GET OUTSIDE

Bass Hole Boardwalk – Yarmouthport
The Bass Hole Boardwalk stretches across lush marshland adjacent to Gray's Beach. As you walk along this 860-foot boardwalk, look for the osprey nest across the marsh to your left. Chapin Beach in Dennis is to your right. The buildings in the distance to the right are part of Aquacultural Research Corporation. This Cape company breeds quahogs which are planted in beds in Cape waters until large enough to harvest and sell. Straight off the end of the boardwalk in the distance is Sandy Neck Light.  While enjoying the surrounding scenery and sunsets here, look below the boardwalk as well. Small fish, fiddler crabs, horseshoe crabs and other wildlife live in the shallow waters. The Callery-Darling walking trails, small playground and a picnic area are also nearby. The sand bars at low tide are simply magnificent. 

Whale & Seal Watches
There are a number of whale watch boats out of Hyannis, Barnstable and Provincetown. Barnstable and Provincetown will get you to the whale feeding grounds at Stellwagen Bank in the shortest time. Seal watches leave from Chatham. On a seal watch, you might get lucky and see a great white shark! Both whale and seal watches are an unforgettable Cape Cod experience.

Great Marsh Kayak Tours
Take an easy paddle down Parker's River in Yarmouth which mixes Cape Cod living with beautiful marsh lands. On your way out to Seagull Beach you'll experience many different shorebirds and get up close and personal with the resident osprey! They also offer tours into Eastham's Nauset Marsh to paddle through the various tidal channels towards the outer beach and Atlantic Ocean. On this journey you will encounter various shorebirds, marine creatures and may even encounter the resident seals! Check out Great Marsh Kayak Tours.

Biking on the Cape Cod Rail Trail 
The Cape Cod Rail Trail bike path follows a former railroad for 25 miles through the towns of Yarmouth, Dennis, Harwich, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham and Wellfleet. Its paved surface, few hills, and well-marked street crossings make it ideal for cyclists. There are several opportunities to get off the trail and visit a beach. Public restrooms can be found at Nickerson State Park, Salt Pond Visitors’ Center at Cape Cod National Seashore and the National Seashore Headquarters. Bike rentals are available at the trailhead in South Dennis.

Insider's Tip: Jump on the Rail Trail in South Yarmouth just a quick 1 mile ride from SEAS THE DAY and enjoy a brand new stretch of the trail that crosses over beautiful Bass River on a new bike/pedestrian bridge opened in 2018! 

​If you're feeling adventurous, you can bike to the end of the trail in Wellfleet and reward yourself with a delicious French pastry or lunch at PB Boulangerie Bistro just a few hundred feet away. You earned it.

Lighthouses
Since very early in its history, Cape Cod's shores have featured lighthouses which warn ships of the danger of its constantly moving and dangerous shoals. There are many lighthouses on Cape Cod including:
Upper Cape: Wings Neck (Bourne), Nobska Light (Falmouth)
​Mid Cape: Sandy Neck (Barnstable), Lewis Bay (Hyannis)
Lower Cape: Chatham Light (Chatham), Monomoy (Chatham), Stage Harbor (Chatham)
​Outer Cape: Wood End (Provincetown), Race Point Light (Provincetown), Long Point (Provincetown), Mayo Beach (Wellfleet), Nauset Light (Eastham), Highland Light (Truro)

Insider's Tip:
Take a free lighthouse tour! Chatham Lighthouse, built in 1877, is one of four active lighthouses on the Cape. Climb the 44 stairs and 8 ladder steps to see the lights up close and enjoy a spectacular ocean view - and maybe spot a great white shark in the waters below! The Coast Guard Auxiliary gives this great tour. Tour schedule is here.

The dunes of Provincetown
The parabolic dunes that line the outer edges of Provincetown at the tip of the Cape are simply otherwordly. Part of the Cape Cod National Seashore, they offer miles of walking and biking trails and some of the most stunning scenery anywhere. Nestled in the dunes are the famous dune shacks. During the mid-1900s, the dune shacks were inhabited by many of the most famous creative minds in the world, including ​Eugene O'Neill, Jack Kerouac, Norman Mailer, Jackson Pollock, Tennessee Williams, Mark Rothko, e.e. cummings and others. On our last visit, we passed the historic dune shack where Tennessee Williams finished A Streetcar Named Desire! 

Insider's Tip: Take a guided dune tour with Art's Dune Tours. Their knowledgeable guides will explain the history of the area and point out interesting flora and fauna. On our last tour, we saw a whale spouting from the beach!

Bass Hole Boardwalk

Chatham seals showing off their bellies

Cape Cod Rail Trail

Sandy Neck Light

The dunes of Provincetown