Towns border park property, so you are as likely to be near a restaurant, bar, or shop as you are a beach or hiking trail. There are no campgrounds operated by the National Park Service, but there are plenty of private ones on the cape, as there are hotels and bed and breakfasts. The Great Island Trail is one of the most scenic hikes from all National Parks on the east coast, and certainly the best of any National Seashore other than trails at Point Reyes National Seashore in California. There are a dozen hiking trails and more then ten miles of paved multi-use trails that are open to pedestrians, bikers, and skaters within Cape Cod National Seashore. And of course fishing is allowed with the proper state fishing license. During the summer, park Rangers lead canoe trips at various locations, so you don’t even need a boat to enjoy an afternoon of paddling. Canoeing and kayaking is also popular on the rivers, ponds, and bays. Four lighthouses and the Old Harbor Life Saving Station are open to the public during the summer season, and the National Park Service offers tours of two historical homes. While most people think of Cape Cod as a beach resort, there are plenty of other actives as well. There is a parking fee for every one of them regardless of which government is involved, so be sure you know which parking passes to obtain in order to enjoy your favorite beaches. Furthermore, many of the beaches within the park are still managed by the local towns there are only six beaches managed by the National Park Service. Many land owners have made deals with the National Park Service to transfer control of their property to the park upon their deaths, and the government often buys private properties when they go up for sale, so the park is always expanding. Not wanting another Great Smoky Mountains National Park debacle, where land owners were forced out, those who did not want to sell to the government were allowed to keep their homes and businesses, so there is plenty of private property within the boundaries of park. That total has since more than doubled and includes the entire Atlantic Ocean shoreline of the outer and lower cape. The park opened to the public in 1965, with the National Park Service controlling around 20,000 acres of land. After many years of negotiating, President John Kennedy signed the bill to create Cape Cod National Seashore in 1961. In the mid-1950s, talks of a park resurfaced, but there was stiff resistance from local residents who didn’t want the government dictating their way of life. The idea was hatched all the way back in the late 1930s, but interest quickly waned as World War II took center stage. Coast Guard Beach at Cape Cod National Seashore PARK OVERVIEWĬape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts was created to stem real estate development on the outer cape of Cape Cod, which by now might well be wall-to-wall resorts had it not been for the park.
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