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The Cape Cod National Seashore Treasure
ake a captivating trip area, and it continues to this
through Massachusetts’ Cape very day. But this is the place
Cod National Seashore Park. to come to escape. This is the
With miles of splendid white sand place to come to experience
beaches, inspiring walks and nature, especially off-season. So
trails, and stunning fragile let’s take a brief Cape Cod
dunes, the park is a remarkable vacations trip together. Are you
geological wonder thousands of ready?
years in the making. Just keep
reading and you can visit it NAUSET BEACH
right here...
The first stop on your trip is
The Cape Cod National Seashore is Nauset Beach in the town of
a 4,308-acre park 60 miles south Orleans. This is a striking beach
of Boston, Massachusetts. It was to walk and see the relentless
set aside by an act of congress work of nature. The Atlantic
in 1961 to preserve and protect a storms batter the dunes each
unique geological area and wild winter and beach erosion is a
life habitat of New England. Cape major problem here. Protection is
Cod was formed when the last of the name of the game at Nauset
the great glaciers melted about not just for the dunes, but the
12,000-years ago leaving a large birds nesting in the spring.
lake, which eventually drained Always pay close attention to
exposing the sediment and erosion and bird nesting
deposits left by the glaciers protection signs anywhere during
from earlier times. your trip to Cape Cod.
Nature has reshaped the whole of The entrance to Nauset beach is
Cape Cod especially the located in East Orleans at the
Atlantic-facing National Seashore end of Beach Road, where there’s
a large parking lot. The lot is of parking for bikes and the
about 2 miles from Routes 6/6A, price is right - free!
and during the summer months
you’ll pay to use it. Coast Guard Beach in Eastham can
be reached by bike from the bike
NATIONAL SEASHORE EASTHAM trail from the Salt Pond Visitor
VISITORS CENTER Center, or by car from Nauset
Road off Route 6 directly after
The National Seashore has two the Visitor Center. This beach is
visitor centers. The Salt Pond a favorite walk of mine at low
Visitor Center in Eastham will tide, and was the area where
orientate you to the park, and Henry Beston wrote "The Outermost
provides short films, a museum, House." Sadly the blizzard of
and free maps for hiking and 1978 washed the cottage where he
biking trails. The salt pond lived while writing the book -
itself is a glacial kettle pond out to sea.
that was once freshwater but the
ocean has seeped through. Take Nauset Light Beach can be reached
time to discover the easy-walking from Brackett Road also off Route
trails near the pond, and learn 6. Overlooking the beach is the
about the varied birds and plants red and white picturesque Nauset
the area supports. Lighthouse. Originally built in
Chatham in the late 19th century,
THE LIGHTHOUSE BEACHES it was moved here shortly after,
and moved again in 1996 when
These next two beaches are very erosion of the cliff threatened
popular and during the summer the to collapse the lighthouse. This
parking lots fill up quickly. beach is popular for the imposing
Many people use their bicycles to and towering cliffs.
get to these locations - plenty
GREAT ISLAND HIKE IN WELLFLEET in Province Lands off Route 6 and
on Race Point Road. This is the
The Great Island hike in northern extremity of the park,
Wellfleet is a 6-mile hike, so and is the final stop on our
allow yourself at least brief Cape Cod National Seashore
half-a-day to explore this tour.
wonderful area. Located on the
Cape Cod Bay side of the Cape in The Visitor Center has an
Wellfleet, drive to the trailhead observation deck where you can
off Chequesset Neck Road, and view the ocean, Province Lands
prepare yourself -and camera - forest, and the towering dunes.
for an exhilarating hike. Province Lands is jam-packed with
swimming beaches, a bike trail, a
This is a real nature hike. walking trail, and a beautiful
There’s no sandwich bar or coke lighthouse at Race Point. Take
machine waiting for you at the time to tour this area and enjoy
end, so take your own snacks and this unique area of the Cape.
drinks. Of all the trails in the
Cape Cod National Seashore Park, Cape Cod National Seashore is one
this is perhaps the most remote - of the most popular summer
and I like that! vacation destinations in New
England. But in my book it’s a
NATIONAL SEASHORE PROVINCE LANDS great place to visit anytime of
VISITOR CENTER the year. If you’re prepared to
explore and walk a bit you can
The second of the visitor centers discover your own secluded and
in the National Seashore Park is pristine piece of Cape Cod.
About the Author:
For more details on these and other attractions on Cape Cod vacations and to pick up your free vacation reports go to Cliff Calderwood's New England Vacation site at: http://www.new-england-vacations-guide.com/
Read more articles by: Cliff Calderwood
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