Biking on the Cape Cod Rail Trail

There are any number of ways to take in the sights on Cape Cod. Whether you pack the family into the car, buy a ticket for a train or just cover the area within walking distance of your Cape Cod hotel, there’s plenty of entertaining venues for vacationers of all ages. If you really want to see the Cape though, and have a blast doing it, you can’t do better than grabbing your bike and hitting the trail. I’m talking about the Cape Cod Rail Trail, of course.

The Cape Cod Rail Trail is a 22 mile paved path that winds along the Cape Cod coast. Built on what was once the Old Colony Railroad Company’s right-of-way, the trail extends from the Town of Dennis to Wellfleet passing through towns like Harwich, Brewster, Orleans and Eastwich along the way.

Riders will love the scenery as the trail snakes through Pine woods and along salt marshes, cranberry bogs and freshwater ponds. There are also plenty of opportunities to hop off the bike and enjoy a break from the riding at any of the numerous beaches, museums, theaters and other attractions in the local communities you encounter.

At about the halfway point of the trail riders will enter Nickerson State Park. This is a great place to rest for a bit as the Park offers some great fishing and swimming as well as other hiking and biking trails. The park, along with the Salt Pond Visitors center and the National Seaside Headquarters further down the trail, also offers public restrooms which can be a very welcomed sight on any lengthy bike ride.

For those without bikes there are several opportunities to purchase rentals at various points along the trail. Some bike concessions also rent hand cycles for disabled trail users.

There really is no better way to see the cape than biking along the Cape Cod Rail Trail on a beautiful New England spring day. But don’t take my word for it. Its really something everyone needs to experience for themself.