Three Sisters Lighthouses
An unusual trio of 15-foot lighthouses built to warn ships.
Guide Sections
Use Three Sisters Lighthouses's guide sections to understand how this stop fits into the larger park plan.
Three Sisters Lighthouses Details
Difficulty
Low
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N/A
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This unusual trio of 15-foot lighthouses was built to warn ships about the dangerous sandbars off Nauset Beach in the 1830s: at the time there was a single light in North Truro and a double light at Chatham, so the decision was made to built a triple light in Eastham. The original "Three Sisters of Nauset" -- thought to resemble fine ladies wearing white dresses and black hats -- were replaced by 22-foot wooden structures in the 1890s. Eventually, two and finally all three lighthouses were abandoned, and a pair were used for years as private residences before the National Park Service acquired the Three Sisters and opened them to the public. Erosion has caused the lighthouses to be moved hundreds of yards inland from their original location, but they still stand 150 feet apart as they did when first constructed. A trail through pitch-pine forest at the Nauset Light Visitor's Center in Eastham will lead you to the Three Sisters. All three have been restored, but only the center tower still has its light.
