Cape Cod National Seashore is a beautiful place to explore. Its natural settings are a reminiscent of how the Cape appeared to Native Americans, hundreds of years before tourists decided to flock en masse to this location for their summer getaways. Thanks to the effort of the National Park Service, you can step back in time and discover how Cape Cod was before the ice cream shops, the rotaries, and the tourists.
What to do at the Cape Cod National Seashore in One Day
With over 40,000 acres of protected area, there’s plenty to do at the Cape Cod National Seashore. During our day here, we really had to narrow down what exactly we wanted to do and see. We decided to break down our activities into four categories:
- Hiking
- Swimming (we went to the beach but didn’t swim; more on why later)
- Lighthouse exploring
- Biking
While you can break up these activities into a few days, we decided to go all out and do all of them in one day. Our suggestions will help you plan your trip to the Cape Cod National Seashore if you only have one day.
First things first: Getting to the Cape Cod National Seashore
Because the park is so vast, there are two visitor centers: one in Eastham (50 Nauset Rd., Eastham, MA), and one in Provincetown (171 Race Point Rd., Provincetown, MA). Because we were on a day trip and we live off-Cape, we first stopped at the Eastham visitor center. If you’re staying closer to Provincetown, you may want to check out the Province Lands Visitor Center first.
Parking is free at either location. You only need to pay if you are parking at a beach.
The Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham is great place to kick off your National Seashore adventure. There’s a small museum showing the history of the Cape, a gift store where I bought two water bottles, and even a theater, which shows various short films throughout the day. We were there in time to watch a 15-minute clip about the Cape’s natural history and its possible future.
Side note: There are other places where you can park, i.e., at trail heads throughout the area, but if this your first time in the park, we highly recommend you go to the visitor center first.
Hiking
There are many trails you can hike on in the park, some of which start at other locations. If you want to save some time, you can start hiking right from the Salt Pond Visitor Center. We decided to start on the Nauset Marsh Trail, which forms a 1.3-mile loop.
About two-thirds of the way around, we saw a spur that pointed to the Doane Memorial. Benny didn’t know what that was all about, so, being a curious bear, he wanted to go check it out. I figured that adding another hour to the hike wouldn’t be that big of a deal; I thought we had enough water for the both of us. So, we headed off in that direction.
Come to find out, the Doane family were Pilgrims. They, along with seven other families, left Plimoth Plantation and founded the town of Eastham.
The Doane Rock is also nearby. Of course, Benny had to climb it.
Once we were at the Doane Rock, we decided to walk to the beach. At this point, we had hiked well over the 1.3 miles we originally thought we were going to do, and I was running out of water…but we continued anyway.
Parts of the path to Coast Guard Beach are on a bike path. The way is well-marked. Finally, we reached our destination, and, lo and behold, there was a bubbler (water fountain, for you out-of-New-England folks) where we could refill our water bottles! After some beach exploring, we walked back to the visitor center.
In total, we walked over 5 miles. Of course, you don’t have to walk that much, or that little, depending on your point of view. Next on our list was the 5-mile hike, Great Island Trail, but we decided to save that for our next visit.
Swimming
When you think of the Cape Cod National Seashore, you probably think of swimming. There’s a plethora of beaches to choose from. If you’re near the Salt Pond Visitor Center, which is where we started our day, you’ll want to head to the Coast Guard Beach.
Some parking info: The visitor center’s parking lot is quite a ways from this beach, as Benny and I learned from our hike. You’ll want to drive to the Little Creek Parking Lot and take the shuttle to the beach. The parking fee is $20 per vehicle. A Cape Cod National Seashore pass is available for $60, and you can also use the annual national park pass, which allows you to go to any national park in the country, for $80. We used this pass when we went to Acadia in Maine.
Another great place to go is Race Point Beach in Provincetown. We visited this beach later in the day, and it was nearly deserted by then. The only people there were a small Quebecois family celebrating a wedding. Benny wanted to go and say bonjour, but I told him that not only was impolite, but a little weird. He didn’t seem fazed by that, and he started walking toward them. I scooped him up and then put him in my backpack. He was not very happy…
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To swim or not to swim? Even though it was a warm, beautiful day, Benny didn’t want to go swimming, and I can’t say I blame him. It’s not because he doesn’t like the water; it’s because sharks are frequent visitors. This area has had numerous shark sightings, and there are warnings all over the place. The lifeguards were intently scanning the water and blowing their whistles when someone began swimming too far away from shore.
