Marconi Beach at Cape Cod National Seashore
See the Beaches at Cape Cod web page for an interactive location map.
Marconi Beach is located in near the southern end of Cape Cod National Seashore in Wellfleet. Like all beaches in the park, there is an access fee during the summer season: daily from late June through Labor day, and on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day through the end of September. Prices vary depending on how you arrive. At the time of this writing, fees range from $25/day for vehicle parking to $15 for those arriving on foot or bike (16 and older). You can get an annual Cape Cod National Seashore pass for $60, or an annual National Park Pass for $80. Both are valid for access to National Park Service-managed beaches at Cape Cod, while the National Park Pass will also get you into any other National Park that charges an entrance fee. Keep in mind that neither of these passes is good for entry into town-managed beaches, even those within the National Seashore boundary. For the latest prices, visit the National Park Service’s official Fees and Passes web page.
Lifeguards are on duty from late June through Labor Day weekend on a designated stretch of beach, and certain restrictions apply in this area. For example, no pets, flotation devices, glass containers, or surfing is allowed, though I don’t know if these rules are enforced since I saw plenty of surfing and floatation devices. The only other amenities are a bathhouse, restroom, and outdoor rinse-off showers. You must bring with you everything that you’ll need for a day at the beach: food, drinks, chairs, umbrellas, etc.
Bathhouse and showers at Cape Cod National Seashore’s Marconi Beach
Marconi Beach has its own massive parking lot—around 500 spaces—and a Ranger told me that he has never seen it fill up. If you must park at the far end, you have quite a hike ahead of you, but there is a pick up / drop off area near the beach access point where you can unload your gear and any passengers. If you are staying in the Eastham or Wellfleet areas of Cape Cod and don’t want to hassle with catching a shuttle to Coast Guard Beach or trying to find a spot at the much smaller parking lot at Nauset Light Beach, Marconi Beach is the place to come.
Seeing that the parking lot never fills up, it should come as no surprise that the crowd density at Marconi Beach is more than satisfactory—you’re not alone, but you still have plenty of room to move around. When I visited in late July, other than Head of the Meadow Beach, this had the smallest crowd of the six National Park Service-managed beaches at Cape Cod National Seashore. In general, the crowds grow smaller and smaller as you head north, at least until you get to Provincetown.
Summer crowd at Marconi Beach, Cape Cod National Seashore
Another reason why the crowds are smaller is because the parking lot at Marconi Beach is located on a bluff high above the Atlantic Ocean and visitors must descend down a tall staircase to reach the sand. This eliminates handicapped and elderly beachgoers, and perhaps those with baby strollers and so much gear that they need a cart to tote it all. If you must avoid a staircase, Coast Guard Beach and Nauset Light Beach are your options at the southern end of the park (considering National Park Service-managed beaches only). If you are in Provincetown, both Race Point and Herring Cove beaches have ground-level ramps (as does Head of the Meadow Beach in North Truro). Coast Guard and Herring Cove also have beach wheelchairs available free of charge on a first come, first served basis.
Staircase to Marconi Beach, Cape Cod National Seashore
View of Cape Cod National Seashore’s Marconi Beach from the staircase
If you read my comments on the main Beaches web page here on National Park Planner, you know that I am no fan of the beaches at Cape Cod National Seashore when it comes to the practicality of swimming. Yes, they may be beautiful, but the water is damn cold (60°F on the day I visited in early August) and the small rock and pebble situation creates sheer misery for those with baby-soft feet like me. However, on a 2021 visit to Marconi Beach I found the sand to be largely rock free. Even back in 2015, the sand where everyone sets up camp was very nice, but there were plenty of rocks where the waves hit the shore, and they extended into the water as well. Perhaps on my recent trip I arrived at high tide, and the rocks along the shore were not exposed, but who knows. To be on the safe side, bring a pair of mesh water shoes with you unless you are used to walking on gravel.
Rocks and pebbles at Cape Cod National Seashore’s Marconi Beach in 2015
Rock-free sand at Cape Cod National Seashore’s Marconi Beach in 2021
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Last updated on February 28, 2024
