Cape Cod Lighthouse Tour
Cape Cod is full of lighthouses! A popular activity for many guests is to drive around in
search of these lighthouses. Below are pictures and directions to some of the most
popular ones I have visited. The lighthouses are listed starting in Hyannis and moving
toward Provincetown in order so you can follow along in your car. I have a GPS POI file
that shows the location and driving directions to all of the lighthouses in Massachusetts
and on Cape Cod. Feel free to email me if you would like a copy.
Copyright C. Dean 2008; Updated 2015
Point Gammon Light and Bishops & Clerks Light on Great Island:
You can see this one right from our beach. Facing
the ocean, look left toward the tip of Great Island. In
operation from 1816 to 1858, this lighthouse was
constructed out of local fieldstone. It sits on private
land with no public access, so it is best viewed from
our beach or from a boat. The Bishops & Clerks
Lighthouse replaced Point Gammon and is on a
platform in the water. It can be seen on the right in
this picture.
Hyannis Lighthouse:
This one is located right on our beach! The original lighthouse at
South Hyannis (or Hyannis Harbor) was a shack with a lamp and
reflector borrowed from Point Gammon. Given that Hyannis
Harbor was a busy harbor in the 19th century, the government
established a lighthouse—a small, white tower—at the harbor
entrance in 1849. A keeper’s house was constructed in 1850.
Directions: Go to our beach and walk to the right. When you
reach the rock jetty just before Sea Street Beach, the lighthouse
will be behind you. The rock jetty was a busy wharf in the 1800s
and the lighthouse was used from 1849 until 1929.
Copyright C. Dean 2008; Updated 2015
Hyannisport Lighthouse:
Directions: Go to our beach. Walk to the right past Sea Street Beach heading toward
the Kennedy Compound. The Hyannisport Lighthouse will be on the right. It is actually
a replica of Nantucket’s Brant Point Lighthouse.
Lewis Bay Lighthouse:
Located at the entrance to inner Hyannis Harbor. It is privately owned but you can
easily see it from the docks at Hyannis Harbor. For a better view, go over to the other
side of the harbor (near Spanky’s Restaurant).
Copyright C. Dean 2008; Updated 2015
Bass River Lighthouse:
Located at the mouth of the Bass River in West Dennis (what is
now the Lighthouse Inn). This lighthouse was in operation from
1850 until 1914.
Directions: From Route 28 in West Dennis, turn South on
School Street. You will see a sign for the Lighthouse Inn on
School Street. Turn right on Lighthouse Road. Keep following
the signs to Lighthouse Inn Road.
Stage Harbor Light:
Stage Harbor Light (also known as Harding Beach Light),
built in 1880, is the youngest of the Cape Cod Light
Stations. Chatham is the entrance to Stage Harbor, which
was vital to fishing and commercial boating traffic at the
time. The light was installed to complement the light at
Chatham, which is one of the foggiest points on the East
Coast. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1933.
Directions: From Dennis and Harwich—travel east on
Route 28 toward West Chatham. Turn south on Barn Hill
Road. Bear right onto Harding’s Beach Road. There is
ample parking in the Harding’s Beach parking lot. PLEASE
NOTE: This lighthouse is on private property and is not open to the public. The light
can be closely viewed from Harding’s Beach.
Copyright C. Dean 2008; Updated 2015
Chatham Light:
This is the site of the second lighthouse ever built on Cape Cod. This lighthouse, built
in 1881, replaced the original one and is still in operation today. The lighthouse is an
active U.S. Coast Guard station and is not typically open to the public. They do,
however, hold an open house once a week from May through October. Call (508) 430-
0628 for dates and times of open houses. Look for seals and great white sharks near
the sandbar on the beach across from the lighthouse!
Directions: From Route 28, bear southwest at the Chatham rotary to Main Street. At
the end of Main Street, turn right onto Shore Road. There is a parking lot in front of the
lighthouse and keepers’ house. The lighthouse can be clearly viewed from the parking
lot. Also, look across the sandbar and you may see seals resting on the beach!
Monomoy Light:
This lighthouse was built to help mariners navigate around
Monomoy Point, nine miles south of Chatham. It replaced
the original lighthouse of 1823 and was in operation
between 1849 and 1923. Difficulty navigating the shoals
of Monomoy convinced the Pilgrims to settle in
Massachusetts, rather than continue on to Virginia. This
lighthouse is best accessed by boat. The grounds are
administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For
more information, please visit the USFWS website.
Copyright C. Dean 2008; Updated 2015
Three Sisters Lighthouses:
The Three Sisters are located in Eastham near
Nauset Beach. A lighthouse station was
established at Nauset Beach in 1837, 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.
