How to Get to North Beach Island & Monomoy, Chatham
Ask any Chatham local where to spend a perfect beach day and you’ll hear the same answer: the outer beach. North Beach Island is the barrier beach that separates Chatham Harbor from the open Atlantic β it’s the reason the water here is what it is, and it’s one of the few genuinely wild beaches left on the Cape. Together with the sands around the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, it’s the Cape at its most undeveloped: miles of open Atlantic beach, no crowds, no parking lots, water on both sides.
There are no snack bars. No bathrooms. No lifeguards, no boardwalk. That’s the entire point β and it’s why you can’t drive there. Here’s how to do it right.
Why the outer beach is worth it
Chatham’s barrier beaches sit between the harbor and the open Atlantic. Because they’re reachable only by boat, they never get the towel-to-towel crowds of the drive-up beaches. What you get instead: room to spread out, sandbars and warm tidal pools for kids, surfcasting without an audience, seals cruising the break, and some of the best shelling on Cape Cod. It feels like your own private island β because for the day, it basically is.
How to get to North Beach Island
North Beach Island is an island. There’s no bridge and no road β the only way on is by boat.
Our boat-to-beach shuttle runs all day from Outermost Harbor Marine at 83 Seagull Road. It’s a short ride across the harbor, we drop you on the beach, and we come back for you at the time you chose. Round trip is Adults $35, Children $30.
No boat license, no navigating the ever-shifting Chatham bars (leave that to captains who run them every day), no dragging coolers down a long access trail β the boat brings you basically to your towel. You pick a departure time and a pickup time when you book, park at the marina, and go. Parking is steps from the boat β always guaranteed. No offsite parking shuttles or worrying about finding parking.
Be at the pickup spot at the time you chose. We’re running other trips behind yours, and the beach is big enough that finding a wandering group isn’t quick.
What to bring β and what you’ll regret forgetting
Because there’s nothing out there, whatever you don’t bring, you do without.
Non-negotiable:
- Water. More than you think. There’s no source on the island.
- Sunscreen, and then more sunscreen. No shade, and the sand and water reflect everything back at you.
- A hat and sunglasses.
Strongly recommended:
- A beach umbrella or pop-up shade. The single biggest comfort difference, especially with little ones.
- Food. Nothing is sold on the island.
- A trash bag. Carry-in, carry-out β this is protected shoreline and nobody cleans up out there.
- A dry bag or ziplock for phones and keys. You’re stepping off a boat.
- Sturdy footwear for hot sand and a light layer for the boat ride home.
Leave at home: anything you’d be upset to get wet or sandy, and glass.
Know the tide
The beach changes shape dramatically between high and low tide. At low water you get enormous flats to walk and shallow pools that warm quickly β kid heaven. At high water the usable beach narrows a lot.
Set your things well above the high-water line. You can usually spot it by the wrack line of seaweed and shell; people who set up too low spend the afternoon moving their chairs. If you’re hoping to explore the sandbars and tidal pools, check the Chatham tide chart and plan around low tide.
Morning drop-offs get the calmest water and the coolest sand. Afternoon pickups let you stay through the best of the day.
Safety notes from our captains
This is the open Atlantic, not a protected bay. None of this should scare you off β thousands of people have a perfect day out there every summer β but go in with your eyes open.
- The surf and currents are real. There are no lifeguards. Rip currents form along the outer beach; if you get pulled, swim parallel to shore rather than against it. With kids, stay on the harbor side or in the shallows.
- Seals mean sharks. Great whites feed on the seal population along this stretch of coast. Follow posted guidance, stay out of the water near seals, and don’t swim at dawn or dusk. Locals take this seriously and so should you.
- Give the seals space on the sand and in the water. They’re protected, and it’s their beach too.
- Watch your group β kids and strong swimmers alike.
- Keep an eye on your pickup time and be at the drop point a few minutes early. The bars shift, and our captains time the runs around them.
Make a full day of it
Plenty of families pair the two: take the narrated seal cruise in the morning, then get dropped on North Beach for the afternoon. The boats leave from the same dock, and the combo is Adults $60, Children $55 β less than booking them separately, and about as complete a Cape Cod day as we can imagine.
Booking the beach shuttle
Reserve your shuttle times online for instant confirmation. Summer days fill up, especially weekends and holidays. If the weather turns unsafe we’ll cancel and refund in full.
Questions, big groups, or want us to add seats to a run? Call the marina at (508) 945-2030 β we can often add extra trips on busy days.
Quick answers
Can you drive to North Beach Island in Chatham? No β the outer barrier beach is reachable only by boat. The shuttle from Outermost Harbor Marine is the easy way over.
How much is the Chatham beach shuttle? Round trip is $35 for adults and $30 for children. The seal cruise and beach combo is $60 for adults and $55 for children.
Are there bathrooms or food on the outer beach? No facilities β pack in everything you need and pack out your trash.
How long is the boat ride? Just minutes β the marina sits right inside Chatham Harbor, closer to the outer beach than any parking lot.
Is it good for kids? Wonderful β especially the harbor-side shallows and low-tide pools. Bring shade and water, and keep them out of the surf on the ocean side.
Are there sharks at North Beach? Great white sharks feed on the seals along Chatham’s outer coast. Follow posted guidance, stay out of the water near seals, and avoid swimming at dawn or dusk.