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Cape Cod Rail Trail
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13 reviews for Cape Cod Rail Trail
a nice free and fun thing to do while visiting cape cod.
there are a number of bike rental places...wish i remember the one we picked, because it was pretty cheap and the bikes were good.
but anyhow, pick one out and go here. a good compliment to the beaches
We were only on the Cape Code Rail Trail for the last 9 mile leg, but I enjoyed it immensely despite being under-dressed for a day of biking in 60 degree weather that ended up raining on us.
The trail was well marked and smooth. The fellow travellers of the road were on the whole happy and considerate. The trail took us through a variety of scenes including treey areas, backyards, past water and bogs, over bridge and into tunnel. The inclines weren't too tough, neither for this once a year bicyclist nor for a child on a single speed bike.
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We rode the entire CCRT today, and it was great. The trail is paved the entire way, and well marked, making a smooth and easy ride with little confusion. Everyone was very polite and pleasant along the trail - it was not stressful for someone who doesn't bike very often.
A great way to see cape cod - there are bogs, salt marshes, lakes and woods along the trail. An extra 0.6 miles takes you to a beach at the end (we road from Dennis to Wellfleet). The extra mile is worth it to see the beach. There are also many places to stop and rest along the way, with food and drinks available, even though it is now off season.
Highly recommended trip to the cape!
Yet another incredible bike trail in Massachusetts. I picked up the trail in Eastham, went to the start of the trail in Dennis and then back to Eastham.
This trail is pretty long (24 miles each way I think) but there aren't any really big hills to climb so it's not as bad as it seems. If you pace yourself for the length I'm sure many could complete the entire trail.
There are lots of places to stop along the the way to get drinks, food, sit down at a picnic table etc.. Lake views can be stunning. There is also a General Store that sells 'Wicked Whoopie' Whoopie pies! What more could you ask for?
The trail does split up in places but well-placed signs will ensure that you don't get confused as to where the trail picks up again.
The surfaces were very smooth and well-paved for the entire distance I was on it.
Every so often you go by markers on the ground that say '5MILE'. I kept seeing them out of the corner of my eye and thought it said 'SMILE' and figured that was why the other cyclists on the path were so friendly :).
Def a five-star trail for me.
It's been my goal to ride the CCRT from end to end, and I did it yesterday. Started at Rte. 134 in Dennis and headed out. Like everyone says, it's pretty picturesque, with everything from the back of houses to cranberry bogs and businesses. It's a little irritating to have to slow down or stop at so many road crossings, but it's well worth it to have a dedicated path like this. It was fairly clearly marked, although there was a bit of confusion. When I got to the rotary I started heading to Harwich, realized my mistake and backtracked to the Wellfleet trail. You'll also find one spot where you have to go through a neighborhood and cross a main road to get back to the trail.
I was also very confused when I got to the end. I was expecting the trail to take me directly to some kind of landmark in Wellfleet, but the trail ended abruptly. I saw a sign that said "Beaches" and followed it along a road to a beach. I wasn't expecting the trail to end like that.
At any rate, it was a tough ride for me. The farthest I've ever biked was about 35 miles. This was 47 miles (counting my brief detour to Harwich), certainly not the 56-mile round trip that I was expecting.
It was tiring and I struggled but I didn't get passed once. I'm a road biker and most of the "patrons" were comfort-bikers and walkers. Nice atmosphere. You'll love it, as did I.
Dear Guy With the Hot Dog Stand,
You, sir, are the highlight of the Cape Cod Rail Trail (CCRT) scenery.
Growing up in Haiti, it was my dream that one day, ONE DAY!, I would join the "rich" kids who lined up for lunch to receive plump, steaming hot dogs and buns in exchange for crisp currency.
Not that I hadn't had a hot dog (once or twice), I just wanted to experience the thrill of running out of the classroom at the sound of the bell to form a line for a lunch that didn't come in a small lunchbox dripping Flavor-Aid (the poor man's Kool-Aid) because the glass jar inside had broken.
That memory seemed like so long ago...until I saw you near the first parking lot beyond the Brewster/Harwich line on the CCRT heading to Wellfleet. My heart began racing. I knew I had enough money this time--I would not be denied. I jumped off the tandem bike, neglecting for the umpteenth time, to lift my leg fully above the second handlebar in order to avoid smashing my testicles into it. No matter, I'd already seen you in the distance and this gave me strength.
Your delectably delicious hot dogs, which I suspect were Kayem Old Tyme Natural Casing Beef, broiled for the entire length of time you'd parked your cart at the edge of the lot, brought back a childhood desire, and gave me the strength to pedal another two hours, this time, in the right direction.
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awesome! bikers, runners, walkers are all very polite and happy. i biked for about an hr and it was a great workout with beautiful weather and scenery. very cconvenient and highly recommended!
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I like to bike now!! This is partially due to the Cape Cod Rail Trail. On a bright sunny June Saturday, the man and I rented a tandem bike and set off!
The bike rental was in South Dennis (see my review) and we started there and ended up riding around 28 miles on the tandem.
The first part of the ride was nice. Not too scenic. Woods with plenty of birds and sunshine. I did see a hare (or wild rabbit. Not sure the difference) and I stopped and took tons of pictures of it. We also some some bluejays. Once we got to the first rotary, I got confused (it is easy to do). One direction was Wellfleet (but I didn't see the sign), the other Harwich (I think????). I chose the Harwich and we went for 8 miles and realized we weren't on the official CCRT path. It was nice, quiet, and hardly anybody else out there. But yeah, we wasted the 16 miles. Well, not wasted cause we still had a blast.
