Cape Cod Rail Trail, Rail trail in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, US.
Cape Cod Rail Trail is a paved cycling and walking path on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, United States, stretching about 25 miles (40 km) through six coastal towns from South Dennis to Wellfleet. The route runs mostly through pine woods and alongside ponds with occasional views of salt marshes and bays.
In the 1870s, the Old Colony Railroad built this line as part of the passenger and freight network across Cape Cod. The Massachusetts Department of Natural Resources began transforming the abandoned tracks into a public recreation trail in 1970.
The name comes from the old railway line that once linked these coastal communities and now brings cyclists past ice cream parlors, fish vendors and small lighthouses. Walkers often encounter families on day trips and local residents walking their dogs.
The path can be joined at several points with free parking lots along the way and works well for bicycles, inline skates and strollers. Bicycle rentals and restrooms are available at selected access points, and the surface remains rideable year-round.
When snow falls in winter, some visitors use the path for cross-country skiing and follow the old railway bed through the quiet woods. In certain spots, traces of the original railroad ties and gravel beds can still be sensed beneath the pavement.
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