatre is a must!

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Eastham Landmarks

• Nauset Light - Located within the Cape Cod National Seashore, Nauset Light is one of the most famous lighthouses on the east coast. Originally built in 1887, it was moved to Eastham from Chatham in 1923 to replace the Three Sisters. The upper portion of the beacon was painted red in 1940 to distinguish it from Highland and Chatham lights. Nauset Light was in danger of being lost to erosion, and in 1993 the Coast Guard proposed decommissioning the light. The light was saved, however, by the Nauset Light Preservation Society, which financed a project to move the light further inland, which was finally completed in 1996. This working lighthouse is visible 15 ½ miles out to sea.

• Old Eastham Windmill - Located on the Town Green at Route 6 and Samoset Road (across from Town Hall), Thomas Paine in Plymouth originally constructed The Eastham Windmill in 1680. Moved to Eastham in 1793, this windmill is the oldest working historical windmill on Cape Cod, and is still occasionally used to grind corn.

• Three Sisters Lighthouses - This lighthouse is located 1/2 mile from Nauset Light Beach on Cable Road. In 1837, a lighthouse station was established at Nauset Beach - halfway between the single light at Highland, and the twins at Chatham. To distinguish the Nauset Station, a keeper's house and three small towers of brick were constructed 150 feet apart. Two towers were taken out of service in 1911 and the third was replaced in 1923 with the "New Nauset Light." In 1975, the National Park Service purchased all of the Three Sisters Lights and conducted a $510,000 restoration that was completed in 1989. The Three Sisters now rest together and can be viewed with a short walk from Nauset Light Beach.

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Cape Cod Beaches

• Cape Cod National Seashore - Approximately 27,000 acres of uplands from the Southern tip of Monomoy Island off Chatham to Provincetown comprise the Cape Cod National Seashore. A bill, signed by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 ensured the conservation and preservation of some of the area's most beautiful natural surroundings as well as approximately 30 miles of the finest seashore on the Atlantic Coast. Eastham is considered the "Gateway to the National Seashore" with the Salt Pond Visitors Center, the Nauset Marsh Hiking Trails and two beaches, Coast Guard and Nauset Light.

• Coast Guard Beach - Coast Guard Beach is a prime swimming beach during the summer season. From mid-June to Labor Day, the parking lot at this location is closed, and access is provided by shuttle bus from the Little Creek parking area (across from the Doane Area). Although the parking lot at Coast Guard Beach is open the remainder of the year, parking is limited. There are seasonal restrooms and a wheelchair accessible ramp way to the beach. This area is the site of the discovery of a 4,000 year old Native American habitation exposed by shoreline retreat. It is also a good area to hike along the outer beach, and observe long-shore transport of sand (through wind and wave action), coastal erosion, and dune building barrier beach processes. Wayside exhibits outside the former Coast Guard Station help to tell these stories. Coast Guard Beach is located 1 ½ miles East on Nauset and Doane Roads (on road to beach from Salt Pond Visitor Center). Look for brown and white signs.

• Nauset Beach - Located one mile north of Coast Guard Beach on Ocean View Drive in Eastham, this area is the first visible portion of the glacial scarp (cliff) that drains from east to west between Eastham and Truro. This is a good place to conduct studies on marine communications - French cable operation and lighthouses - and coastal erosion. Watch out for bicyclists and walkers. Restrooms open seasonally.

• Cape Cod Bay Beaches - The western border of Eastham is lined with six miles of beautiful beaches overlooking Cape Cod Bay. Just as magical as the National Seashore, Cape Cod Bay offers calmer and warmer waters, amazing flats at low tide and breathtaking sunsets. The most notable and largest Eastham bay beach is First Encounter, the location where the native Indians first encountered the pilgrims in 1620.

• Rock Harbor - Rock Harbor is a small beach and marina on Orleans' Cape Cod Bay shore, known for the best sunsets on the Cape. Extensive low tide sand flat exposure, up to a half-mile offshore in some areas, and acres of sand bars are a veritable playground for everyone. Rock Harbor is home to the largest charter fishing boat fleet on Cape Cod. Dozens of anglers set out daily for the rich catches of bluefish, striped bass, flounder and other species available in the bay and on the ocean side around Provincetown. Rock Hrabor conjures images of magical sunsets, romance, beauty, nature, good memories, kids making sand castles at low tide, and deep thoughts.

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Cape Cod Hiking

• Nauset Marsh Trail - Nauset Marsh Trail is a half-mile loop that skirts Salt Pond and Nauset Marsh and returns through transitional forest and fields. The area is well suited for studies of salt marsh ecosystems and upland succession. It also offers excellent bird watching opportunities.

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Cape Cod Wineries

• Truro Vineyard - Located in nearby Truro, Mass., Truro Vineyards is Cape Cod's first vinifera vineyard on a historic 18th-century farmstead. Truro Vineyards features beautiful grounds with picnic areas, antique winemaking displays and a museum. Winery tours are available of their newly restored barn that houses the winery.

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Eastham Cape Cod Events

• Windmill Weekend - Every year, the weekend after Labor Day - residents and visitors of Eastham come together for a weekend of fun activities centered around the village green with its famous windmill. The popular 3-day event includes a parade with floats and marching bands, as well as live musical performances, an arts and crafts fair, antique auto parade and much more. There is no cost to enter the fair, but lots to purchase.

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Cape Cod Events

• The Nantucket Daffodil Festival - Step ashore, onto the cobblestone main street of Nantucket. Here you'll view the antique classic cars and decorated storefront windows for the annual Nantucket Daffodil Festival contest and parade. An island sightseeing tour highlights the day which journeys the Daffodil-lined back roads offering breathtaking views of the salt marshes and coastline.

