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:: Walking Trails on Cape Cod

What better way to experience the natural beauty of Cape Cod but to take some time out and go on a walk. There are walking trails in every town on the Cape. Pictured right, Uncle Tim's Bridge in Wellfleet features a beautiful boardwalk over the marsh.

Below are trails for the Lower Cape, Mid Cape and Upper Cape.

:: Lower Cape, Chatham

• Seaside Trail. Sights: harbor, salt marsh, dunes, salt-water inlets. Round trip: 2 miles. Access off Route 28 and Harding's Beach Rd. $
• 500 Acres Conservation Lands. Sights: marshes, wetlands, meadows. Four distinct areas of walking trails. Details at Information Booth on Main St.

:: Lower Cape, Harwich

• Bell's Neck Conservation Area. Sights: 245-acres of marshland, tidal creeks, trails, herring run, pond. Intersects with Cape Cod Rail Trail. Access Bell's Neck Rd or.North Road from Route 28 in West Harwich.
• Thompsons Field. 93-acre preserve, rich with spring wildflowers. Access south of Rt. 39 near Chatham Rd.

:: Lower Cape, Brewster

• Cape Cod Museum Of Natural History. Sights: Three trails exploring uplands, salt marshes and beech tree groves, including a Bay beach and Wing's Island. Round trip: 1/4 mile-1.3 miles. Access from Museum Parking Lot, Route 6A.
• Punkhorn Parklands. Sights: 800-acres of conservation land with 45 miles of trails along marshes, kettle ponds and woods. Access from Run Hill Rd. off Stoneybrook Rd.
• Nickerson State Park. Sights: Almost 2,000 acres of paved and dirt trails through woods and along 8 freshwater kettle ponds. Swim, fish & picnic. Motor boat & canoe launch. Access from Route 6A.
• Spruce Hill Conservation Area. Sights: Old carriage road leading to 600-feet of private, sandy beach on Cape Cod Bay. Round trip: 30 minutes. Access behind Brewster Historical Society Museum on Route 6A.

:: Lower Cape, Orleans

• Paw Wah Point Conservation Area. Sights: short trail leading to small beach with picnic area. Access from Namequoit Rd. off Rt. 28.

:: Lower Cape, Eastham

(Part Of Cape Cod National Seashore)

• Fort Hill Trail. Sights: Edward Penniman House, Red Maple Swamp boardwalk, views of marsh and open Atlantic. Round trip: 1.5 miles. Access off Route 6.
• Button Bush Trail. Wooded trail specially designed with guide ropes and braille markers for the blind or visually impaired. Round trip: .25 miles. Access from Salt Pond Visitors Center, Route 6.
• Nauset Marsh Trail. Sights: salt ponds, estuary, marsh, upland woods. Round trip: 1 mile. Access from Salt Pond Visitors Center, Rt. 6.

:: Lower Cape, Wellfleet

• Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. Sights: 3 trails among 1,000 acres of pine, moors, freshwater ponds, tidal creeks, salt marsh. A boardwalk leads to Cape Cod Bay. Total: 5 miles. $$ Access from Rt. 6.
• Great Island Trail. Sights: Soft, sandy trail leading to Jeremy Point, once an island, but now connected by sandbars to the mainland. Point covered at high tide, so plan carefully. Round trip: 8 miles. Part of Cape Cod National Seashore. Access off Chequessett Neck Rd.
• Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail. Sights: white cedar, high bush blueberry in August and other flora, navigable via a boardwalk. Round trip 1.25 mile. Part of Cape Cod National Seashore, Marconi Area, off Rt. 6.
• Uncle Tim's Bridge. Sights: wooden footbridge crosses Duck Creek and marshland leading to short trails circling the island. Access from East Commercial St.
• Griffin Island. Sights: short trail to Griffin Island, now connected to mainland by sandbars. Access at end of Chequessett Neck Rd.

:: Lower Cape, Truro

• Pilgrim Heights Area. Sights: two, short walks along salt meadows, a blueberry farm, dunes, with views of Atlantic. Pilgrim Spring Trail leads to the spot where the Pilgrims reportedly tasted their first New England Water. Round trip: 3/4 mile per trail. Part of Cape Cod National Seashore, off Route 6, N. Truro.
• Cranberry Bog Trail. Sights: Half-mile trail, partly over a boardwalk, around an old cranberry bog. Access North Pamet Rd.

:: Lower Cape, Provincetown

• Beech Forest Trial. Sights: forest of beech trees, freshwater pond, sand dunes. Total: about 1 mile. Access from Race point Rd. in the Province Lands (see biking trails) off Rt. 6
• Breakwater. Sights: a jetty doubles as a wide footpath to secluded Long Point Beach. Wood End Lighthouse (1872) is to the north. Access from western end of Commercial St. and Bradford St. Ext.
• Hatches Harbor. Sights: Walk about 10 minutes toward Race Point Light to the harbor entrance and stroll along a dike backing the salt marsh and tidal estuary. Access from Herring Cove Beach at the end of Route 6.

:: Mid Cape, Barnstable Area

• Sandy Neck Great Salt Marsh Conservation Area. Sights: Pine Grove, 4,000-acre salt marsh (East Coast's largest), low blueberry bushes and 50- to 100-feet dunes. Round Trip: 9 miles. Access from beach parking lot, Sandy Neck Rd. $$
• West Barnstable Conservation Area. Sights: wooded trails. Access from Popple Bottom Rd. off Rt. 149. Osterville. Sights: wooded trails and a wetland walkway. Few picnic spots. Access from Route 28 near East Bay Road.

