Begin with the November facilities check
Cape Cod National Seashore’s conditions page listed Coast Guard and Nauset Light beaches open on November 6, 2026. At both, restrooms and showers were closed and seasonal fee collection had ended. Coast Guard’s shuttle was also closed for the season. Plan an arrival at the beach you choose, with toilet needs settled beforehand.
Coast Guard: use the beach parking approach
Follow Nauset Road to Doane Road for Coast Guard Beach in Eastham. The park’s beach page describes direct parking without its summer restrictions from September to late May. That makes the beach lot the November starting point; the Little Creek shuttle arrangement described for summer does not supply a November ride.
NPS describes a wheelchair-accessible ramp to the beach. That identifies a feature to ask about, not the condition of the entire journey from a particular parking space onto sand. The beach page does not publish the ramp approach’s measured length. If distance, slope or a continuous firm surface is essential, have park staff describe the current route before choosing this arrival.
Nauset Light: check the downhill path and vehicle length
Nauset Light’s approach is on Ocean View Drive at Cable Road. The beach page describes a short downhill path from parking, and the May 2026 visitor guide specifies an 11 percent grade for beach access. The return requires climbing that slope. Neither source supplies a measured length for that short approach; the grade is the useful published comparison.
The compendium prohibits vehicles over 20 feet year-round in the Nauset Light parking lot and its driveway, defined from the Ocean View Drive–Cable Road intersection to the fee booth. It also closes the lot’s eastern face to pedestrians and vehicles because of erosion; stay behind the maintained barrier.
Make the choice before committing to the walk
A party that needs to avoid Nauset Light’s published slope can investigate Coast Guard’s ramp first. A party arriving in a vehicle longer than 20 feet must rule out the restricted Nauset Light lot and driveway. Neither comparison establishes a suitable route for every visitor, and this guide does not designate an alternative oversized-vehicle parking space.
Both beach parking lots are closed from midnight to 6 a.m. under the compendium. Weather or other temporary closures can further restrict roads and trails. Recheck NPS conditions and obey gates and barriers on arrival.
For a daytime restroom stop, NPS lists the Salt Pond Visitor Center parking-area restrooms as open year-round, with the visitor center ordinarily open 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Confirm a holiday or essential access arrangement with the park at 508-255-3421. If facilities or the beach approach do not work for the party, change the outing before leaving the car.
