If parks and nature are a priority for you on your vacation, Cape Cod is the ideal destination. Cape Cod is a 65-mile-long peninsula jutting into the Atlantic Ocean, and its unique topography of beaches, inlets and coves, swamps, sand dunes and marshes offer the best of bird watching, beach activities, nature walks and recreation.
Cape Cod National Seashore:
Enjoy 43,000 acres of nature with its 40 miles of white sandy beaches, freshwater ponds, six swimming beaches, eleven self-guided nature trails, picnic areas and scenic overlooks.
- Also onsite are numerous historic structures, including lighthouses, a lifesaving station, and Cape Cod style houses.
- Cape Cod National Seashore is the perfect place for backpacking, swimming, fishing, bicycling, bird-watching, cross-country skiing, horseback riding and stargazing.
- For a small fee, ranger-led activities in the park include canoe tours, surfcasting and shell-fishing.
- Also visit the Salt Pond Visitor Center, learn about shipwrecks off the coast, and discover the relationship between people and the land over the past 384 years when the first Pilgrims stepped off the Mayflower and onto Cape Cod.
Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary:
Located in Wellfleet, this site offers numerous outdoor activities on its 1,100 acres of marshes, beaches, woodland and ponds.
- The Sanctuary is home to songbirds, shorebirds, seals and other wildlife that can be viewed on the five miles of trails, either by self-guided nature walks or naturalist-led hikes.
- Other activities include evening lectures, guided tours of the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, a visit through the butterfly and hummingbird garden, hands-on fun on a Cape Cod Bay Marine Life Cruise for families and education on the unique 'green architecture' of the Nature Center.
Heritage Museum and Gardens:
Located one mile from the center of Sandwich Village, this site offers a unique blend of collections of art, history and horticulture among 100 beautifully-landscaped acres. Featured are 145 different varieties of rhododendrons, hybridized by Charles O. Dexter, which produce a riotous show of color from Memorial Day weekend through mid-June. Also onsite are a Holly Dell, and Daylily, Herb, Hosta and Heather Gardens. An onsite horticulturist provides tours and lectures.
East Sandwich Green Briar Nature Center & Jam Kitchen:
A retreat into a beautiful, tranquil piece of nature for an optional donation admission. Here you can visit a wildflower garden, stroll along interpreted nature trails.
- Participate in science classes and workshops and visit the nearby Briar Patch Conservation Area, the home of Peter Rabbit. Nocturnal Nature is an ongoing program that provides an insight into the secret lives of animals that awaken at night.
- For a taste of history, visit the Green Briar Jam Kitchen, opened in 1903 by Ida Putnam, where old-fashioned jams, jellies and relishes are made and sold, and visitors can practice techniques in a jam-making workshop.
Beaches:
In addition to the numerous parks and landscaped gardens on Cape Cod, beautiful beaches abound.
- Kalmus Beach, In Hyannis offers a prime site for windsurfing, beach combing, boating or enjoying a good book.
- Nauset Light Beach, On Ocean View Drive in Eastham, is the perfect place to swim, bike and walk. There is also opportunity to observe the natural habitat of the endangered piping plover and to follow a pine wooded trail to The Three Sisters Lighthouse.
- Coast Guard Beach, One and one-half miles east of the Salt Pond Visitor Center, is an ideal swimming beach during the summer, and also offers unique seal and piping plover viewing on Nauset Spit. Also onsite is a 4,000 year old Native American habitation site.
- With many, many beaches, numerous wildlife refuges, landscaped gardens and nature parks, Cape Cod is a nature-lover's paradise. There are opportunities to learn about natural history, science and local flora and fauna, either self-directed or guided. The parks also present numerous recreation opportunities on their beaches and hiking trails. Whatever outdoor activity you prefer, Cape Cod offers plenty of opportunity and inspiration among breathtaking scenery.
