Lighthouse Beach

Managed by The Swim Guide - Massachusetts

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Lighthouse Beach, Chatham's largest, is located on the Atlantic Ocean side of Chatham. The water is much cooler than other Chatham beaches, but its long-stretching sands make it a great place to visit. Parking is restricted to 30 minutes so it's best to arrive by bike, foot, or shuttle bus. The lighthouse makes this beach a very popular destination. The beach is lacking in amenities--there are no washrooms, lifeguards, or food--but it makes up for it with its beautiful views.

Photo by: Mr. Nixter

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COVID-19

Keep your distance from other people.

Practicing social distancing is still essential. Only go to the beach if you are able to keep 6 feet or 2 meters away from others. Follow the instructions provided by your local health authorities. If your community has asked that you remain indoors and away from others, do so. Spending a day in any crowded place is the worst thing we can do for our most vulnerable right now and will counter our efforts to curb the virus’s spread.

Water Quality

Passed water quality tests at least 95% of the time
Historical Status
This status is based on the latest sample, taken on July 26th, 2022. The Swim Guide - Massachusetts updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on July 29th, 2022 at 12:36 PM.

For water quality icon legend, click:

Current Weather

23°C

Clear and sunny

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Monitoring Frequency

Source Information

The Chatham County Department of Health and the Environment, and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation collect water quality samples weekly from May through September. Samples are taken on Monday, and the results are posted by Wednesday.

The water at marine beaches is tested for the presence of Enterococci, a group of bacterial species typically found in human and animal intestines and are therefore present in sewage. Enterococci is also referred to as indicator organisms. Indicator organisms are used to predict the presence of pathogenic, or disease-causing, organisms associated with fecal contamination.

Swim Guide checks for the latest information daily, Monday - Friday during the swimming season (May through September).

A beach is marked Green when less than 104 units of Enterococci / 100 ml of water is present in a single sample, or when the geometric mean of 5 samples contains less than 35 units / 100ml of water.

A beach is marked Red when more than 104 units of Enterococci / 100 ml of water is present in a single sample, or when the geometric mean of 5 samples contains more than 35 units / 100ml of water.

A beach is marked Grey when there is no current or reliable monitoring information available.

Water Quality Graph