Biking on Cape Cod

My favorite scene in the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is the montage of Paul Newman riding a bike through the pasture trying to charm Katherine Ross, with Burt Bacharach’s “Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head” playing in the background. Call me  crazy, but I would have fallen for the impish Newman character over Robert Redford’s rakish Sundance any day.

So when Rich suggested we buy bikes some years ago to enjoy the many bike trails throughout Cape Cod, I was envisioning lazy afternoons meandering through the countryside, picnic basket in hand, all choreographed to show tunes. Needless to say, things didn’t exactly turn out as I had envisioned. But, I’m happy to report, we have found much joy in our bike riding adventures and can happily recommend any/all of the trails to our guests, depending on your ability and personal biking fantasies.

Cape Cod Canal Bikeway

This bikeway follows the Cape Cod Canal through sections of Bourne and Sagamore, respectively. Partially maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers, it offers fantastic views of the canal’s various boat traffic, along with the area’s quaint shoreline scenery of unique homes and natural beauty.

The path is actually the canal access road, a paved route designated for government vehicles, foot traffic and non-motorized vehicles only. It runs for approximately 7 – 8 miles between the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges. Featuring a wide road with minimal grades, it is ideal for beginner to casual cyclists, especially families with younger children.

Following the length of the canal roughly 7 1/2 miles between the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges, the canal trail is a popular destination for cyclists, pedestrians, inline skaters and joggers. Even during the off-season, you can find full parking lots at either end of this flat multi-use path.

The bikeway itself is smooth concrete, with a well-defined single yellow line painted down the center designating two-way traffic. It makes for a fast and fun sprint for those ready to compete against themselves or cycling partners in a casual time-trial.

Park benches are also scattered along the path at regular intervals for rest and relaxation after a long walk or hard workout on the route. The Bourne Recreation Area also features picnic facilities and an information booth (open in-season) in a nicely landscaped plot to the right of the parking area.

Shining Sea Bike Path

Teacher and poet Katharine Lee Bates, who wrote about the “shining sea” in “America the Beautiful,” was born in Falmouth in 1859. Take the opportunity to see the beauty for yourself along the Shining Sea Bike Path. Formerly a 3.3-mile paved route that ran along the coast from Falmouth to Woods Hole, an extension was added in 2009 to increase the paved bikeway to 11.5 miles long. The linear park weaves through a natural setting of salt marsh, cranberry bogs, ponds and woodlands, along with sandy shores and a busy working harbor, across an ancient coastal plain. It’s the only bikeway on Cape Cod that runs along the seashore. The extension begins on County Road in North Falmouth and ends at the Steamship Authority’s ferry terminal in Woods Hole, a historic seaside fishing village and site of several major research institutions. This is a great way to get to Woods Hole, where traffic in summer is heavy and parking is scarce. The trail offers views of Nobska Light, a working lighthouse built in the 1800s, that now serves as home for the Group Commander of the Woods Hole Coast Guard Base.

Cape Cod Rail Trail

The Cape Cod Rail Trail is a paved bikeway that runs 28 miles from South Dennis to Wellfleet. The terrain is relatively flat, with some minor grades at certain sections in the Lower and Outer Cape areas, specifically Orleans and Wellfleet. It offers the most variety in scenery and natural Cape landscapes available of all the regional bike routes.

The trail itself is 28 miles from end to end. It extends from the Route 134 trailhead to Lecount Hollow Road in South Wellfleet. The name stems from the old railroad right of way it follows, which used to transport passengers and freight to Cape Cod in the early 1800s until around 1960. The route is managed by the Mass. Department of Environmental Management. It passes by many local points of interest and several lakes suitable for swimming and picnics, including Nickerson State Park in Brewster.

Continuously monitored by local police bike patrols, the trail is a safe and enjoyable way to spend a Cape Cod summer day. Traveling through the towns of Dennis, Harwich, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham and Wellfleet, the smoothly-paved surface (akin to gravel asphalt), makes this trail ideal for cyclists, equestrians, walkers, in-line skaters and runners. Bicycle and rollerblade rentals are also available at various bike shops conveniently located right along the trail in Dennis, Brewster, Orleans and Wellfleet.

