Herring Cove Beach
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Best nude beach!!! But you have to walk a good 20 mins to the left. Enter the Herring Cove parking lot, go left then all the way to the end. Then go left once on the beach. Where shoes or flip flops. Once you turn the corner you'll see people up ahead. It's a good walk. There is also access from the street where everyone parks their bike. If you don't like the gay vibe then do not go, there are plenty of other beaches.
Best nude beach in the country. Worth the 20 walk to the left of the Herring Cove parking lot entrance. Come relax or party. Brain food and drinks and take your trash off the beach. Leave with no tan lines. Beautiful. 99% gay so it that bothers you stay home.
A nice free area in the fall to stroll and enjoy a sunset. We bought our beach chairs and sat in the sand to enjoy it. Highly recommend
All the beaches in this area are pretty, that is not new to say. You have to pay to park here, a lot (25 dollars) but it does allow you to park at other beaches so use it to explore the area is my suggestion. Although you can't walk between the beaches (not quickly anyway!)
Great sunset views, strong surf but swimable waters. Bike trails from Ptown or the free beach shuttle bus can save on parking fees. Disappointed to see though that the concession stand previously run by Farlands isn't open in 2025 -- used to be one of the only beach food places on the outer Cape.
When temperatures approached 100℉ for four days in late June, my husband and I escaped to the Cape for a respite. Herring Cove Beach is where we spent our beach time. It was surprisingly uncrowded – to such a degree that the de facto clothing-optional section began about a five-minute walk from the leftmost beach entrance. In past years, nudity was not seen until the “no pets beyond this point” signs, which is a ten-minute walk from the entrance. When walking between the car and our spot on the beach, my husband wore a baggie swimsuit (a pouch with a drawstring cinched around his genitals) and I wore nothing. After we set up on the beach, he matched my look. The C/O section featured more naked people than people wearing swimsuits. Most nudes were single men. There were a few m/f couples, some m/m couples, occasionally an f/f couple, and even a single woman. Men in swimsuits wore square cuts, speedos, and in one case a thong. Women’s swimsuits were cheeky or smaller. Two women with their male companions were topless and in thongs. There were no ATV tracks on the beach nor was there any other sign of Park Rangers (besides the one at the gate collecting the $25 entrance fee and checking season passes ($80). As a result, the C/O section of the beach was really laid-back. We casually walked the beach and acknowledged the non-verbal (and sometimes verbal) compliments that our hard bodies elicited. We even felt secure enough to fully experience the pleasures of close body contact within view of others. There were two lifeguards on the beach in front of the pavilion, but we dared not walk in that area, as the beach was crowded with people in conservative swimwear. Each day upon leaving the beach and returning to our car, we drove up close to the pavilion to use the facilities. The snack bar was not yet open for the season, and so there were few or no people loitering around the picnic tables and outdoor showers. My husband’s teeny but legal swimsuit and my lack of same drew some stares, but we heard no negative comments. We gave a thumbs-up to a topless woman we passed with her boyfriend. Conditions could change when the snack bar opens, presumably by July 4, although the lack of Park Rangers may persist due to funding constraints on the National Park system. But at least during the early season, those of us who enjoy being naked at the beach were able to take refuge from the high heat on a beautiful beach where we were not alone but had plenty of space to ourselves.
Lovely beach! Since it’s a national park, it’s got great amenities, shaded patio, flush toilets, outdoor shower and changing rooms. The water is so clear! You can get there using the free shuttle the departs by MacMillan pier.
You'll have no regrets walking out to Boys Beach once you enter Herring Cove Beach southern entrance. Walk left about 15-20 mins, you'll see the people at Boys up ahead once you round the corner. It is mostly gay but there are straight couples and single woman also. Bring a back pack w food and drinks (and take your trash off the beach w you).
I have loved this beach for years but the entrance that most quickly takes you to the gay beach area used to have a sandy pathway taking you down roughly 5 feet to the path to the beach, and that walkway entrance has dramatically eroded, making entry at that point a difficult (even hazardous) proposition. Wish someone would fix it!
My wife and I tried a different beach each day of our Summer vacation at the tip of the Cape. Herring Cove in Provincetown was the clear winner. Not only was the beach excellent, but the facilities were top notch - snack shack with real (and delicious food) run by Far Land on the Beach, as well as proper bathroom. Runner up to Marconi in Wellfleet - amazing dunes!
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Last updated on 3 August 2026