Also known as the Gay Head Cliffs, these clay cliffs, overlooking a 5-mile-long beach, were formed by glaciers 100 million years ago. Rising 150ft from the ocean, they're dramatic any time of day but are at their very best in the late afternoon, when they glow in the most amazing array of colors. The beach area directly below the cliffs is off-limits.
The clay cliffs are a National Historic Landmark owned by the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head. To protect them from erosion, it's illegal to bathe in the mud pools that form at the bottom of the cliffs, to climb the cliffs, or to remove clay from the area.