Chatham's busiest family beach, a wide sweep of sand on Nantucket Sound with two full parking lots, a bathhouse, and three lifeguard stands. Food trucks set up in the lots most summer days, and a Mobi-Mat carries beach wheelchairs and strollers down to the water.
What to expect
Parking
Free lot $30/day, $90/week, $190/season (2026 non-resident visitor rate); free with resident/taxpayer beach sticker
Swimming
Allowed water tested by the state
Hours
Dawn to dusk generally; lots open 1hr before sunrise, close 10pm; fee/gatehouse staffed 9am-5pm in season.
Accessible
Wheelchair access noted
Lifeguard
On duty 9am-4:30pm daily, in season (roughly late June-Labor Day)
Dogs
No dogs May 1-September 15; leashed (6ft max) permitted rest of year; owners must remove waste.
Managed by
Chatham Recreation & Beaches Division
(508) 945-5175 · WebsiteGetting in
Parking
Free lot
Cost$30/day, $90/week, $190/season (2026 non-resident visitor rate); free with resident/taxpayer beach stickerStickerChatham resident/taxpayer beach sticker or non-resident visitor pass
Hardings Beach Road main lot (gatehouse)
Access points along this beach
Main lot gatehouse
Staffed in season
Mobi-Mat beach access
Runs from the parking area to the shoreline
What's here
Facilities
Restrooms
Bathhouse near the main lot
Common questions
Is Hardings in Chatham open today?
Open, no advisory on record in the latest MA DPH posting (updated 2026-07-16). MA DPH is the authority. Check the status the morning you go.
Is Hardings Beach wheelchair accessible?
A Mobi-Mat runs from the parking lot to the sand and the bathhouse has accessible restrooms, but the bathhouse building itself isn't suitable for unassisted wheelchair use; call the Recreation Division ahead if that's a concern.
After Labor Day and before the fee season starts (third Friday in June), the lots are free; active and retired US military with ID park free year-round.
Are there restrooms at Hardings?
Public restrooms are listed near the beach. Seasonal hours are common, so they may be closed off-season.
What rules should I know at Hardings?
No dogs May 1-Sep 15; leash required rest of year.
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