Three Sisters Lighthouses

The Three Sisters are three small, decommissioned lighthouses together in a wooded clearing on Cable Road in Eastham. This is a brief, history-forward visit: follow the short paths around the trio and read the interpretive kiosk. The towers are inland now, so expect a preserved lighthouse site rather than a working beacon by the sea. Parking close to the towers is limited; some visitors use a wooded connection from the larger Nauset Light parking area. Follow current signs, and check the park activity guide if you want a tour or access inside.

Stand at one end to see all three towers line up. The curved path and open clearing give them scale, while the trees frame the view. Nearby Nauset Light makes a natural second stop, but it is a separate, active lighthouse.

In 1836, Eastham residents petitioned for lights because they feared for loved ones at sea. Congress set aside $10,000, and Winslow Lewis won the building contract for $6,549. The original masonry towers were only 15 feet tall. From offshore, their white forms and dark lanterns looked like women in white dresses and black hats, which gave them their enduring name.

As the Cape shoreline shifted toward the lights, the Lighthouse Board ordered wooden replacements 30 feet inland; the old masonry towers were left to fall into the Atlantic. In 1911, the center tower was moved and attached to a keeper’s house. Its fourth-order Fresnel lens revolved on ball bearings and flashed three times every ten seconds. The other two towers were sold at auction to Helen M. Cummings for $3.50.

In 1920 the two auctioned towers were moved to Cable Road, joined by a room, and used as a summer cottage and dance studio. The National Park Service acquired that pair in 1965 and bought the center tower in 1975, bringing all three back together. After restoration in the 1980s, the site opened for public tours in 1989. Seasonal ranger and volunteer tours have been offered; check the current activity guide for dates and access.