{{Short description|Beach in Massachusetts, United States}} [[File:Marconi-beach-cape-cod.jpg|thumb|Marconi Beach]]
'''Marconi Beach''' is part of the [[Cape Cod National Seashore]] in [[Wellfleet, Massachusetts|Wellfleet]], [[Massachusetts]]. The beach is named for Italian inventor [[Guglielmo Marconi]]. In 1903, the first transatlantic wireless communication originating in the [[United States]] was successfully transmitted from nearby [[Marconi Wireless Station Site (South Wellfleet, Massachusetts)|Marconi Station]]; a message from U.S. President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] to [[King Edward VII]] of the [[United Kingdom]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=April 6, 2017 |title=Marconi and the South Wellfleet Wireless - Cape Cod National Seashore (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/caco/learn/historyculture/marconi.htm |access-date=December 5, 2023 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}}</ref> The beach was also used by the former [[Camp Wellfleet]] for artillery and rocket testing.
There is a broad, sweeping view of the [[Atlantic Ocean]] and [[Cape Cod Bay]] from the overlook atop the steep sand cliff above the beach. The [[National Park Service]] has built a display on-site that describes the history of [[wireless telegraphy]], though parts have been removed due to [[coastal erosion|beach erosion]]. During the summer season, restrooms and outdoor showers are available to beachgoers, along with on-site parking and access from the nearby bike trail via a two-lane road. Admission is charged for vehicles and pedestrians at the rate for all Cape Cod National Seashore beaches.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/feesandreservations.htm| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061012070335/http://www.nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/feesandreservations.htm| archive-date = 2006-10-12| title = Plan Your Visit - Fees & Reservations (U.S. National Park Service)}} </ref>
Marconi Beach is popular among locals and tourists for [[surfing]] and [[boogie boarding]]. It is one of five Cape Cod national seashore beaches that are on the ocean side of the Cape, generally providing a better surf than beaches on the bay side. Low tide exposes a fairly flat stretch of beach, making it also popular for [[skimboarding]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.parkvel.com/blog/marconi-beach/|title=Marconi Beach|publisher=Lisa Johnson|date=20 December 2016|access-date=1 September 2017}}</ref>
[[Grey seal|Grey seals]] can often be seen in the waters at Marconi, frequently confounding the efforts of surfcasters to land the [[bluefish]] and [[striped bass]] cruising beyond the breakers during the summer and fall.<ref name=":0" />
At nighttime, the park is [[Bortle Scale|Bortle Scale Class 3]], making it a popular stargazing site for those in Eastern Massachusetts.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sites.harvard.edu/stahr/resources/guide/ |title=Dark Sky Trip Guide |publisher=Student Astronomers at Harvard-Radcliffe |access-date=13 November 2023}}</ref>
==References== <references />
==External links== {{Commons category|Marconi Beach}} *[https://www.nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/marconi-beach.htm The National Park Service Web page for Marconi Beach]
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[[Category:Beaches of Massachusetts]] [[Category:Cape Cod National Seashore]] [[Category:Landforms of Barnstable County, Massachusetts]] [[Category:Tourist attractions in Barnstable County, Massachusetts]] [[Category:Wellfleet, Massachusetts]]