Always Wear A Helmet

The 25-mile Cape Cod Rail Trail wends its way down a corridor that was long used to ship cranberries aboard the Old Colony Railroad.  Today, the trail is a placid retreat that takes you through the interior of the Cape from South Wellfleet to Dennis, or vice versa.  Starting in South Wellfleet, the trail is bordered on both sides by wildflowers, flowering dogwoods and small maples; keep your eyes open for nesting red-winged blackbirds and bright-yellow goldfinches.  The salty air is a constant reminder that the Cape Cod National Seashore and its 40-mile stretch of pounding Atlantic surf is nearby.  At the Salt Pond Visitors Center, you can veer two miles off the trail and lounge on the dunes of Coast Guard Beach.  Rock Harbor offers a good photo opportunity for a quintessential New England shot of fishing boats bobbing in a harbor.  Then it's on to the shade of Nickerson State Park, where you can rest your legs and work out your upper body by canoeing on Flax Pond.  There are also 18 miles of trail riding and hiking hidden in the pitch pine and scrub oak woods.  Continue on to Brewster to cool off in a series of swimming holes that are known in these parts as kettle ponds.  Seymour, Long and Hinckley ponds are deep freshwater glacial pools with sandy public beaches.  Next door in Harwich is a popular picnic spot: the Pleasant Lake General Store, which has been open for business since 1855 (they sell Cape Cod Rail Trail T-shirts).  After a quick bite, cross Route 6 on Route 124, then veer right through farmland and 100-year-old cranberry bogs before ending up in Dennis.  For more information on the trail, call Daniel O'Brien at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management (617) 626-1388; Toll Free within Massachusetts 1-800-831-0569; Nickerson State Park, (508) 896-3491.  DEM website:  http://www.state.ma.us/dem/ - E-mail:  Mass.Parks@state.ma.us 

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I like to do this ride in June prior to a camping (and, of course, biking) trip to Provincetown for the annual Portuguese Festival and Blessing of the Fleet held the third weekend in the month.  I also head to the Cape in October for a week.  Both times of the year are delightful and far less crowded than July, August and September.   Biking the rail trail in June you can smell the flowers along the way.  This year I was treated to a mother swan and her four goslings which were a pretty impressive size.  Unfortunately, she kept them far enough away I couldn't get a good photo of them.  I stay at Nickerson State Park (another reason for doing the ride during the somewhat slower season - Nickerson really gets crowded and without a reservation in July and August, it's tough if not impossible to get a campsite) which is approximately in the center of the Cape Cod Rail Trail.  I usually do the lower half in the morning, come back to my camper for lunch, then do the upper half toward Provincetown.  If this is done during the weekend, you can stop at the Wellfleet Flea Market just off the rail trail (I cut through Maurice's Campground).  Flea Market is also open Wednesdays and Thursdays during July and August.

Businesses of interest along the rail trail:

Rail Trail Bike and Blades 302 Underpass Road, Brewster, MA Tel:  (508) 896-8200  Directly on the Bike Path Rentals - Sales - Service Single Speed - Multi Speed - Tandems - Kiddiekart or Alleycat Trailers Picnic Area - Free Parking	Conveniently across the street from Rail Trail Bike Rental - The Brewster Express for lunch, snacks, ice cream.
Another early morning cyclist	Art Gallery - Herb Shop - FOOD - right off the bike path!
Beach area along the bike trail	Very popular stop along the bike trail - food, Cape Cod Rail Trail T-shirts, picnic area, portapotties!
Upper portion of trail approaching Wellfleet - lots of flowers along the path	Entrepreneur and College Student Adam Kropp, 150 Seaview Road, Brewster, MA 02631 has been setting up along the bike path in Orleans during the summer for five years.  Get one or more of his delicious hot dogs and a refreshing drink - located at the corner of Main Street and Old Colony Way in the Mid-Cape parking lot.
Peddler's Restaurant	Brewster General Store

Please click below for history of rail trail, parking areas for access to trail, a great new bike shop (as of June 2000) along the trail and photos of the rail trail during my fall trip to the Cape.

 Cape Cod Rail Trail in the Fall

Attractions just off the Rail Trail:

Brewster Fire Museum

Cape Cod Museum of Natural History