:: Mid Cape, Yarmouth

• Botanical Trails of the Historical Society of Old Yarmouth. Sights: 60 acres of pines, oaks and a pond. Round trip: 1.5 miles. Access next to the post off Route 6A, Yarmouthport.
• Bray Farm. Sights: Working farm with short walking trails and views of a tidal marsh. Access off Rt. 6A near Dennis town line.
• Callery-Darling. Sights: trails featuring a boardwalk extending across the salt marsh. Distance: 2.4 miles. Access: Homers Dock Rd to Center Street, north of Route 6A, Yarmouthport.
• Dennis Pond. Sights: 1,300-foot trail winding through woodland with a side trail closer to the shoreline. Access from Willlow Street in Yarmouthport.
• Horse Pond. Sights: Several trails which skirt the shore of Horse Pond. Access Higgins Crowell Rd., W. Yarmouth.
• Meadowbrook Road. Sights: a raised boardwalk meandering through a cedar swamp and along the shore of Swan Lake. Access from end of Meadowbrook Rd., W. Yarmouth.

:: Mid Cape, Dennis

• Indian Lands Conservation Area. Sights: Wooded walk following the banks of the upper Bass River. Round-trip: 2 miles. Access from the northern end of Town Hall parking lot, Main St.
• Crowes Pasture. Sights: an old country roads lead out to the pasture fronting the bay where you can see a variety of birds, possibly seals. Access off South Street and the end of Quivet Cemetery, E. Dennis.
• Fresh Pond Conservation Area. Sights: 87-acres with four trails of various lengths and a spectacular pond. Access of Rt. 134.

:: Upper Cape, Sandwich

• Mill Creek. Sights: boardwalk leading to marshland and tidal inlets. Access off Town Neck Rd. by Sandwich Harbor. Sandy Neck Conservation Area. A 1,332-acre spit of barrier beach, dunes and a salt marsh on Cape Cod Bay. Access off Route 6A, near the Sandwich-Barnstable line.
• The Old Briar Patch. Sights: Imagine your on an adventure with Peter Rabbit and friends when you explore this swampy area of tall white pines. A perfect tribute to children's author Thornton W. Burgess. Round trip: 2 miles. Access: Route 6A to Chipman to Crowell to Gully Lane.
• Green Briar Nature Center & Jam Kitchen. Sights: 57 acres of interpretive nature tails and lovely wildflower gardens adjacent to the famous Briar patch and along Smiling Pond. Access; Discovery Rd. off Route 6A, E. Sandwich.
• Shawme Crowell State Forest. Sights: 742 acres for walking, bicycling and camping. Access Rt.130.
• Scusset Beach Reservation. Sights: 450-acres for biking picnicking and walking adjacent to Cape Cod Bay.
• Talbot's Point Salt Marsh Wildlife Reservation. Sights: red pine and beech and one of the largest salt-marsh areas on Cape. Round trip: 1.5 miles. Access from Old Colony Rd., off Rt. 6A.
• Heritage Museums & Gardens. 76-acre estate, featuring rhododendrons, including the famous Dexter variety, holly bushes, heathers, hostas, daylilies. Other attractions include an antique & vintage car museum, seasonal concert series, military and art museums. Trolley transports. $$. Access Pine and Grove Streets.

:: Upper Cape, Falmouth/Mashpee

• Bourne Farm. Sights: Historic, restored, working farm with 34 acres of fields, trails, woodlands and fruit orchards overlooking Crocker's Pond. Access West Falmouth Highway (Route 28A).
• The Knob. Sights: Hiking trails wind through 13 acres of protected bird sanctuary--magnificent views of Buzzards Bay. Access at Quissett Harbor, Quissett Rd.
• Ashumet Holly and Wildlife Sanctuary. Sights: Eight self-guided nature walks featuring a spectacular show of holly, more than 130 bird species. Run by Massachusetts Audubon Society. $$. Access 286 Ashumet Rd., off Rt. 151, E. Falmouth.
• Frances Crane Wildlife Management. Sights: 1,600 acres of open space and woodlands for walking, mountain biking, bird watching and horseback riding. Access Route 151, N. Falmouth.
• Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Sights: Over 2,500 acres of open water, barrier beaches, marshlands and uplands, including Washburn Island and South Cape Beach State park. Access from Route 151, North Falmouth.
• Beebe Woods. Sights: 387 acres of marked trails for walking, cross country skiing, birdwatching and mountain biking. Access Depot Road, Falmouth
• South Cape Beach State Park. Sights: 432-acre park on Vineyard Sound with 2-mile long barrier beach, nature trails. Access Great Neck Rd. to Oak Ridge Rd, Mashpee.
• Lowell Holly Reservation. Sights: 130-acre reservation around Wakeby and Mashpee ponds with more than 500 holly trees and impressive show of beech trees, white pine, rhododendrons & wildflowers. Small bathing beach, picnic area. Round trip: 2 miles. Access from Sandwich Rd. off Route 130. $$.
• Mashpee River Woodlands. Sights: Hiking trails through a forest and along Mashpee River, marshes and cranberry bogs. Total 8 miles. Access: Quinnaquisett Ave or at end of River Road off Great Neck Rd, S. Mashpee.
• Wakeby Holly Sanctuary and Recreation Area. Sights: High holly trees and formerly productive cranberry bonds. Nature Center and beach on Wakeby Pond. Round trip 2.1 miles. Access from Cotuit Rd. off Route 130. $$