We turned around and then went back on towards Wellfleet. This path has more going on. You see water, beach, porta potties (Yay!), woods, cranberry bogs, and a nice general store. We stopped for lunch at the general store (about $7 per sandwich).
I truly wished I could have kept going. It was one of the most peaceful things I have done. My butt hurt like a bitch on that tandem bike, but I truly had a blast. The one and only thing is that I wish it had been a little more scenic. I was kinda expecting some grand Cape Cod scenery.
But, this is a must if you are in the area and want a nice bike ride.
There are plenty of places around to rent bikes, so no worries there!
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I had visited the Cape Cod Rail Trail a few years back and when I first saw it and tried to rollerblade on it, it was simply the worst surface I had seen. This new improved rail trail is awesome, with a newly paved surface an maps along the way and even seating areas and mile markers. We started in Dennis and rollerbladed to Brewster past some of the most picturesque scenes of cranberry bogs and woods and lakes. Thereis a few hills but now much and it crosses through Harwich and into Brewster and goes as far as P-Town. The trail is wide and along the way there is small areas to sit and picnic and tables and even a general store and a few bike rental places. I would highly recommend you try this out since it is improved enough to come back several times and enjoy it!
Oh man. This is the big momma of rail trails in Massachusetts, 28 miles one-way. If you do this end-to-end, it's fun as hell, but not everybody can manage it.
I gave it my first try in August, really eager to let my tires fly on the freshly-paved asphault. I started in South Dennis to head to the other trailhead in Wellfleet. In retrospect, that might not have been the best idea. From South Dennis to about Orleans, you can't go more than a few feet without having to stop for car traffic. This kills momentum and can get really aggravating if you're trying to go decently fast on your bike.
If you park in Orleans and head up from there, there are fewer road intersections. That's not to say you won't hit any -- there are a lot on this trail, unfortunately -- but they lessen from Orleans on north. However you don't want to miss the bike ROTARY around Orleans, it's hilarious to ride around a few times.
There are a few points on the trail that can be a bit confusing -- there's a bit where the trail seems to end at a suburban cul-de-sac, and you have to do some side-street biking for a few blocks and even cross some heavy car traffic to find where the trail picks up again.
The scenery along the trail isn't the best I've ever seen consistently, but there are some gorgeous spots along some beaches and lake fronts. Other times, you're behind a junkyard. So it varies a lot.
The half-way point (roughly) is at Nickerson State Park. There's a bathroom there as well as a water fountain (in front of the visitor's kiosk by the car entrance, it's not quite on the bike path, but further along the park's parking lot).
I've yet to bike this trail in the fall, though I want to. When I went in August, on a Sunday no less, the traffic ON the trail was quite bad. Roadies can go pretty fast on some patches but it might require a lot of dodging.
If you are really into cycling, as a speedster or just a touring cycler (like me), you must give this trail a shot at least once, end to end. It will make for a beautiful day of cycling, I guarantee it.
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A little history for you geeks out there:
Before the first railroad tracks were laid, the Cape was a relatively isolated area, accessible only by packet boat or stagecoach. By 1848, the Old Colony Railroad Company laid tracks that connected Boston and Sandwich. Railroad track extensions continued and by 1873, Old Colony had linked Boston with Cape Cod's outermost point of Provincetown, offering a miraculously short, five-hour journey. As the Cape's popularity as a summer resort increased, the railroad was heavily used to transport visitors from New York and Connecticut, as well as other parts of Massachusetts. With the growing number of visitors came train-loads of food and other provisions needed to meet their needs. But the railroad's importance was soon surpassed by the automobile. Bridges to carry cars over Cape Cod Canal were opened in 1935, and in 1937 passenger service to the towns east of Dennis ended. Trains continued to haul freight until the mid-1960's, but then the tracks were torn up and the station-houses were razed or vandalized. If you look carefully as you ride along the trail, you can still see occasional relics of the Cape's rail days.
Thank you DCR.
Now then, I love the Rail Trail. Unfortunately, I have yet to ride the entire thing (I blame Joe and his lack of any athletic bone in his tiny tiny body). I think the furthest we ever got was starting at Eastham and going to Rock Harbor, which is sad really, considering that Rock Harbor is in neighboring Orleans. Le sigh.
Anyway, I've ridden at least that section enough to know that I think it's awesome. As the DCR website mentions, there are plenty of things to do off the Rail Trail. Whether it's eating, going to the beach or a park, actually getting that bike to ride the trail on, or even going on other bike trails, the Cape Cod Rail Trail is the perfect way to explore Cape Cod and get some exercise in the process. Beware though, this trail is for EVERYONE, walkers, runners, bikers, rollerbladers, so it can get a bit congested in the summer, especially with all the families. But I still love it!
So, who's coming to the Cape with me!?
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Great rail trail. If you're starting from Dennis, you'll usually find it's a little crowded for the first two to five miles, but the further along you go, the more you get it to yourself.
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There are a number of places traffic crosses this trail, but in fall and spring it's a very peaceful ride. I used to ride the Rail Trail all the time when I was a teenager. I'd often go end to end, starting in Dennis and stopping for a swim in Long Pond in Harwich/Brewster before continuing on. On a really good day I'd go even further. It's another 24 miles on roads to get out to Provincetown, but the scenery out there is gorgeous. The bike trail out there is called Province Lands, and it winds its way through the dunes to Race Point at the tip of the Cape.