Right Beaches › Cape Cod › Barnstable
Dowses Beach
4.6★ · 277 Google ratings · Barnstable, Massachusetts
✓ Parking✓ Short walk✓ Restrooms
At a glance
Parking
270 ft away · paid
Walk
110 ft · under a minute
Restrooms
Yes
Cost
Paid parking
Water
74°F · modelled, no buoy nearby
Tide
3 ft range today
Length
2.8 miles of shoreline
Water quality
Mixed · 7% of 15 over the limit · 2025
Map of Dowses Beach
Guide
Good to know
Excellent for family photos and sunsets
The calm bay waters, soft sand, and scenic setting create ideal conditions for portraits, especially during golden hour.
Visit off-season for peaceful exploring
April through October offers calm crowds, accessible parking without a sticker, and good wildlife viewing including egrets and osprey nests.
Residents only, visit after 4pm
Summer daytime parking requires a Barnstable resident sticker, but non-residents can enjoy the beach after lifeguards depart around 4pm.
Arrive early for summer parking
The lot fills by 10:30am on busy summer days, even though resident stickers are required.
Wear water shoes for shell protection
The beach has abundant shells and some sharp edges that can cut feet, so water shoes are recommended.
Conditions
How it is right now
Air
69°F · overcast
Water
74°F · modelled, no buoy nearby
Waves
1.5 ft · 5 s apart
Wind
3 mph from the W
Shelter
Offshore · wind blowing off the land
UV index
6 peak today
| Time | Tide | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 06:20 | High tide | ↑ |
| 11:41 | Low tide | ↓ |
| 18:29 | High tide | ↑ |
Last updated Sep 4, 3:42 AM.
Practical
Plan your visit
📍 Barnstable, MA
🅿 Parking 270 ft from the listing, Public Parking for Dowses Beach
🌊 Water 110 ft away, under a minute walk
Nearby
Other beaches close by
550 yd away
0.8 miles away
1.0 miles away
1.7 miles away
1.9 miles away
3.4 miles away
Find another
Not the right one?
Find another beach that works for today.
Where are you starting from?
More options
What matters today?
Contribute
Been here recently?
Help other visitors with fresh information about Dowses Beach. Everything below is optional except the last box.
Questions
Common questions
Where do you park at Dowses Beach?
The nearest mapped parking area is 270 ft from the listed location. Positions come from OpenStreetMap, not from review text.
How far is the walk to the water at Dowses Beach?
110 ft in a straight line from the listing to the mapped shoreline, under a minute. Soft sand and dune make the real walk longer than the straight line.
Does Dowses Beach have restrooms?
No restrooms are mapped within 600 m on OpenStreetMap. That means nobody has mapped any, which is not the same as there being none.
Measured from OpenStreetMap, public aerial imagery and live conditions data, and counted from visitor reviews. Every source, in full.
