Straight as a ruler, the Bass Hole Boardwalk off Centre Street from Route 6A in Yarmouthport, is the prime feature at this small, almost too mellow beach. When you’re not gaping at the scenery, which was once an 18th-century shipyard, check out the fiddler crabs, horseshoe crabs, small fish, great blue herons, and other critters that now ply these waters....
In 1961, newly elected President John F. Kennedy, Senator Leverett Saltonstall, and Representative Hastings Keith championed a bill to turn more than 43,000 acres into the Cape Cod National Seashore (CCNS), protected forever from further development. (About 600 private homes remain within the park.) Today, more than 5 million people visit the CCNS annually, situated between Eastham and Provincetown. The excellent...
Chapin Memorial Beach in West Dennis is a local favorite for sunsets. At low tide, you can walk a mile before you hit water. That’s what also makes this a favorite clamming spot. High tide brings striped bass and anglers. Barnacle-studded rocks deposited by the sea make foot protection a must. This beach is also popular with four-wheelers.
The same rip currents that have caused more than 3,000 shipwrecks since they began recording them in 1626 (and that now attract surfers) convinced the captain of the Mayflower to proceed from Coast Guard Beach in Eastham to safer waters in Provincetown Harbor in 1620, before moving on to the famous landing in Plymouth. For a dramatic reminder of how...
You can feel the rest of the world fall away as you drive along the old, winding roads that lead to the parking lot at Corn Hill Beach in Truro. Nose your car into the beach plums and rosa rugosa in the parking lot and head for the long, narrow beach. Watch boats moving through the harbor as you wade...
You can walk for miles on Craigville Beach, a Nantucket Sound beach in Centerville (Barnstable), and not have to watch your feet too carefully, since rocks and seaweed are scarce here. Paddle around in in the gentle, foamy swells and watch the sun melt across the sky, dealing out fabulous sunrises and sunsets along the way. It’s popular with families...
Head of the Meadow Beach (and Bike Trail) in North Truro is a lovely stretch of beach where people come here for play and peace. The wreck of the good ship Frances (often visible at low tide) shares the waters with seals and occasional distant whales. This beach has a combination of fine waves for boogie boarders and body surfers, and a...
Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown is rockier than Race Point, but that only adds to its beauty. Just make sure you have beach and/or shoes of some kind and you’ll be fine. Plus, the notoriety about its rocks keeps those who require unbroken sand away, leaving more space for you to roll out your beach blanket and, BINGO! you’ve found...
Primo Chatham beaches include Lighthouse Beach and South Beach, below the lighthouse on Shore Road and on the Atlantic Ocean. Parking is limited to 30 minutes, but you can bicycle or walk to the lane off Morris Island Road just beyond the lighthouse; a sign points the way to South Beach. It’s a bit of a walk, but try parking on...
Marconi Beach in Wellfleet stretches, unbroken in both directions, for as far as the eye can see. Atop the towering sandy cliff that runs the length of the beach, the delicate landscape holds rare broom crowberry and waves of poverty grass. Climb the platform above the Marconi station for an even longer view. Marconi jump-started the era of instant electronic obsolescence...
Some of the best surfing on the East Coast happens at Nauset Beach in Eastham, and the body surfing isn’t bad either, if you can take the chilly water. Near the parking lot, the beach fills up quickly. Bring a packed cooler, walk past the life-guarded area and take your pick from 7 miles of elbow room and quiet, albeit...
Drenched by the sun or the moon, Nauset Light Beach in Eastham is one of the finest — with pounding surf, dunes fashioned by the sea into soaring cliffs, and miles of sandy beach. The waves can come in cold and hard and the undertow can yank you right off your feet, so meander with care at the water’s edge —...
Old Silver Beach in f is a delightful oddity among New England beaches in that the sand is white(ish) and free of stones. The water is clear, blue, and arguably ever-so-slightly warmer than most. A sandbar that seems to go on forever and a scattering of sweet tidal pools await exploration. On the nicest days, you will be cheek-by-jowel with...
If Province Lands National Seashore in Provincetown is your first stop to get to know the Cape, you’ve chosen well. If you already are familiar with the Cape, a stop here will deepen your appreciation of the natural variety that fills this stunning ecosystem. But first things first: Climb atop the observation deck for a 360-degree view of the outermost...
Race Point Beach in Provincetown with dunes, breezes, soft sand, gentle waves, elbow room, seals, sunsets … did I miss anything? Oh yeah, access from bike paths (which allows you to dodge the parking fee), lifeguards, showers, restrooms, no concessions (which likely explains the lack of litter) … and did I mention those sunsets? In spring, with binoculars, you might see...
A lovely walk at low tide, a sweet swim at high tide. The pebbly Sandwich Town Neck Beach is a great spot to watch the boat traffic pass through the Cape Cod Canal, explore the dunes, and watch ebb and flow of birds and tidepool critters. Follow the inner beach and meet up with the ocean. It’s off Town Neck...
At Sandy Neck Beach and Salt Marsh (on the Sandwich–Barnstable town lines), your footsteps mingle with those of horses, deer, birds, toads, crabs, turtles…and if you veer onto an off-road vehicle trail, add in some Jeep tracks. With 4,700 acres of dunes, forests, and marshes, and a 6-mile-long barrier beach, there’s room for everyone on this serene, sandy stretch. A...
Scargo Hill in Dennis is the highest point on the Cape, at 160 feet above sea level, and offers views of much of the Cape, the village of Dennis, and Scargo Lake. A trip to the top of the 30-foot cobblestone tower takes you even higher. The tower was erected in 1901 in honor of the Tobey family. Expect plenty...
The 423-acre South Cape Beach State Park in Mashpee boasts barrier beaches, dunes, a salt marsh, woodland, kettle ponds, nature trails, boardwalks, and a mile-long white-sand beach. Check out the interpretive programs during summer months. Boardwalks and handicap ramp to the beach enhance accessibility. The park is located at the end of Great Neck Road (from the rotary at Rte...
As much a park as it is a beach, Veteran’s Beach is great for kids, with its playground, picnic tables, shady groves of trees, and shallow water lapping a sandy beach. Lots of boats from the Hyannis Yacht Club keep things interesting next door. Facilities include restrooms, showers, snack bar, and in-season lifeguard. Other Hyannis beaches, just so you know...