Cycling Cape Cod

Aug 7, 2024 | 0 comments

featured NOBSKA LIGHT, WOODS HOLE cr Kristen Mitchell-Hughes

One of Massachusetts’ most popular summer playgrounds is Cape Cod, a crescent of land shaped like an elbow stretching 90 miles into the Atlantic Ocean, with miles and miles of beaches, quaint villages, seafood shacks, ice cream shops and much more. Besides beach-going, cycling is one of the Cape’s most popular activities, more so when it’s warm out, but honestly, you can find someone on a bike trail year-round, enjoying the 114 miles of bike paths.

Picturesque towns, sea coasts and lighthouses dot the routes and you can even camp at Nickerson State Forest in Brewster, which is adjacent to the 25-mile long Cape Cod Rail Trail. If you don’t have your own bike, there are plenty of places to rent them. And at least one company on the Cape will even bring electric bikes to select campgrounds! For anyone like me, who bikes only occasionally, and who likes a little help when I do, an electric bike is perfect.

I’m pretty new to e-biking and took out a bike from Quadrini Electric Bicycles this spring, heading out on the Shining Sea Bikeway for a trial run. Quadrini is a local company, based in Northampton in Western MA. It has been manufacturing and selling e-bikes for more than 15 years and branched out to rentals. Any time I can work with a locally owned company, who make things locally, I’m happy.

Karen Resnick, who lives on the Cape and is both a Girl Camper and Quadrini bike owner, was my companion. Karen is a big fan of Quadrini and takes her e-bike with her camping everywhere. I tried out the Mini-Max, which she also has, and found it easy to maneuver and fun to ride, even on a rather windy day. Have to say, I am pretty much a convert now! I can’t wait to get back out there!

CAPE COD BIKE PATHS

Cape Cod Rail Trail

This 25-mile paved trail on a former railroad right-of-way is a delightful way to explore the Cape, passing through six towns, nearby beaches and other attractions. There are few hills and plenty of space for everyone, including horseback riders, walkers and runners. The railroad tracks date back to 1848, when the Old Colony Railroad Company ran between Boston and Sandwich. Over time, automobiles replaced the train in popularity, and the service was ended. After years of neglect, the state converted it into a rail trail.

Cape Cod Canal

The 14.2 miles of paved, off-road trails are accessed in Sagamore. The paths run along both sides of Cape Cod Canal. It’s perfect for beginner to casual cyclists, especially families with younger children. Following the length of the Canal roughly 7½ miles between the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges, the bikeway is smooth concrete. It’s hard not to stop to take in the sea breezes and watch the ship and boat traffic going through the Canal.

Shining Sea Bikeway

Another option for cyclists on the Cape is the Shining Sea Bikeway. It is an 11-mile bike path that runs from North Falmouth to the Steamship Authority parking lot in Woods Hole. The coastal trail is named after a line from the poem America the Beautiful. The poem was written by Katharine Lee Bates, a Falmouth native. Like the Cape Cod Rail Trail, the path is on a former railroad, which stopped running in 1957. It is mostly an easy, flat route and passes through woodlands, marshes and salt ponds, as well as the Vineyard Sound. If you have time, you can stop at Trunk River Beach or the Salt Pond Area Bird Sanctuary, a 60-acre preserve.

Nauset Marsh Trail

This trail begins at the Salt Pond Visitors Center (Route 6) or Doane Rock Picnic area, both in Eastham, and runs to Coast Guard Beach in Eastham, intersecting with the Cape Cod Rail Trail. The three-mile roundtrip trek takes you through a large grove of cedar, pine and oak and eventually to the old Coast Guard Station, overlooking Coast Guard Beach.

Province Lands Trail

This is a challenging 7.25-mile paved loop through the dunes, starting from the Province Lands Visitor Center in Provincetown. 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. From marshland to exposed dunes to shore views, the trail features spectacular scenery. An added bonus is that it offers direct access to both Race Point and Herring Cove beaches.

This article by Kim Foley MacKinnon was originally published in Girl Camper Magazine.