During most of the 19th century, the lighthouses along the Outer Cape were distinguished by the number of lights displayed. Highland Light in the north in present-day Truro had one light, Chatham in the south had two lighthouses, and three lights were displayed at Nauset Beach mid-way between the other two.
The original lighthouses of 1838 were fifteen-foot high masonry structures. However, as the bluff below the lighthouses was quickly eroded, three twenty-two-foot high moveable wooden towers were built further back from the top of the bluff. Seven-foot tall lanterns were added on top. In 1911, the center tower light was attached to the keeper's house and converted to a rotating beacon that flashes three times every ten seconds. The other two towers were stored for a while before being sold at auction and converted into a rental cottage in the 1920s. The center lighthouse was retired in 1923 when the north lighthouse at Chatham was moved to Nauset Beach. Like its sisters, the center tower was also sold and turned into a cottage. The National Park Service purchased the north and south towers in 1965 and the center tower in 1975. The towers were moved to the present site on Cable Road sometime after all were purchased. They were renovated during the 1980s before being opened to the public in 1989. The towers were not open during our October 2021 visit, but I don't know if that was a seasonal closure or a more lengthy closure due to the pandemic.
Parking for the Three Sisters is located on Cable Road in Eastham about 900 feet west of its eastern terminus at Ocean View Drive. The gravel parking area has space for a half-dozen or more standard vehicles. A bike trail is located along the south side of the parking area, paralleling the road. A short walk west along the bike trail leads to the southernmost lighthouse. Another paved path leads to the center tower, but there is not a discernable path across the lawn to the north tower. Parallel parking for one handicap placarded vehicle may be available on Cable Road just west of the gravel parking lot.
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| The paved path leads from the parking lot west to the lighthouses |
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| A couple of picnic tables are onsite |
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| A bit of deferred maintenance |
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| Southernmost lighthouse |
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| The middle lighthouse still has its lantern |
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| Looking north at the Three Sisters |
Cape Cod National Seashore beach entrance fees are collected daily from late June through Labor Day, and on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day to the middle of September at select beaches. The six national seashore beaches where fees are collected are Coast Guard and Nauset Light in Eastham, Marconi in Wellfleet, Head of the Meadow in Truro, and Race Point and Herring Cove in Provincetown.
When an entry fee is collected, a fee of $25 per vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, or $15 per person is valid for the same day at Cape Cod National Seashore. Other fee payment options include the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes including the Annual Pass ($80), Senior Pass ($80 for a lifetime), Access Pass (free with a documented disability), and Military Annual Pass (free for active-duty personnel). Also available is a Cape Cod National Seashore Annual Pass for $60.
The Cape Cod National Seashore website is https://www.nps.gov/caco/index.htm.
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