Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Cape Cod’s natural beauty is on display all year so don’t wait until the warmer months to visit! Winter months are perfect for experiencing the Cape’s beautiful forests, pristine beaches and historic landmarks without summer tourists. So layer up and hit trails!
Where is the Best Hiking in Cape Cod?
Cape Cod National Seashore
From Whalewalk Inn take a short drive to Cape Cod National Seashore. Created by John F. Kennedy in the early 1960s because of his love for its beauty, visitors can walk or bike the trails that wind through 44,600 acres of preserved beaches, waterways, cranberry bogs and forests located on the outer Cape.
Be on the look-out for these highlights along the trail: In Eastham the Coast Guard and Nauset Light beaches, Nauset and Three Sisters Lighthouses off Route 6, in Truro the Highland Lighthouse at the Light and Highland House and in Provincetown the Old Harbor Life-Saving Station.
National Seashore Trails:
Fort Hill Trail (Eastham)
Red Maple Swamp Trail (Eastham)
Buttonbush Trail (Eastham)
Doane Loop Trail (Eastham)
Nauset Marsh Trail (Eastham)
Atlantic White Cedar Swamp (Wellfleet)
Great Island Trail (Wellfleet)
Pamet Area Trails- Bearberry Hill Overlook (Truro)
Small Swamp Trail (Truro)
Pilgrim Spring Trail (Truro)
Beech Forest Trail (Provincetown)
Cape Cod Rail Trail
The Cape Cod Rail Trail follows a former railroad right-of-way for 22 miles through the towns of Dennis, Harwich, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham and Wellfleet. Its paved surface, few hills, and well-marked crossings make it a great trail for walking and biking. The trail even has a wide shoulder for horseback riding.
Rail Trail offers the most diverse scenery and opportunities to catch some of the area’s beautiful beaches and ponds – and all the plants and animals that inhabit them. There are areas for picnic and pit stops along the trail. Parking is available for a fee at the S. Dennis trailhead.
Free parking at the following locations:
Trailhead at Route 134 in South Dennis
Headwaters Drive in Harwich
Underpass Road, off Route 137 in Brewster
Nickerson State Park in Brewster
Route 137 at Route 28 in Chatham
Winifred Road off Old Queen Road in Chatham
Orleans Center at Old Colony Way in Orleans
Cape Cod National Seashore at the Salt Pond Visitors Center in Eastham
National Seashore at Marconi Area in Wellfleet
Trailhead at LeCount Hollow Road in South Wellfleet
Head of the Meadow Beach parking lot in Truro
High Head Road in Truro
National Seashore’s Province Lands Visitor Center in Provincetown
For information on the Cape Cod National Seashore Trails and Cape Cod Rail Trail, stop by a visitor center. Salt Pond Visitor Center is located at 50 Doane Road in Eastham near the Nauset Marsh and Buttonbush trails and the Nauset Bicycle Trail. Salt Pond Visitor Center is open daily from 9 A.M. – 4:30 P.M. For more information call 508-255-3421. The Province Lands Visitor Center on Race Point Road in Provincetown is open daily Memorial Day through the end of October from 9 A.M. – 5 P.M. Parking lots are open all year from. Call 508-487-1256 for more information. Most beach accesses charge a small fee.
For more information on where is the Best Hiking? Visit http://hikingcapecod.com/.