Eastham beach passes: town beaches and federal beaches
An Eastham address does not tell you which beach permit to buy. Start with the beach’s managing authority and your eligibility category.
Town bayside beaches and ponds use Eastham’s rules. Coast Guard and Nauset Light are National Seashore destinations. The distinction matters most when someone offers you a town sticker or your accommodation describes “beach access” without naming the permit and lot.
| Your situation | Start here | Do not assume |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor heading to a town beach or pond | Eastham beach and sticker information | That every town lot sells the same daily option. |
| Visitor heading to Coast Guard or Nauset Light | NPS entrance fees and pass eligibility | That a town visitor permit substitutes for federal admission. |
| Taxpayer or another special eligibility category | Current town eligibility terms and the particular beach’s rule | That visitor restrictions describe every taxpayer privilege. |
| Travel outside the summer period | Current seasonal notice and posted lot rules | That the old summer permit page proves a fee is due—or waived—today. |
Pay attention to the year printed on a sticker
Eastham’s published information describes fiscal-year stickers running July 1–June 30, with the new 2026 sticker required from July 1, 2026. A sticker’s printed year and the dates you can use it are not necessarily a calendar-year match. Eastham beach and sticker information.
The four daily-pass locations
For the 2026 season, the town lists $30 vehicle day passes at Campground Beach, Cooks Brook Beach, First Encounter Beach and Wiley Park. Payment is cash or check, and day passes are sold at those locations rather than the sticker office. Other town locations require a valid beach sticker. The published requirement period is June 20–September 7, 2026. Eastham 2026 daily-pass locations and rules.
The same town page explicitly excludes town day passes and visitor beach stickers from National Seashore ocean beaches. That is a visitor rule; it should not be expanded into an unverified statement about every taxpayer privilege.
Before you buy or borrow a permit
- Name the beach and exact lot.
- Describe your category accurately: short-stay visitor, renter, resident, taxpayer or another defined category.
- Check the vehicle and documentation requirements. Do not assume a permit can be transferred from an accommodation owner’s vehicle.
- Read the current date and eligibility terms rather than an undated summary.
Visitor sticker prices
| Visitor option | 2026 base price | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Three days | $75 | Dates entered on the visitor application. |
| One week / seven days | $125 | Dates entered on the visitor application. |
| Seasonal | $350 | Form states July 1–June 30 validity; this does not mean year-round fee collection. |
The visitor application lists these options for town bay beaches and ponds. It states a 3.99% credit-card fee with a $1.50 minimum and a $0.50 eCheck fee. The form also allows processing time for remote purchases, so do not treat an online application as an instantly usable pass. Eastham 2026 visitor application, updated February 26.
At the four day-pass locations, three $30 visits cost $90 before any comparison with a sticker. A $75 three-day sticker may suit that pattern, subject to its dates and purchase charges. If you want a town location where day passes are not accepted, the sticker’s coverage matters before the price calculation.
The taxpayer Seashore exception
Eastham’s eligibility rules describe a separate Seashore sticker for eligible residents/taxpayers and their legal dependents. It covers parking at Nauset Light and Coast Guard in Eastham only—not the other federal beaches or town bay beaches and ponds. Beneficiaries are excluded from this sticker. Eastham eligibility rules, amended June 1, 2026.
The 2026 taxpayer form lists that Seashore sticker as free but says it must be selected rather than being automatically included. It also lists the first and second ordinary taxpayer beach stickers at $30 each. These are different products with different coverage. Documentation and eligibility remain essential. Eastham 2026 taxpayer application.
For Coast Guard, permit validity is only half the decision: the parking and shuttle arrangement determines where most summer visitors arrive. Work out both before setting your navigation destination.