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Cape Cod

Chapter 26: The National Seashore
By Robert Finch
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About This Book

A concise handbook surveys the peninsula’s natural and cultural history, explaining its glacial origins, dynamic shores, dunes and marshes, and seasonal rhythms. It documents traditional maritime lifeways, coastal industries, and vernacular landscapes while examining recent environmental changes, erosion, and conservation efforts under national seashore management. The middle chapters explore terrestrial and marine processes and human impacts, supplemented by pictorial features and informational inserts. A final section provides practical travel-oriented reference material, maps, and visitor guidance to help readers appreciate and navigate both the region’s ecology and its cultural heritage.

The National Seashore

The National Park Service operates two major visitor centers in Cape Cod National Seashore.

The Salt Pond Visitor Center on U.S. 6 in Eastham has an information desk, exhibits on the natural and human history of the Cape, audiovisual shows, a bookstore, and special programs. A foot trail from the center goes by Nauset Marsh; the bike path leads to the beach. The Buttonbush Trail, with special features for the blind, is located next to the visitor center parking lot. Ask about other facilities and services accessible to those with disabilities.

The Province Lands Visitor Center in Provincetown is smaller than the one at Salt Pond, but it offers similar services. Exhibits and guided walks focus on the life of the dunes.

Both visitor centers are open daily from spring until late fall, and the staffs at both centers offer guided walks, talks, and evening programs on the Cape’s natural and human history. The many subjects include life of the marshes, seashore ecology, geology, archeology, birdlife, Indians, early settlers, and architecture. These services are provided daily in the summer and on a reduced basis in the spring and from Labor Day through Columbus Day. Ask for schedules at the visitor centers.

The Race Point Ranger Station in Provincetown provides year-round informational services. Informational services also are available in the winter at the Salt Pond Visitor Center and at park headquarters in South Wellfleet.

Environmental Education

The National Seashore is host to 2 environmental education centers that accommodate educational groups on an advanced booking basis during the school year. For further information, write to the National Seashore.

Camping

There are no campgrounds operated by the National Park Service, but a number of private commercial campgrounds are located within the boundaries of the National Seashore. Otherwise camping on park lands is prohibited. The Roland C. Nickerson State Park, on Mass. 6A in nearby Brewster, offers camping on a first-come, first-served basis from mid-April to mid-October; there are no trailer hookups. The park address is Main Street, Brewster, MA 02631-0003, and the telephone number is 508-896-3491. For information about private campgrounds, write or telephone the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce (see below).

The National Seashore is a place of discovery, a place to find bird tracks, horseshoe crabs, shells, polished stones, and life along trails.

Travel Services

Restaurants, hotels, motels, gifts shops, stores, gasoline stations, and other facilities are located in nearby towns and villages. Lodging reservations are essential in July and August. For information and to make reservations, write: Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, Routes 6 and 132, Hyannis, MA 02601-0016; or telephone: 508-362-3225.

Further Information

For specific inquiries about the Seashore prior to or after a visit, write: Superintendent, Cape Cod National Seashore, 99 Marconi Site Road, Wellfleet, MA 02667; or telephone 508-349-3785. Call the Salt Pond Visitor Center at 508-255-3421, or the Province Lands Visitor Center (closed in winter) at 508-487-1256.