Cape Cod Rail Trail

Swim, walk, and picnic along cycling routes    

Bike trail scene of Classic Cape Cod sand, water, and sky

Classic Cape Cod sand, water, and sky 

Photograph TrailLink user mybikeymio2, courtesy Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Before bridges built in the 1930s paved the way for car traffic and visitors choking routes to Cape Cod, the coastal retreat was reachable only by stagecoach, boat, or train. Rail lines arrived in the mid 1800s, ultimately linking passengers and freight from Boston to Provincetown. That extensive service has ended, but the Cape Cod Rail Trail (CCRT) follows portions of those scenic journeys, with plenty of spots to veer off to beaches, nature preserves, and historic villages.

The relatively flat, 25.5-mile route runs between Yarmouth and South Wellfleet. From the western end, ride 2.5 miles, partly through woods and over the Bass River Bridge, into South Dennis, and then on to charming Harwich. Stop for food and drinks, or for a walk in the William & Barbara Hacker Wildlife Sanctuary. A short pedal on the connecting Old Colony Rail Trail (which ends in Chatham) leads to the lovely Cape Cod Lavender Farm: stroll its paths or shop for fragrant herb-infused soaps and sachets. Once back on the CCRT, meander north to spectacular Nickerson State Park, in Brewster. Hike among scrub pines and kettle ponds, bike a shady eight-mile trail—or just hang out and swim at the beach. From there, Orleans offers restaurants and shops, or continue on to Eastham and explore Salt Pond Bay and Cape Cod National Seashore via the tranquil Nauset Bike Trail (about three miles out to the shore and back). Eastham is 6.5 miles from the CCRT’s end, amid many more miles of soothing sandy stretches in Wellfleet.

Read more articles by Nell Porter-Brown
Related topics

You might also like

What Does the $2.8B NCAA Settlement Mean for Harvard?

Athlete-payment case will change little for Ivy League athletes.

The Woman Who Rode Horses Into the Water

Scrapbooking a woman who rode horses into the sea

Filmmaker John Armstrong’s Adventure Documentaries

Filmmaker John Armstrong’s “outdoor adventures” find the human spirit.

Most popular

How MAGA Went Mainstream at Harvard

Trump, TikTok, and the pandemic are reshaping Gen Z politics.

Five Questions with Peter R. Girguis

A Harvard professor of evolutionary biology on what lurks in the deep sea  

A Harvard Constitutional Scholar on Star Wars and the Supreme Court

The Harvard Law professor and constitutional scholar on what Star Wars can tell us about today’s Supreme Court

Explore More From Current Issue

Book cover of "Black Moses" by Caleb Gayle with subtitle about ambition and the fight for a Black state.

Civil Rights in the American West

A new book chronicles one man’s quest for a Black state.

Room filled with furniture made from tightly rolled newspaper sheets.

A Paper House in Massachusetts

The 1920s Rockport cottage reflects resourceful ingenuity.

Two women in traditional kimonos, one lighting a cigarette, in a scene from Apart from You.

Harvard Film Archive Spotlights Japanese Director Mikio Naruse

A retrospective of the filmmaker’s works, from Floating Clouds to Flowing