Located in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Nauset Beach is a beach. The nearest town is Eastham, about 2.7 km (1.7 mi) away (Nauset Beach lies ENE of town).
Nauset Beach is a public beach on the east coast of outer Cape Cod in Orleans, Massachusetts, which extends south from a point opposite Nauset Bay to the mouth of Chatham Harbor. It is popular with swimmers, surfers, boogie boarders and fishermen. It, at times, offers some of the highest waves on Cape Cod. Furthermore, it is an excellent spot to view a sunrise. Facilities include restrooms, showers, snack bar, off-road vehicle trails (permit required), a bike rack and a picnic area. Surfing is permitted in the non-protected beach areas from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The beach is also available for off-road vehicles with the proper permit. There is striped bass and bluefish fishing. Nauset Beach has seen increases in erosion due to sea level rise and very intense winter storms. Its iconic seaside clam shack, Liam's, was demolished after the beach next to the clam shack was destroyed by...From the Wikipedia article “Nauset Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Nauset Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:44 AM | 90° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:06 AM | 57° ENE | 8:19 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 13m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:28 AM | 89° E | 6:39 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:05 AM | 122° ESE | 4:13 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 08m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Beaches facing east suit sunrise and west-facing beaches suit sunset; wet sand mirrors the sky color during golden hour.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:35 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:49 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 28m |
| February | 6:08 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:16 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:31 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 4:49 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 33m |
| June | 4:31 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:47 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:51 PM | 15h 12m |
| July | 4:45 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 56m |
| August | 5:19 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 5:53 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:22 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:28 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:00 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:12 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:50 PM | 9h 50m |
| December | 6:30 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:46 AM | 3:26 PM | 4:10 PM | 4:42 PM | 9h 09m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Nauset Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:09 AM – 5:09 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:11 AM – 4:11 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:19 AM – 3:19 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:28 PM – 2:48 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:18 PM – 1:28 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:28 PM – 11:28 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:26 PM – 9:26 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.17 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 56% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (76%). August is the warmest month and February the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 55 | 55 | 52 | 56 | 61 | 69 | 73 | 74 | 73 | 68 | 66 | 61 |
| Low °F | 8 | 11 | 17 | 33 | 40 | 48 | 56 | 60 | 55 | 43 | 27 | 20 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 5.5 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this beach
- Time visits around low tide to reveal tide pools, sea stacks and reflective sand — check the tide widget below.
- Slow shutter speeds (0.5–2 s) turn receding waves into streaks that lead toward the horizon.
- Watch for sneaker waves; never turn your back on the ocean on exposed coasts.
- Salt spray coats lenses quickly; wipe often and rinse gear afterward.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Winter storms bring dramatic surf on Pacific coasts; summer and autumn sunsets are popular on Atlantic and Gulf beaches.
Suggested gear: Tripod, ND filters, Rain cover, Lens cloths. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Pleasant Bay, 12.1 km (7.5 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Nauset Beach, closest first.
Beach
Rock Formation
Beach
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseBeachBeachBeachCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Le Count Beach House9.4 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
- Sunrise House9.7 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
- Ocean View House9.8 km (6.1 mi) · reservable
- Bay View House16.8 km (10.4 mi) · reservable
- Highland Beach Suites, Unit 325 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Nauset Beach?
What time is golden hour at Nauset Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Nauset Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Nauset Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Nauset Beach?
How far is Nauset Beach from Eastham?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.