The Great Outdoors - Cape Cod Rail Trail

Story by Tim Jones
Photography by Stephen O. Muskie

y idea of fun on the 26-mile Cape Cod Rail Trail is to start at one end and ride as quickly as possible to the other. Then I turn around and ride back for a total of 52 miles. When my kids are along, we usually ride end-to-end, adding a side trip to bring the total up to 30 or 40 miles. When my wife joins us, we divide the Trail into thirds and ride at a more leisurely pace, stopping frequently to enjoy things on the way.
Map of New England The western end of the trail goes from Dennis (get on at Route 134 just south of exit 9 from Route 6) into Brewster. It winds over easy hills, through shaded woodlands, past several ponds with public beaches and the Pleasant Lake General Store. Truly a great country store, Pleasant Lake, with lots of cold drinks, is a "must" stop whenever the boys and I ride by. This segment is the most enjoyable for a leisurely ride, maybe combined with a swim.
The central third (from the Pleasant Lake General Store to Salt Pond Road) has a fair amount of road riding. But it also encompasses Nickerson State Park, with beaches and campsites, and the town of Orleans. My wife has pedaled into Orleans by herself so that she could enjoy the shops, galleries, and harbor view and not feel rushed by her hyperactive crew. The last time my son Justin and I rode the trail, Orleans was the site of an open-air art gallery.
The eastern third, from Salt Pond Road in Eastham to Le Count Hollow Road in Wellfleet, is straight, flat, and fast. It's a good place to work up your heart rate. Be sure to take the side trip to the Visitors Center at the Cape Cod National Seashore to see its science and history exhibits. You can also take other bike rides from the Visitors Center: one leads through the oak woods and across the salt marsh to Coast Guard Beach; another is a pleasant road ride (with, probably, the biggest hill on Cape Cod) that takes you to Nauset Light. Another detour off the Cape Cod Rail Trail will take you the mile or so to Marconi Wireless Station, where global communications began on January 18, 1903.
But perhaps the best features of this eastern section of the Rail Trail are stops at Arnold's (3580 Rte. 6 at Old Orchard Rd., Eastham; 508-255-2575) for fried clams and onion rings, and at Ben & Jerry's (Rte. 6 and Brackett Rd., North Eastham; 508-255-2817) for a deserved ice cream.
The Cape Cod Rail Trail is free. You don't even need a fancy bike: Cape Cod is where old bikes go to die, and some of those clunkers still go the distance on the trail.
You can get a trail map (also see the Cape Cod Bike Book for maps) or rent a good bike from Idle Times Bike Shop (Rte. 6, Eastham; 508-255-8281), which also has rental outlets in Dennis, near the start of the trail, and at Nickerson State Park. Bicycles rent for $10 for 4 hours, $15 for a full day; helmets rent for $2. For information on the Cape Cod Rail Trail, call 508-896-3491.