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Cape Cod National Seashore

Wellfleet, MA

Cape Cod National Seashore comprises 43,604 acres of shoreline and upland landscape features, including a forty-mile long stretch of pristine sandy beach, dozens of clear, deep, freshwater kettle ponds, and upland scenes that depict evidence of how people have used the land. A variety of historic structures are within the boundary of the Seashore, including lighthouses, a lifesaving station, and numerous Cape Cod style houses. The Seashore offers six swimming beaches, eleven self-guiding nature trails, and a variety of picnic areas and scenic overlooks.

CONTACTS

Email - CACO_Superintendent@nps.gov

Fax- 508-349-9052

Write to
99 Marconi Station Site Road
Wellfleet, MA 02667

Phone
Headquarters - (508)349-3785
Visitor Information - (508)255-3421
Visitor Information - (508)487-1256

TRAVEL BASICS

Operating Hours, Seasons
Parking lots are open 6 A.M. to midnight, daily, year-round. The Salt Pond Visitor Center is open from 9 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. daily, year-round, with extended hours during the summer months. The Province Lands Visitor Center is open from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. daily, mid-April through late-November. Headquarters is open daily, except weekends and holidays, 8 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.

Getting There
PLANE - Regularly scheduled daily flights connect from Boston to Hyannis and Boston to Provincetown.

CAR - From Boston area: Take Route 3 south, to the Sagamore Bridge in Bourne. Follow Route 6 eastward to Eastham and Provincetown. From Providence, RI: Take I-95 north to, I-195. Follow Route 6 eastward as described above.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - By bus: Plymouth and Brockton Street Railway provides daily runs from Boston to Hyannis and the Outer Cape (Provincetown). Bonanza Bus Lines provides several scheduled runs from New York City and Providence, RI to Hyannis, MA (approximately 30 miles southwest of Eastham). By Rail: Amtrak serves Providence, RI and Boston, MA connecting with bus transportation to Cape Cod.

Weather & Climate
The Cape's weather changes significantly with the seasons. Spring can often be cool and damp with temperatures ranging in the mid-40s. Summer usually provides warm days, ranging between 70 and 80 degrees, and cool nights. Winter on Cape Cod is milder than inland, but dampness and wind chill can make winter days bitter cold. Temperatures range between 30 and 40 degrees in mid-winter, but intervals of below zero as well as milder temperatures can also occur. It is important to dress properly for the weather, reagrdless of the season. In the warmer months, visitors need to take precautions to avoid overexposure to sun, wind and biting insects. It is advisable to wear a hat as needed, as well as long sleeve and long pants when conditions warrant. In winter, it is important to dress in layers and keep one's head covered, to avoid exposure, and potentially, hypothermia.

Accessibility
Accessible facilities and services are located throughout the park. The Salt Pond Visitor Center is accessible to people using wheelchairs. The Province Lands Visitor Center is accessible via a moderately steep ramp way. A beach sand wheelchair is available during the summer at Coast Guard Beach in Eastham and Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown. The Doane Rock area provides a wheelchair accessible trail. Portions of the Red Maple Swamp Trail are also accessible to people using wheelchairs. Various overlooks throughout the park are suited for wheelchair access. All of the major rest rooms at the visitor centers, park headquarters, and beaches are accessible. Service for hearing impaired and vision impaired individuals are also provided at the visitor centers. Ask at visitor centers for a brochure describing accessible features.

Getting Around
State, town, and National Park Service roadways provide year-round access to and through the National Seashore. Off-road vehicle use is restricted to limited portions of the outer beach (a seasonal permit is required, and off-road vehicles must comply with specified standards and regulations). The Cape Cod Rail Trail bicycle trail extends from Dennis, MA to South Wellfleet, MA (mid-point in the National Seashore). There are three additional paved bicycle trails within the park.

FEES/PERMITS

Entrance Fee
BEACH ENTRANCE
$7 for Day
$1 for Day
$20 for Annual
Beach entrance fees are collected from late June through early September when lifeguards are on duty. $7 is for daily vehicle; $1 for daily pedestrian or bicyclist; a $20 seasonal pass permits entry for a vehicle for the entire beach fee collection season.

Special Use Permits
OFF-ROAD VEHICLE
$40 for 7 Days
$65 for 7 Months
$110 for 7 Months
Off-road vehicle permits are available for use on Cape Cod National Seashore's off-road driving corridor. A seven day permit is available for $40. A permit for mid-April through mid-November is available for $65. Self-contained recreational vehicles may obtain a permit for mid-April through mid-November that allows for overnight stays for $110. All permits are obtained through Race Point Ranger Station in Provincetown.

CAMPING

There are no National Park Service operated campgrounds at Cape Cod National Seashore.
Cape Cod National Seashore does not offer camping. Nickerson State Park is a nearby state campground and can be reached at (508)896-3491. Contact the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce at (888)33-CapeCod to find out about privately-owned campgrounds within the park and in surrounding towns.

LODGING

Contact the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce for lodging information

FACILITIES

Visitor Centers
PROVINCE LANDS VISITOR CENTER
Phone - (508)487-1256
Location - The Province Lands Visitor Center is located on Race Point Road, off Route 6, at the northern end of Cape Cod National Seashore, approximately one mile from Provincetown.
Special Programs - A wide variety of ranger-guided activites are offered throughout the year. See the extended home page for the current and upcoming schedule.
Exhibits - The observation deck at this Visitor Center provides a 360-degree view of the Province Lands dunes, the Outer Beach and the Atlantic Ocean. From this location you can see Ranger Point Ranger Station, Race Point Beach, the Old Harbor Life-Saving Station and the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown. Exhibits about local plants and animals and the Pilgrim's landing in Provincetown are featured.
Available Facilities - The indoor theater screens several movies a day on a rotating schedule. Eastern National has a bookstore outlet stocking books, tapes, videos, toys and gifts all related to some aspect of Cape Cod and the National Seashore.

SALT POND VISITOR CENTER
Open All Year 9 - 4:30 P.M daily, extended hours in the summer
Phone - (508)255-3421
Location - Salt Pond Visitor Center is located at the corner of Nauset Road and Route 6 in Eastham.
Special Programs - Salt Pond Visitor Center is Cape Cod National Seashore's main visitor facility, with orientation movies on the half hour, a well stocked bookstore, a comprehensive museum and restroom facilities.
Exhibits - The museum collection at the Visitor Center reflects the vast range of natural and cultural themes represented on Cape Cod. Quotes highlight themes that the museum's exhibits encompass, along with artwork from prominent artists. In the atrium, the museum offers highlights of the Cape's complex natural composition. Realistic models of native plants and mounted animal specimens emphasize the rich and diverse natural history of the Outer Cape. Displays cover salt marsh plants and animals, beach dynamics, upland plant communities and prominent residential and migratory birds.
Available Facilities - The indoor theater offers four short films daily on a rotating schedule. The Visitor Center is also convenient to the popular 1.5 mile Nauset Marsh Trail and the Buttonbush Trail, a .25 mile multi-sensory trail that featuring a guide rope and text panels printed in large lettering and Braille.

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