This site marked the only station in the U.S.
designated by three towers. The last of the
three towers was in operation until 1923 and
later all three were moved to their present
location by the National Park Service. The
lighthouse grounds are open year-round as part
of the Cape Cod National Seashore. According to the NPS website, there are ranger-
led tours of the lights.
Directions: Take Route 6 East to Eastham. Turn right onto Nauset Road. Follow the
signs to Nauset Lighthouse. They are on the left side of the road and easy to miss with
a small roadside parking area. There is a large parking area adjacent to the lighthouse
and a walkway down the cliff to Nauset Beach (You will actually pass the Three Sisters
on the way to the parking lot). There is a parking fee before 4:30 pm in the summer and
the lot may be full during the day due to summer beach access. The Three Sisters
Lighthouses are a short walk from Nauset Light. The base of one of the old towers is
visible at Nauset Beach during winter months.
Nauset Lighthouse:
Located at Nauset Beach in Eastham, this lighthouse was originally built in 1887 in
Chatham and moved here in 1923 to replace the Three Sisters Lights. It remains in
operation. This is the one on the Cape Cod Potato Chips bags!
Copyright C. Dean 2008; Updated 2015
Directions: The lighthouse grounds are open year-round as part of the Cape Cod
National Seashore. According to the NPS website, there are ranger-led tours of the
lights. Take Route 6 East to Eastham, and turn right (east) on
Nauset road. Follow the signs to Nauset lighthouse. There is a large parking area
adjacent to the lighthouse, and a walkway down the cliff to Nauset Beach. (You will
actually pass the Three Sisters on the way to the parking lot.) There is a parking fee
before 4:30PM in the summer, and the lot may be full during the day in the summer due
to the beach access.
Highland Light:
Located in Truro, the original lighthouse was
authorized by George Washington in 1796. That
year, the government purchased ten acres of
land for the lighthouse from Isaac Small of Truro
for $110. The lighthouse was completed in 1797.
The original lighthouse was replaced by the
existing one in 1857. It remains in operation.
Directions: From the south, take Route 6 East
and turn right (east) onto Highland Road. Look
for the large sign saying "Highland (Cape Cod)
Light." Follow the signs to the lighthouse. The
lighthouse is easily accessible by car. There is a parking lot in front of the lighthouse. A
path behind the lighthouse leads you to an overlook of the cliff below. The lighthouse
grounds are open year-round. The light is open for tours May-October. For more
information, visit the Truro Historical Society website.
Race Point:
Located amongst the dunes in Provincetown.
it is approximately 2.5 miles from the heart of
Provincetown, at the northwestern tip of the
Cape. Due to the large number of shipwrecks
in the area, Race Point Light was constructed
in 1816 - the first of the three lighthouses in
Provincetown (followed by Long Point and
Wood End). The light is available for
overnight stays, and is periodically open for
tours. The grounds are open year-round, but may be subject to closure, as the
surrounding area is a nesting ground for the endangered Piping Plover.
Copyright C. Dean 2008; Updated 2015
Directions: Take Route 6 East toward Provincetown. Turn north on Race Point Road,
continue past the Province Lands Visitor Center, and follow race Point Road to the end.
There is a parking lot near the ranger station. Old Harbor Life Saving Museum is near
the parking lot. Be prepared for a difficult walk. The lighthouse is a two-mile hike over
sand. The route also passes along the edge of protected wildlife areas. Alternatively,
four-wheel drive vehicles (with a permit) can traverse the area. The light can be
observed from a distance from the Pilgrim's Monument in Provincetown or Herring Cove
Beach (at the end of State Route 6).
Sandy Neck Lighthouse:
Located in Barnstable Harbor, you can have
a great view of this lighthouse if you go on
the Whale Watching Tour Boat from here.
Barnstable Harbor was an important port for
fishing and trade in the early 1800's. The
first Sandy Neck (or Beach Point)
Lighthouse was constructed in 1827 - a
lantern on the roof of the keepers house.
The first keeper was Joseph Nickerson. In
1857, the old lighthouse was replaced by a
brick tower (painted white). A new keeper's
house was built in 1880. The lighthouse was
decommissioned in 1952. The lighthouse is
privately owned and is best viewed from the
Whale Watch Boat. You can see it across the harbor from the beach parking lot.
Wings Neck, Nobska Point, Wood End, Long Point Lighthouses:
I haven’t visited them yet but will add details here when I do so!
Copyright C. Dean 2008; Updated 2015