I know there’s a good chance you stumbled upon this article because you’re interested in the beaches, and I can’t say I blame you. They’re beautiful. If you do decide to go swimming, be very careful, be aware of your surroundings in the water, and listen to the lifeguards. Benny and I decided it was our best interest to stay dry and eat lunch, not become lunch.
Biking
Another one of the things to do at the Cape Cod National Seashore is biking. If you start your day at Salt Pond Visitor Center, you’ll be able to easily bike to the Cape Cod Rail Trail. Avid bicyclists will be able to enjoy 25 miles of a paved path from Wellfleet to South Dennis. Families with young ones may be content to ride the 1.6-mile Nauset Bike Trail from the visitor center to Coast Guard Beach.
Another biking option is a 5-mile loop in Provincetown, starting at the Province Lands Visitor Center. This is the option we took. The dunes create a surreal, desert-like atmosphere. This loop goes by Race Point and Herring Cove Beaches.
Extra info: This path is very hilly, and as such it’s very tempting to go fast down the hills. Combine that with some hairpin turns, and you’re asking for trouble. Benny kept egging me on to go faster down a certain hill, which I regret to say I did. At the bottom there was a sharp turn. Luckily, there wasn’t any oncoming traffic, and I was able to keep control of the bike and not crash. Families should remind the young ones to take it easy down the hills. Learn from our mistake.
Lighthouse Exploring
There are three places in the Cape Cod National Seashore where you can go lighthouse exploring. Each area is open during particular times.
Three Sisters Lighthouses – Here there are three smaller lighthouses together. There are a few picnic tables, and the area makes for a great spot to have lunch. This is right down the road from the Nauset Lighthouse.
Highland Light – The Highland Light was our favorite because we were able to climb to the top! A tour guide explained to us that in 1996, the lighthouse had to be moved away from the shore. Due to erosion, the beach loses a few feet of land a year. Sadly, the Cape is slowly eroding away. Benny was sad at learning this, but our guide told us we had no need to worry; it’ll be at least a thousand years before the Cape disappears.
Nauset Lighthouse – Going to the Nauset Lighthouse was on our list, but, unfortunately, there was no place to park, as the parking lot is shared with Nauset Light Beach. If you want to visit this lighthouse, we suggest going early.
We hope this helps you decide what to do during your visit at the Cape Cod National Seashore! Remember to subscribe to never miss a post, and please share our pin below.
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Looking for more places on the Cape to explore? Check out these posts!
- The Knob, Falmouth
- Hidden Lawrence Island, Bourne
- Nobska Lighthouse, Falmouth
- The Sandwich Boardwalk, Sandwich
- Sagamore Hill, Sandwich
- Seal Watching
- 5 Free Things to do in Falmouth
- The Cape Cod National Seashore
If you like hikes, you should check out these local outdoor locations:
- Ridge Hill Reserve, Dartmouth
- Hiking Simmons Pond in Little Compton
- New Bedford Harbor Walk
- Destruction Brook Woods, Dartmouth
- A Stroll at the Westport Town Farm
- Gooseberry Island in Westport
- Sandwich’s WWII Remains
- East Over Reservation, Rochester
- Natural Resources Trust of Easton
- Colt State Park, Bristol
- The Knob, Falmouth
- Blackstone Gorge, Blackstone
- Quequechan River Rail Trail, Fall River
- Lyman Reserve, Plymouth/Bourne/Wareham
- Lawrence Island, Bourne
- Meshanticut State Park, Cranston
- South Mount Sugarloaf, Deerfield
- Hiking up Mount Wachusett, Princeton, MA
The Salt Pond Visitor Center is located at 50 Nauset Rd., Eastham, MA. The Province Lands Visitor Center is located at 171 Race Point Rd., Provincetown, MA.
[…] If you like lighthouses, check out The Nobska Lighthouse in Falmouth and the various lighthouses on the Cape Cod National Seashore. […]