Biking the Cape Cod Rail Trail | Frugal Frolicker

This post was last updated on 2024 September 21

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What does your ideal Cape Cod vacation look like?

If it’s anything like mine, it’ll involve beach hopping from bay side to ocean side, sampling as much clam chowder as you can stomach, making a trip up to Provincetown for shopping and general merriment, and perhaps a night at the Wellfleet drive-in.

But with my last 3 Cape Cod jaunts, I’ve added one more endeavor to the must-do list: biking the Cape Cod Rail Trail.

Planning a trip to Cape Cod?

These are the sites I use and recommend for booking travel:

ACCOMMODATION IN CAPE COD: I always search on Booking.com for accommodation, as their Genius loyalty program offers 10-20% discounts and free breakfast/upgrades for certain hotels.

FLIGHTS TO USA: When researching flights, I always check Skyscanner first because it pulls in flight options across all airlines and saves you the trouble of searching each airline individually. When booking flights via Skyscanner, I always book directly with the airline rather than one of the third party options.

CAR RENTALS IN CAPE COD: When renting a car on your travels, check DiscoverCars.com for the best deals.

ACTIVITIES IN CAPE COD: If you’re looking to book tours or other organized activities on your travels, GetYourGuide and Viator both offer myriad options for fun things to do all around the world (think: sailing trips, cooking classes, city walking tours, and more).

TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR USA: Unless you can easily afford to pay for huge unexpected medical bills, DON’T TRAVEL WITHOUT TRAVEL INSURANCE! These days, I usually buy the Safety Wing nomad insurance, as it’s very affordable and caters to digital nomads with a monthly subscription option. I’ve also been a longtime World Nomads user, and will still use them if I need more comprehensive insurance (e.g. for adventure activities) or if I am visiting the US (Americans aren’t eligible for Safety Wing’s US add-on option).

ESIM / SIM CARDS FOR USA: When traveling overseas, I always purchase an eSIM from Sims Direct for the country I’m going to, activate it before I depart, and as soon as I arrive I am automatically connected to the local network and can easily find my way to my accommodation. No need to to buy a local SIM card at the airport; eSIMs are fully electronic and don’t require you to take out your old SIM.

LUGGAGE: I am currently a July luggage girl (July Australia / July US). They offer a lifetime warranty, which I have used multiple times now – and every time, they have sent me a brand new replacement suitcase without hassle. I recommend their Checked Plus if traveling with 32kg/70lb of luggage (note: many airlines do not allow bags this heavy!), the Checked if traveling with 23kg/50lb of luggage, and the Carry On Light (Expanded) which is super lightweight and really helps you stay within the 7kg carry-on limit that many Aussie airlines enforce. Click to read my full review of July luggage.

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About the Cape Cod Rail Trail

A paved pathway running about 28 miles from Yarmouth north to Wellfleet, the Cape Cod Rail Trail makes for a safe and scenic ride up the central Cape. It runs alongside what used to be the Cape Cod railroad tracks, which were torn up in the 1960s in favor of bridges and America’s beloved automobile. With nary a remnant, it’s hard to envision freight trains once rumbling up and down the Cape, though.

The Cape Cod Rail Trail passes through 7 towns: Yarmouth, Dennis, Harwich, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham and Wellfleet. There are bike rental shops all along the way, just off the trail – most of which will let you park your car for the day. Rates are very affordable, and vary by outlet (more details on this below).

Photo Credit: New England Vacations Guide

The CCRT travels through a variety of landscapes, from ponds to forest to cranberry bogs, and is occasionally broken up by some short road segments where you’ll need to ride your bike in vehicular traffic until you reach the trail again. The trail is very clearly signed throughout though, so you should be easily able to find your way back to the trail from the road when it’s broken up like this.

One of the highlights of biking the Cape Cod Rail Trail is stopping off along the way in the various Cape towns, whether it’s to grab a morning coffee to preface your ride or an ice cream to cool off in the afternoon, or to detour to a beach for an hour or two. I highly recommend allowing extra time on your ride to explore some Cape Cod towns by bike (some tips for where to stop are below!).

Don’t have a bike? No worries – there are plenty of bike rentals on the Cape Cod Rail Trail!

Nauset Light Beach.

Northern trailhead: Wellfleet (see map here)

Southern trailhead: Yarmouth (see map here)

2024 UPDATE: The CCRT is in the process of being extended on the south end, from Dennis into Yarmouth. It’s slated for completion in 2026, and the new trailhead will be approximately here.

Bike Rentals on the Cape Cod Rail Trail

There are lots of bike rental shops all along and near the Cape Cod Rail Trail where you can borrow a bike to ride for one or more days. You can usually get a better rate if you rent for a longer amount of time (e.g. a weekly rental). As of June 2024, the best rates I could find for bike rentals on the Cape Cod Rail Trail were $25-30/day or $100/week for a road bike rental. Electric bikes and tandem bikes are at least twice as expensive.

These are the bike shops where I’ve rented a bike from before, all of which I enthusiastically recommend:

Otherwise, just search on Google Maps for bike rentals near where you’re staying on the Cape, or from whatever town you’d like to start your bike ride from. A quick glance at Google Maps turned up about 15 bike rental shops along the Cape Cod Rail Trail, so your options are plentiful.

As I mentioned before, you should be able to park your car at the bike shop and leave it there while you’re off biking for the day.