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Cape Cod Museums/History

• John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum - The JFK Hyannis Museum is a multimedia exhibit designed to open a window on the days JFK spent on Cape Cod; days relaxing with family, days playing football with PT109 buddies, days spent sailing on the ocean to which he was so constantly drawn. The exhibit features over 80 photographs spanning the years 1934 to 1963 and is arranged in thematic groupings to reflect John F. Kennedy, his family, his friends and the Cape Cod he so dearly loved. In addition to photography, a video narrated by Walter Cronkite depicts the president's experiences on the Cape. Several themed areas include charged oral histories of JFK's friends.

• Cape Cod Museum of Natural History - The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster, Massachusetts, was founded in 1954 to encourage and advance understanding of the natural environment through discovery and learning. The museum is housed in a 17,000 square foot building on its own 80-acre site, abutted by 300 acres of town-owned conservation land. There are two floors of exhibits about the flora and fauna of Cape Cod, including exhibits on whales, indigenous birds, coastal change, and several aquaria holding different species of crustaceans, mollusks, fish, frogs, turtles and snakes. Several displays are interactive and geared to children. Special, temporary exhibits enhance the permanent collection. The Museum has a library and Museum Store. Three nature trails meander through woodland, salt marsh or on the shore of Cape Cod Bay and guided field walks are offered year round, daily in summer.

• Cahoon Museum of Art - The Cahoon Museum of American Art resides in a beautifully restored 1775 Georgian Colonial that was once an overnight stop on the stagecoach line between Hyannis and Sandwich. Wide floorboards, stenciled walls and floors, fireplaces and antique furnishings give the cheerful galleries a homey intimacy. The heart of the collection is the fanciful primitive paintings of the late Ralph and Martha Cahoon, local legends who had their home, studio and gallery in the old house for 37 years. Using a palette of jewel-like colors, Ralph Cahoon created a world populated by innocently flirtatious mermaids and admiring sailors. Their exploits often unfold in old-fashioned seaside settings adorned with lighthouses, clipper ships and hot-air balloons. Martha Cahoon used softer colors to paint scenes celebrating her love of fantasy, children, animals, the changing seasons and the country way of life. The Cahoon Museum also features a choice collection of 19th- and early 20th-century American marine paintings, landscapes, still lifes and portraits by esteemed artists.

• Heritage Museum and Gardens - Heritage Museums and Gardens is situated in Sandwich, the oldest town on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The Museum preserves a permanent collection of American art, history, industry and horticulture. Once the former Charles O. Dexter estate, the 76 acres of gently rolling hills is home to a magnificent horticultural labyrinth with thousands of rhododendrons and now includes 125 of the known 145 Dexter cultivars. For information, visit: info@heritagemuseums.org.

• Cape Cod Children's Museum - The Cape Cod Children's Museum - located in nearby Mashpee - is a place where families can learn and play together. Familes can explore the hands-on exhibits, a pirate ship, an indoor planetarium, a puppet theater, toddler play area, gift shop and daily programs. Make new friends and learn about their many programs while your children are free to explore, touch and discover. Color Me Mine and the Museum invite you to help create a new tile wall that will become a permanent part of their future home.

• Cape Museum of Fine Art - The Cape Museum of Fine Arts was founded in 1981 to focus on the prominent artists of Cape Cod and preserve their work on the Cape. Experience the beauty in exhibits in 7 galleries, stroll and relax in the delightful sculpture garden, treat the kids to special summer classes, or catch a movie in the Screening Room. The Cape continues to beckon and inspire fine artists with its brilliant light, its enhanced colors, its scenes of simple natural beauty, and its people.

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Cape Cod Biking

• National Seashore Bike Trails - The Cape Cod National Seashore maintains three bicycle trails ranging from 1.6 to 7.3 miles long. Roller-skating, skateboarding, and the use of motorized vehicles, including mopeds, on these paved trails are prohibited. Bicycles may be rented within the towns. The Province Lands Bike Trail is a five-mile loop, offering hilly trail winds among beech and oak forests, sand dunes and freshwater ponds. Head of the Meadow Bike Trail is a level trail that skirts the edge of a freshwater marsh and provides glimpses of the marsh and dunes - two miles each way. Nauset Bike Trail connects Salt Pond with Coast Guard Beach, and leads through pine and oak forest with vistas of Nauset Marsh along the way - 1 1/2 miles each way.

• Nauset Bike Trail - The Nauset Bike Trail starts at the National Seashore Visitor Center and only two and one quarter miles later ends at Coast Guard Beach. Magnificent vistas of the salt marsh and the great Atlantic Ocean are not to be missed. This trail is wheelchair accessible, and can be shortened by starting at the Doane Rock picnic area.

• The Cape Cod Rail Trail - The Cape Cod Rail Trail ("the Bike Path") is a twenty-four mile path that starts on Route 134 in Dennis and ends at Lucuont Hollow in Wellfleet, having traveled the entire length of Eastham. A level, state maintained trail on an old railroad bed, the trail follows the old Penn Central Railway tracks. Today the tracks are gone, but the convenience to all of Eastham is easily accessible. Just off the path side trips offer ocean beaches and fishing piers, country stores and quaint villages; parks, picnic areas, places to lodge and places to dine. This trail passes through pine and oaks, occasionally skirting a pond or marsh. Ride through woodlands, past sparkling lakes, mysterious kettle ponds and expansive salt marshes. You can park near Nickerson State Park in Brewster or at LeCount Hollow Road in Wellfleet.

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