Cape Cod Rail Trail 22, South Wellfleet MA.jpg
John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0

Cape Cod Rail Trail is a 3.7-mile out-and-back in Cape Cod National Seashore near Wellfleet by the Sea, MA. It is mostly level, with 54 ft of elevation gain. It scores 12/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi10 – 89 ft4.1 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Bell Road 41.92793, -69.97904
Nearest town Wellfleet by the Sea, MA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Cape Cod Rail Trail

3.7 mi · ▲ 54 ft · 1 hr 16 min

Elevation 9–88 ft

Out & Back · Cape Cod National Seashore

Trailhead: Bell Road · 41.92793, -69.97904

Weather Sep 21: sunrise 6:27 AM · sunset 6:41 PM

  1. Start on Bell Road, heading SW.
  2. 0.4 miBear left, heading S.
  3. 0.2 miTurn right, heading S.
  4. 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
  5. 0.2 miBear left, heading S.
  6. 250 ftContinue straight onto Cape Cod Rail Trail, heading SE.
  7. 0.4 miBear left, heading SE.
  8. 150 ftBear right, heading SE.
  9. 0.2 miSharp left, heading SE.
  10. 0.3 miSharp right, heading N.
  11. 0.2 miBear right, heading N.
  12. 50 ftReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
  13. 50 ftBear left, heading N.
  14. 0.2 miSharp left, heading SE.
  15. 0.3 miSharp right, heading S.
  16. 0.2 miBear left, heading SW.
  17. 0.5 miBear right, heading NW.
  18. 0.2 miTurn right, heading NW.
  19. 50 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  20. 0.2 miBear right onto Bell Road, heading NE.
  21. 0.3 miArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail surface

48% dirt20% sand16% paved16% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:27 AMSunset 6:41 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.3 mi in (~32 min). Leave by 5:48 PM for the 6:41 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:30 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

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