Nauset Light Beach.

What’s the Cape Cod Rail Trail like?

Um, awesome. Or did you want a bit more than that?

The scenery along the Cape Cod Rail Trail is quite diverse

There are cranberry bogs in Dennis, though I didn’t photograph them because they’re rather bland looking outside of harvest season. Visit in the fall, and you’ll see vibrant red just off the trail.

Through Harwich, you’ll pass by several lakes that’ll make you question whether you came to the Cape to see the beaches. The trail enters the town of Brewster at Nickerson State Park, where my family spent many a camping trip back in the day. From Brewster to Orleans, the scenery goes from marshes to forest.

In Eastham and Wellfleet, the trail meets Rt 6, where you can veer off to stop at an ocean beach. Coast Guard, Nauset Light, Marconi, and Lecount Hollow are excellent (albeit crowded) options. A few hours picnicking and resting on the beach, and you’ll be good to hop back on the trail.

The ponds in Harwich

Brewster

The Cape Cod Rail Trail is a flat trail that you can customize to your own style

You can make the CCRT as long or short, leisurely or demanding, as you wish. There are families that stick together on the trail, keeping pace with the slowest member of their clan, that you’ll likely want to pass by. But there are also people in proper cycling attire with fancier bikes who are in it to rack up miles and therefore whip past everyone on the trail.

You can bike the whole Cape Cod bike trail, or just a segment of it – at any pace. Every .1 of a mile there are mile markers spray painted on the ground, informing cyclists how far into the trail they are, and which town they’re currently in.

What’s more, you don’t even have to cycle! There are plenty of folks who walk, run, scooter, or rollerblade instead.

Forest in Orleans

What to do near the Cape Cod Rail Trail

With the summer heat and inevitably stiff bike seats you’ll be enduring, taking breaks on the rail trail is necessary. The CCRT constantly criss-crosses with actual roads, so you can easily get off to find food, drink, or supplies.

Here are a few of my recommendations for pit stops along the Cape Cod Rail Trail:

Grab a sandwich or some clams at Cobie’s in Brewster
Visit the Brewster General Store and browse the unique goods on offer (they have Tiddlywinks!), or order some of the best fudge on the Cape
Get your woo on at Earth House in Orleans and stock up on crystals, incense, and music memorabilia (this place is a longstanding favorite of my family’s!)
Stop for coffee, chocolate, or ice cream at Hot Chocolate Sparrow in Orleans
Get off at the Salt Pond Visitors Center in Eastham and bike the 2 mile trail to Coast Guard Beach
Satisfy your sweet tooth in Orleans with ice cream at the Ice Cream Cafe, or pastries at Cottage Street Bakery (their specialty is the “dirt bomb” ;)
Go for a swim at Lecount Hollow Beach (north end of the CCRT) or Marconi Beach, both in Wellfleet

Getting off the trail around Nauset.

Coast Guard Beach in Eastham.

Lecount Hollow Beach in Wellfleet.

SEARCH FOR ACCOMMODATION IN CAPE COD:

FAQ for the Cape Cod Rail Trail

How long does it take to do the Cape Cod Rail Trail?
Without stopping, it should take about 2.5 hours to bike the whole Cape Cod Rail Trail, depending on your speed. However, stopping off the CCRT along the way is a highlight of the journey, so you should definitely allow yourself more time to bike the rail trail. Also, you can choose to bike just a segment of the trail rather than the whole thing, which will save you some time.

Is the Cape Cod Rail Trail worth it?
Definitely! It’s very easy riding and you’ll see a lot of lovely landscapes with just a little effort.

What is the prettiest part of the Cape Cod Rail Trail?
The segment of the trail passing by Hinckleys Pond / Seymour Pond / Long Pond in Harwich/Brewster is very pretty. The part of the trail running through Nickerson State Park in Brewster has some very tall, pretty, and aromatic pine trees.

How long is the Cape Cod Trail?
The Cape Cod Rail Trail runs for about 25 miles.

What is the most scenic part of Cape Cod Rail Trail?
If you’re there during cranberry harvest season (~October), the vibrant cranberry bogs in Harwich are a gorgeous sight to see.

Where does the Cape Cod Rail Trail start and end?
The Cape Cod Rail Trail runs from Wellfleet (trailhead here) to Yarmouth (trailhead here as of 2024, and here as of 2026), and you can bike it in either direction.

Can you walk the Cape Cod Rail Trail, or do you have to bike?
Yes, you can absolutely walk the Cape Cod Rail Trail! Bikers and pedestrians share the path. E-bikes are also allowed on the Cape Cod Rail Trail.

Where to park for the Cape Cod Rail Trail?
The easiest thing to do is park wherever you rent a bike for the Cape Cod Rail Trail, and then bike to the trail from there. Many bike rental places are positioned right next to, or very close to, the trail.

What is the best section of the Cape Cod Rail Trail?
The whole trail is glorious, but for me, the section between Harwich and Orleans is the best section of the CCRT.

Planning a trip to Cape Cod?

These are the sites I use and recommend for booking travel:

ACCOMMODATION IN CAPE COD: I always search on Booking.com for accommodation, as their Genius loyalty program offers 10-20% discounts and free breakfast/upgrades for certain hotels.

CAR RENTALS IN CAPE COD: When renting a car on your travels, check DiscoverCars.com for the best deals.