With the recently completed Chatham arm, the bike path now truly encompasses all of the Lower Cape. Though the trail begins at Route 134 in Dennis, there are public parking lots and access paths on Underpass Road at Rte. 137 and at Nickerson State Park in Brewster, and on Route 124 at the Pleasant Lake General Store and off Great Western Road near Herring Run Road in Harwich. Chatham has space on Stepping Stone Road, just off Crowell Road. Grab your helmet, a bottle of water and start pedaling. You’ll see cranberry bogs, lakes and ponds and maybe even some wildlife.

Nickerson State Park Network

Located off the Cape Cod Rail Trail in Brewster, Nickerson State Park contains eight miles of dedicated bike trails. Offering easy access to picnic area and campsites, this hilly and scenic network provides an enjoyable ride through beautiful pine and fir tree forests around ponds, lakes and bogs.

This area has great natural scenery, along with a collection of the most diverse tree species on Cape Cod. You can view pine, fir, spruce and oak. as well as various types of holly and berry bushes. Wildlife is abundant, with regular sightings of fox, deer, coyote and other common smaller animals. The trail is hilly, winding throughout the perimeter of the parks seven camping areas, as well as around two of the park’s five pristine lakes. Be careful of patches of thick pine needles collected on the pavement from the predominately pine tree canopy – they can be somewhat slippery!

Also be prepared for heavy bicycle and foot traffic in the summertime, as Nickerson fills up quickly from June through September. Accordingly, the larger lot is heavily used throughout the season, making the smaller dirt area a better bet for hassle-free parking.

Nauset Marsh Trail

Starting at the gateway to the National Seashore, the Nauset Marsh Trail runs 1.5 miles into National Seashore acreage once inhabited by the Nauset Indian tribe and early Cape Cod settlers. Ending at Coast Guard Beach, the trail here provides a panoramic vista of the Atlantic Ocean.

A three mile roundtrip, this route first wanders through a large grove of cedar, pine and oak. Beyond, rolling countryside awaits along with a trailside bench to stop, rest and enjoy the scenery at. Be sure to take a detour at the second stop sign to the Doane Memorial, a monument to Deacon John Doane. Right on the marsh, this site marks where he built his home in 1644.

Back on the paved path, prepare to cross a wooden bridge spanning the marsh overlooking Salt Pond. A short distance further is the old Coast Guard Station, overlooking Coast Guard Beach. The beach itself is a sprawling and beautiful site, with waves lapping the shore as far as the eye can see in either direction. At times the surf can reach head high to overhead (6-8 foot) during a nor’easter or hurricane swell. Also, scope the shoreline for surfers who commonly share the water with curious harbor seals.

The Provincelands

This hilly loop starts from the Province Lands Visitor Center in Provincetown.
The route is 5 1/4 miles long. But with the trail extensions to Herring Cove Beach, Race Point Beach and Bennet Pond, two more miles can be added to your distance. Riding the trail is a great way to tour the vast dune system in the Province Lands area, as well as its shady Beech Forest, one of the few places within the tract with extensive tree cover.

The Visitor Center itself is an excellent source for more information on the history and current ecosystem of the surrounding area. It offers informative movies, exhibits, a bookstore and the observation tower. Numerous Ranger-guided walks from the center also explore the dunes and hollows comprising this stark but beautiful landscape.

This trail is certain to become a favorite for bicyclists, although the route can turn difficult due to the undulating hilly terrain it follows. The paved network traverses much of Province Lands’ 4,000 wild acres, winding through and over the dunes of Provincetown and other local sand formations.

In your travels you’ll explore cranberry bogs, marshes and skirt several saltwater kettle ponds, as well. From breathtaking marshland to magnificent exposed dunes to expansive shore views, these trails feature much spectacular scenery. An added convenience is that they also offer direct access to both Race Point and Herring Cove beaches.