Nauset Light, 120 Nauset Light Beach Rd, Eastham, MA 02642, US

Cape Cod is famous for its historic lighthouses, and perhaps none are more recognizable than Nauset Light in Eastham. Built in 1877 and moved to its present location in 1923, it's now open to the public for free tours from May to October. Retired by the Coast Guard, the lighthouse is now managed by a local nonprofit, is still a beacon to mariners at sea, and is a favorite subject of photographers and artists everywhere.Parking and public transportation at Nauset LightThe lighthouse and its namesake beach are often lumped together in the same trip. Any visit to the lighthouse means parking in the beach's lot, and if it's a summer day or late spring / early fall weekend or holiday, Cape Cod National Seashore fees may apply. If you arrive after 4:30 or so, you should be fine.Best and worst time to go to Nauset LightIf you want a tour of the lighthouse, those are limited to Sundays and some Wednesdays between May and October. July often brings crowds and plenty of insects, particularly green heads and "no-see-ums." Early fall offers plenty of natural beauty, but photographers also love the winter months, particularly after snowfalls and during "nor'easters."Admission to Nauset LightTours of Nauset Light, provided by the Nauset Light Preservation Society, are free, but parking is only available in the Nauset Light Beach lot. Cape Cod National Seashore fees may apply if the tour is held on a summer day in the early afternoon. Must see/do at Nauset LightBring your camera. It's not every day that you visit a lighthouse, and an iconic lighthouse at that. Whether it's the alternating red and white beams outdoors, or the spiraling staircase indoors, you'll want to have those photographs and video clips to show all your friends. The photo possibilities are endless.Other places to visit near Nauset LightTo see what occupied the lighthouse's place on the bluff prior to 1923, head about 100 yards west on Cable Road, where you'll find the Three Sisters Lighthouses, tucked away in a small park. For a different beach experience, head back to Route 6, turn right at the Eastham Windmill, and down Samoset Road to Cape Cod Bay, where you'll find First Encounter Beach, the site of the first meeting between Pilgrims and Indians. Back on Route 6, the Cape Cod Gift Barn offers a unique gift shop, along with pizza and mini-golf.Inside tip for visitors to Nauset LightEvery time you enjoy Cape Cod Potato Chips, you're taking in a view of Nauset Light -- that's the iconic beacon on the bag. The lighthouse was also not always in this location -- back in 1996, a massive project was launched to move it and the light keeper's house a few hundred feet away from the eroding bluffs. Evidence of its former home can still be spotted in the sand on the beach during low tide.Don Wilding has been a lifestyle, arts and entertainment, and sports writer and editor for newspapers on Cape Cod and in southeastern Massachusetts for 30 years, and a public speaker on Cape Cod subjects for 15 years. He is a co-founder of the nonprofit Henry Beston Society of Cape Cod.

Nauset Lighthouse & Preservation Society

Nauset Lighthouse