Hikes near Sandwich, MA?

I will be staying with friends on Cape Cod (Sandwich) over the weekend, and will be more or less on my own on Saturday. Any suggestions for a pleasant three to four hour hike, as the forecast looks good at this stage?

Thanks!!!

Many years ago I walked out toe the site where Marconi had an antenna for his trans Atlantic radio work. I remember the area was nice with high dunes and a beautiful shoreline. I think it is within what is a park these days. The beach hordes probably be bad this time of year.

Trail Bandit said:

Many years ago I walked out toe the site where Marconi had an antenna for his trans Atlantic radio work. I remember the area was nice with high dunes and a beautiful shoreline. I think it is within what is a park these days. The beach hordes probably be bad this time of year.

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The Atlantic White Cedar Trail (just W of the Marconi Station--TH is off the parking lot) is my favorite walk on the Cape. http://www.nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/upload/AtlanticWhiteCedarcolor.pdf

There are lots of walks in the National Seashore--perhaps you can string several together to make a 3--4 hour total. http://www.nps.gov/caco/index.htm A number are listed at http://www.nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/outdooractivities.htm

Doug

I used to live and work in Sandwich for a time in my early 20s. Like Doug, I also LOVE the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail (it is absolutely magical) as well as the trail at Fort Hill site in Eastham and at the National Seashore Salt Pond Visitor Center there. If you go as far as Brewster the trails at the Cape Cod Musuem of Natural History on 6A are fantastic and Nickerson State Park is just down the road, too. Right in SAndwich there is also Sandwich Town Beach, which is hardly a walk at all but the boardwalk through the dunes is really lovely and there is some rocky beach/tidepools due to the currents here on the other side of the canal. Have fun!

You can pick something from here:

Or if you want company you can do this:
[URL="http://activities.outdoors.org/search/index.cfm/action/details/id/63677"]

Charlie

The Audubon Sanctuary in Wellfleet has some nice trails and a little further into Wellfleet the Great Island Trail is probably the most diverse with Cape Cod Bay beach frontage as well as frontage on the edges of the marsh and bay at Wellfleet Harbor. You can make the latter a very long hike if you choose, maybe 8 miles or more depending on the tide ... but beware the flooding tide doesn't catch up with you.

Closer to Sandwich we frequently enjoy the walk out to the breakwater at the entrance to Waquoit Bay in Mashpee's South Cape Beach. You can walk along the soft beach on the Vineyard Sound side and make a loop with a walk along the Bay side and there is the remains of a paved road reverting to nature and the dunes between Sound and Bay. South Cape Beach is a state park but the best place to park is at the town beach lot. There are also several woods trails including a couple to salt water ponds.

Vacationed for years here before I started hiking. The walk over the boards at the town beach is wonderful. The Cape Cod Canal also has a paved bike path you can pedal or walk on. It starts in the area of the marina, goes under both bridges and ends near the railroad bridge beyond the Bourne Bridge.