Nickerson State Park is the official trail head and overseer of the trail. The Rail Trail itself extends over 11 miles in each direction from the park and the park itself has some great paths if you like to climb. Most consider the western end of the trail as its start. The entrance is located on Route 134 in Dennis just south of Route 6. Riding out you will soon cross into Harwich where you'll get the trail's first great offerings of real Cape Cod scenery. The trail enters the Harwich Conservation Lands and crosses Herring Run with a great vista of the river and its marshes. Further along you pass Thompson's cranberry bog. After shooting through a tunnel, a trip around the rotary (yes, we build them for bikes too!) and a hop over the new bridge comes the Pleasant Lake area of Harwich. Here you'll bike by Hinkeley's, Seymour's and Long Ponds before entering Brewster.

In Brewster you'll gently glide down towards the bay through tall forests, rolling hollows and small kettle ponds. At Underpass Road You'll find several eateries including the Box Lunch which is located next to a bike shop should you be in need of service. A nice new stretch of pavement takes you from there through another tunnel and past wide-spread bramble into Nickerson State Park. Facilities are available at the park as well as a great network of paved and unpaved trails with some pretty good climbs and descents. Leaving the Park you ride under Route 6A and roll towards Orleans past the Namskaket Creek barrier beach and salt marsh with the salty sense of the bay in the distance. In Orleans at West Rd you will have to cross a bridge with traffic. It's only a few hundred yards and will connect you with the bike path on the other side which will take you into Orleans Center. Here you'll have the opportunity to do some village things up and down Main Street before continuing onto the brand new (spring '03) connection to the new bridge spanning both Route 6 and Rock Harbor Road.

You can still opt to take the 'old trail' down Main Street to Rock Harbor and reconnect to the trail at the Courthouse. The safe lanes that existed will be maintained for the immediate future.

Past the Bridge, the trail takes you through the Boat Meadow River marshlands and past a couple more small kettle ponds. A detour at Locust street to the Salt Pond Visitor Center will make a great stop and connect you with the Nauset Trail, a 1.5 mile path which takes you past the Great Nauset marsh and out to the Seashore beaches. Some describe the ride past Locust Street as scenically uneventful. But if you want to keep riding, its wide, newly paved and less traveled. So crank it up! At the end of the trail in South Wellfleet you can pick up routes to nearby Marconi and LeCount Hollow beaches.

Got Bikes? Start here! We have ample parking and a full service shop to get you on your way. Maps, sun lotion, bug spray- you need it, we have it! Minor repairs usually done on the spot. Advice and information provided with a smile. We'll even help you find a room or campsite.

Or just stop by for a blast of free air! Take a break and grab an ice cream sandwich or a Nantucket Nectar and check out our classic and antique bikes or bike license plates from around the world.

CCRT RECONSTRUCTION: On June 5, 2004, Nickerson State Park hosted the Cape Cod Rail Trail Jam. The event drew hundreds of cyclists and families alike. The purpose of the event was to celebrate the resource that is the Rail Trail, its popularity and its age. At 25 years the old trail is in pretty tough shape. This past fall Governor Romney announced at a press conference on the trail in Harwich that $5 million dollars would be allocated for reconstruction of the trail over the next 2 and a half years. Highlights include a wider smoother surface; improved safety at road crossings and root barriers to prevent the fields of bumps such as those nicknamed the ‘Anaconda’ and the ‘Rattler’. Later that year Representative Delahunt secured an additional $2.2 million to address specific safety issues in Dennis and Eastham.

Work started in earnest on the western half, 11 miles of the trail (Dennis to Nickerson S.P.) this past September. Trees were cleared back to 15 feet off the centerline, the old asphalt was ground up to make a base for the new surface and grading has been done to reconfigure safer street crossings. Over the winter retaining walls are being built along erosion prone areas. Paving, landscaping and signage will be completed this spring. Work is expected to last into June. With any luck she’ll be ready to ride sooner. Over 400,000 people ride the CCRT each year. The wider, smoother surface will make for a safer trail and a greater experience to be had. Work and closures will not affect the summer season. Reconstruction of the eastern portion will begin in the fall of ’06. For more reconstruction info and updated conditions click here.

