No way down: Marconi Beach stairs in Wellfleet closed during monthlong rebuild

You won't be able to take the stairs down to Marconi Beach in South Wellfleet until just before Memorial Day.

The Cape Cod National Seashore is replacing the beach access staircase, a project slated to run from April 30 through May 23.

During the stair replacement project, the gate to Marconi Beach Road will be closed. The roughly 1.4-mile road runs from just off Route 6 to the beach parking lot. Access to the nearby Marconi Station site overlook and Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail will remain open to vehicles.

Marconi Beach is still reachable by foot along the backshore, but it would be a considerable walk. The nearest beach access points with parking lots for such a journey would be Maguire Landing at Lecount Hollow in Wellfleet and Nauset Light Beach in North Eastham.

Either access point would require a more than two-mile, one-way walk to reach Marconi Beach. And the walk from Nauset Light Beach can be particularly tricky around high tide, when the ocean can reach the backing sand cliff.

Marconi Beach is popular with visitors who enjoy the natural setting and sometimes significant surf conditions. The water temperature tends to be colder than Cape beaches on Nantucket Sound and Cape Cod Bay.

The large parking lot holds roughly 500 spaces, which can be helpful for folks looking to gain beach access during the busy summer season. Restrooms and a bathhouse are open during the warmer months.

Eric Williams, when not solving Curious Cape Cod mysteries, writes about a variety of ways to enjoy the Cape, the weather, wildlife and other subjects. Contact him at ewilliams@capecodonline.com. Follow him on X: @capecast.

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