Race Point Beach, Massachusetts
Here in the far northern reaches of the Cape Cod peninsula stands an inviting expanse of rolling dunes and wide Atlantic beaches that have changed little since the early 1600s when the Mayflower dropped anchor in nearby Provincetown Harbor. Despite the flood of tourists who flock to the Cape from May through September, remote Race Point Beach — part of the federally managed Cape Cod National Seashore — remains surprisingly free of crowds, even at the height of the busy summer season.
Race Point lies about 2 miles due north of Provincetown near the tiny Provincetown Municipal Airport, where the east-west orientation of the shoreline makes this one of the few spots in North America where it's possible to see the sun rise and set over the ocean. On the way to the beach, stop at the Province Lands Visitor Center, perched atop a high dune about midway along the road that links Route 6 to the beach, for a 360-degree panoramic view of Provincetown and the Upper Cape.
Beach parking is available at the end of Race Point Road, with a fee collected from late June through early November. Lifeguards patrol the area during the summer months, but if you enter the water at this exposed stretch of coastline, beware of potentially hazardous surf and longshore currents.
Information at the NPS web site or at 508-487-1256
Watch Beach Videos
Take the Beach IQ Test
