![]() There are signs posted on the beaches stating such, and closures for shark sightings are not uncommon. GREAT WHITE SHARKS! I’m not making this up. Of course seals are cute, and spotting them is a big thrill…until you realize what likes to eat them. The third strike is mainly due to paranoia-and you can probably discount what I’m about to say-but you are bound to see plenty of seals swimming in the water. Prolonged swimming in water between 60° and 70º can result in hypothermia. I was at Cape Cod National Seashore on July 24 th and the water temperature was 63° (temperatures are posted on bulletin boards at each beach). The second knock against the Cape Cod beaches-and this applies to any beach north of Virginia-is that the water is just damn cold! Summer water temperatures average 69° F (July-September), compared to the low 80s down in Florida. If I was wearing my water shoes-mess shoes used to walk in rivers and creeks-the situation would have been much improved, but alas, the thought of wearing them never crossed my mind. Call me a sissy, but the trek from my beach chair to the water was sheer agony, and to make matters worse, the rocks extend into the water, so there’s no relief once you get in the ocean. ![]() I, on the other hand, spoiled by the soft, sandy beaches of Georgia and Florida, have feet so baby soft that it hurts me just to walk on asphalt. The people of Massachusetts must have half-inch thick callouses on the bottoms of their feet, or at least they can enjoy themselves without showing any signs of pain. During a 2021 visit, I most of the National Park Service beaches had little to no rocks, which was a big surprise. In 2015 there were so many rocks on the beaches that kids were building rock castles, and that’s no exaggeration. It’s the small rocks and pebbles that can cause problems, though things change each year. Cape Cod is comprised of what is known as glacial till, which is simply the scientific name for small rocks, pebbles, clay, and sand left behind by glaciers over 18,000 years ago. The problem is threefold, but most importantly, it’s the geography of the cape that is the main culprit. I go to swim, and as far as swimming is concerned, the beaches at Cape Cod are far from the best that I’ve been to, and I’ve been to beaches on every coastal state in America other than Alaska. Now, I’m not going to discount their beauty-with their high dunes and cliffs, they are as pretty as any in the United States-but I don’t go to the beach to paint landscapes. You must bring everything with you-food, drinks, chairs, umbrellas, etc.īeaches on Cape Cod often find their way onto Top Ten lists of the most beautiful beaches in the world. While each beach has restrooms, changing rooms, and outdoor rinse-off showers, other than a snack bar at Herring Cove Beach, there are no other amenities. For the latest prices, visit the National Park Service’s official Fees and Passes web page. Keep in mind that neither of these passes is good for entry into town-managed beaches, even those within the National Seashore boundary. Both are valid for access to National Park Service-managed beaches at Cape Cod, while the National Park Pass will also get you into any other National Park that charges an entrance fee. You can get an annual Cape Cod National Seashore pass for $60, or an annual National Park Pass for $80. ![]() At the time of this writing, fees range from $25/day for vehicle parking to $10 for those arriving on foot or bike. As mentioned, there is also a fee to use these beaches during the summer season: daily from late June through Labor day, and on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day through the end of September. You are free to hike the entire coastline within the park in search of the perfect beach, but only established beaches have lifeguards on duty (late June through Labor Day). Since National Park Planner is a National Park review site, only the six beaches managed by the National Park Service will be discussed. While most people visiting Cape Cod make no distinction between the beaches, 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 purchase in order to enjoy your favorite beaches. Only six beaches are managed by the National Park Service. ![]() There are at least two dozen town-managed beaches on the outer cape, many that are within the National Seashore boundary on federal property. Cape Cod National Seashore encompasses the entire Atlantic Ocean coastline of the outer cape of Cape Cod, plus sections of Cape Cod Bay, but not all of the established beaches are run by the National Park Service. ![]()
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