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ballston beach truro

4 Beautiful Walks on Cape Cod | A Local’s Favorite Spots!


I believe in the mental health benefits of hiking and being outdoors. Surrounded by nature, the earthy smells and sounds of birds and insects have a calming effect. Although they aren’t twisty backcountry mountain trails, there are many spots to enjoy leisurely walks on Cape Cod.

In this post, I’ll share my favorite places to stretch my legs and enjoy the views and sometimes even the solitude of the trail.

bearberry hill overlook to ballston beach in truro, massachusetts. one of four beautiful walks on cape cod
View of Ballston Beach from the top of the hill on Bearberry Hill Trail. Truro, Massachusetts. (c) Brittany Quaglieri

4 Beautiful Walks On Cape Cod

In no particular order, here are my favorites.

1. Bearberry Hill Trail

Location: Truro, Massachusetts

Tucked away in the sandy hills of Truro, Bearberry Hill is as beautiful to see as it is fun to say.

You can reach Bearberry Hill by walking the Pamet Area Trails in the Cape Cod National Seashore. On this walk, you can visit an old cranberry bog house, maintained to look as it did when cranberry farmers actively used it a century ago.

Once you reach the top of the hill, take in the beautiful view of Ballston Beach.

historic cranberry bog house on bearberry hill trail in truro, massachusetts
The old cranberry bog house on Bearberry Hill Trail. Truro, Massachusetts. (c) Brittany Quaglieri

Directions: 111 North Pamet Road. Take Truro Center/Pamet Roads exit off Route 6 in Truro. Proceed 1.5 miles on North Pamet Road to the end. The trail begins at the parking area adjacent to the Environmental Education Center, which doubles as a hostel during the summer months.

sunset over the marsh at the bass hole boardwalk in Yarmouth, massachusetts
Sunset at Bass Hole. Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts. (c) Brittany Quaglieri

2. Bass Hole Boardwalk

Location: Yarmouth, Massachusetts

This boardwalk has easily been on my “all-time top 10 places on Cape Cod” list for a long time. Make sure to bring a camera!

Gorgeous sunsets abound on Cape Cod Bay, and the Bass Hole Boardwalk puts you front and center to view them. Plan your walk at Bass Hole for just before sunset to catch the sun dip below the calm waters of the bay. As you walk to the end of the boardwalk, read all the planks personalized by locals and dedicated to their loved ones.

Directions: The Gray’s Beach parking lot, located at 400 Center Street in Yarmouth Port, is the best place to park your car.

uncle tim's bridge in wellfleet, massachusetts
Uncle Tim’s Bridge, leading to an island of the same name. Enjoy the trails along the water’s edge overlooking Wellfleet Harbor. Wellfleet, Massachusetts. (c) Brittany Quaglieri

3. Uncle Tim’s Bridge

Location: Wellfleet, Massachusetts

A walk over this narrow, wooden bridge leads Uncle Tim’s Island in Wellfleet Bay. I’m not sure which was named first, the bridge or the island.

At low tide, you can see clam shells scattered among the roots of trees and fiddler crabs scurrying about the muddy marsh. Spring is my favorite time to take in the delightful view of blooming cherry trees along the short walk from Wellfleet’s quaint Main Street.

Directions: The best place to park your car is in the public lot behind Wellfleet Town Hall. Then cross the street to the Wellfleet Market Place and continue down Bank Street to a fork in the road on Commercial Street. Continue to East Commercial Street to the left. Uncle Tim’s Bridge will be across the street on your right-hand side.

the lowered train bridge at the cape cod canal in bourne, massachusetts
A train crossing the railroad bridge over the Cape Cod Canal is always a sight to see. Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. (c) Brittany Quaglieri

4. Cape Cod Canal

Location: Bourne, Massachusetts

This is no meandering path weaving through beach grass or Atlantic White Cedar.

It’s a paved path, a service road, in fact, that leads you to some of the most breathtaking sunsets you will ever see. Line things up just right, and you can capture the sun setting over the water and through two of Cape Cod’s bridges.

Sit on the edge of the canal and watch tiny tugboats and giant cruise ships pass by. Or chat with the fisherman pulling in their traps while you have a picnic lunch.

Unlike the other trails on this list, with its perfectly paved path, this trail is also perfect for a 15-mile round-trip bike or rollerblade ride and a great spot to walk your dog.

volunteers eating lunch at the cape cod canal
A group of volunteers enjoys lunch on the bank of the Cape Cod Canal. Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. (c) Brittany Quaglieri

Directions: Service roads run parallel to the canal on both sides, and there are several recreation areas with access to the trail. My go-to area is the Buzzards Bay Recreation Area at the southern end of the canal next to the railroad bridge. There is a large parking lot behind the Krua Thai restaurant on Main Street in Buzzards Bay. From here, walk or bike north beneath the Bourne Bridge, and if you’re ambitious, on to the Sagamore Bridge.

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A Cape Cod local's favorite places to stretch their legs and enjoy the views, and sometimes even the solitude, of the trail. | things to do on Cape Cod, Yarmouth, Bourne, Wellfleet, Truro, hiking trails on Cape Cod, things to do for free on Cape Cod, things to do on Cape Cod in the fall, things to do on Cape Cod in the winter
A Cape Cod local's favorite places to stretch their legs and enjoy the views, and sometimes even the solitude, of the trail. | things to do on Cape Cod, Yarmouth, Bourne, Wellfleet, Truro, hiking trails on Cape Cod, things to do for free on Cape Cod, things to do on Cape Cod in the fall, things to do on Cape Cod in the winter


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One Comment

  1. I used to live in gray gables and ride my bike to and down the canal to sandwich. Miss this ride so much