Work started on the Chatham’s bike path in the fall 2003. A majority of the trail was completed by the spring of 2005 and enjoyed by riders over the past season. The long awaited continuation of Harwich's municipal spur has had to overcome several design and property right issues now the finished product links Chatham Village to the existing trails and provide a real choice of destinations for those starting elsewhere thus making Harwich the true Hub of Cape Cod Cycling.

OLD COLONY RAIL TRAIL: Chatham will officially celebrate the opening of its trail this spring and with that the 2 municipal trails complete a direct route from the Cape Cod Rail Trail in Harwich to the village center of Chatham. Now it only needs a name. One name for both bike paths, not only to avoid rider confusion within the towns but also to distinguish its identity from the state controlled Cape Cod Rail Trail. Given that the trails run along an abandoned railroad bed, a Rail Trail name was certainly appropriate. The rail line that the towns shared was called Old Colony. Late in January, selectman from both towns swiftly approved the name OLD COLONY RAIL TRAIL for the new shared resource. The OCRT adds a roughly 15 mile off-street round trip to the existing 40+ miler on the CCRT and another dozen miles in side trails. The OC will take you through the village of Harwich Center, past Brooks Park and though the Thompson’s Field conservation area. In Chatham you can watch the planes come and go from the airport on your way into the popular downtown Main Street area. Beyond (on street) you can add some miles and follow the Loop route past the Chatham lighthouse and down scenic Shore Road. Back at the Harwich end, the Cape Cod Rail Trail will take you 3 miles into Dennis to the west or 19 miles east up to Wellfleet.

HARWICH: The Harwich bridge over Route 6 was officially opened in May 2002. The welcomed bridge eliminated the need for trail users to navigate the hideous Exit 10 interchange with Route 124, a 4-lane roadway, cloverleaf ramps and all. Some folks who had ridden the trail since its inception 25 years ago crossed the highway for the first time and had miles of new riding in front of them. Kudos to the contractor, P.A. Landers, whose concrete crew, with considerable effort and labor, created the wave forms within the abutments façade.

ORLEANS: Construction was completed on the bridge in Orleans spanning both Route 6 and Rock Harbor Road. The abutments were poured using the same wavy forms designed for the Harwich bridge. The long span provides a light climbing challenge, but it is wide and smooth, and a lot safer than the previous route. Extra caution should now be taken at the Main Street crossing. This project actually shortens the trail, but by avoiding the necessity to ride almost 3-1/2 miles on public streets, the Cape Cod Rail Trail is now 99% off road. Cyclists can still ride to Rock Harbor if they wish as the old bike lane will be maintained for the near future.

*NEW* MINDING YOUR BUSINESS- THE BIKE DEPOT
A feature story about The Bike Depot from The Chronicle.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS-CAPE COD RAIL TRAIL
A story by Tim Jones Photography by Stephen O. Muskie

MERIT BADGES
PA Scout troop takes a ride.

TRAIL REVIEWS
From Mountain Bike Review, add your own opinion

GREAT-TRAILS REVIEW
A nice take on the nature along the trail. Great pics!

THE CAPE COD BIKE GUIDE
Comprehensive guide to the Cape's paths, routes and trails.

CAPE COD REC
Complete guide to sports, activities and recreation on the Cape.

MASSBIKE
Link to the statewide advocacy group. Direct link to their Cape page. Great cycling information and resources.

RAILS-TO-TRAILS CONSERVANCY
National advocacy group. Great trail information.

NEMBA- The New England Mountain Bike Association's site.

CAPE COD BIKE BOOK
Online connection to the popular pocket map and guidebook.

TRAILS FROM RAILS
Nationwide trail, lodging and rental information.

CAPE COD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
All that is business on Cape Cod.

HARWICH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
All that's in Harwich.

VISIT CAPE COD
Your online guide to vacation planning on the Cape.