Active Pursuits

Bicycling

With plenty of free parking available at the Cape Cod National Seashore's Salt Pond Visitor Center (tel. 508/255-3421), Eastham makes a convenient access point for the Cape Cod Rail Trail (tel. 508/896-3491). Northward, it's about 5 wildflower-lined miles to Wellfleet, where the trail ends; Dennis is about 20 miles southwest. A 1.5-mile spur trail, winding through locust and apple groves, links the visitor center with glorious Coast Guard Beach: It's for bikes only (no blades). Rentals are available at the Little Capistrano Bike Shop (tel. 508/255-6515), on Salt Pond Road just west of Route 6 and across the street from the Salt Pond Visitor Center. Bikes rent for about $23 per day. The best trail-side eatery -- fried clams, lobster, and the like -- is Arnold's (tel. 508/255-2575), located on Route 6 about 1 mile north of the visitor center.

Boating

The best way to experience Nauset Marsh is by kayak or canoe. Rentals are available in neighboring towns: The closest source would be the Goose Hummock Outdoor Center at 15 Rte. 6A in Orleans (tel. 508/255-2620).

Jack's Boat Rentals (tel. 508/349-9808) is located on Route 6 next to the Cumberland Farms in Wellfleet. Canoes rent for $50 a day, kayaks for $45 to $55 a day. Jack's also rents Sunfish sailboats and paddleboats. If you rent for 2 days, the third day is free. They have a seasonal outlet from mid-June to early September on Wellfleet's Gull Pond (tel. 508/349-7553). Kayak and canoe rentals at Gull Pond cost $15 to $20 for a half-hour and $10 for each additional hour. After 3 hours, the fourth hour is free. In addition to watercraft to go, Jack's is also the place for info about Eric Gustafson's guided kayak tours (tel. 508/349-1429; www.funseekers.org), which include tours of Eastham's Herring River and Nauset Marsh. A 2 1/2-hour trip costs $45. For information about other excellent naturalist-guided tours, inquire about trips sponsored by the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History (tel. 800/479-3867 or 508/896-3867) and by the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary (tel. 508/349-2615).

Fishing

Eastham has four ponds open to fishing; Herring Pond is stocked. Freshwater-fishing licenses can be purchased at Goose Hummock, Route 6A, Orleans (tel. 508/255-0455), or from the town clerk at Town Hall, Route 6 (tel. 508/240-5900). For a shellfishing license, visit the Natural Resources Department at 555 Old Orchard Rd. (tel. 508/240-5972). Surf-casting is permitted at Nauset Beach North (off Doane Rd.) and Nauset Light Beach (off Cable Rd.).

Fitness

Willy's Gym, Fitness and Wellness Center, 4730 Rte. 6, North Eastham (tel. 508/255-6370), offers racket sports, plus Nautilus and free weights, various classes, an Olympic pool, saunas, steam rooms, and whirlpools. Nonmembers pay $20 a day.

Nature Trails

There are five self-guided nature trails with descriptive markers -- for walkers only -- within this portion of the Cape Cod National Seashore. The 1.5-mile Fort Hill Trail off Fort Hill Road (off Rte. 6, about 1 mile south of the town center) takes off from a free parking lot just past the Captain Edward Penniman House, a fancy multicolored 1868 Second Empire manse maintained by rangers from the Cape Cod National Seashore. Seashore rangers lead occasional tours of the house's interior in season. You can visit the house in July and August, Tuesday to Friday from 1 to 4pm. Call the visitor center at tel. 508/255-3421. But the exterior far outshines the interior, and more interesting sights await outside. Check out the huge whale-jawbone gate before walking across the street to the trail. Following the trail markers, you'll pass "Indian Rock" (bearing the marks of untold generations who used it to sharpen their tools) and enjoy scenic vantage points overlooking the channel-carved marsh -- keep an eye out for egrets and great blue herons -- and out to sea. The Fort Hill Trail hooks up with the half-mile Red Cedar Swamp Trail, offering boardwalk views of an ecology otherwise inaccessible.

Three relatively short trails fan out from the Cape Cod National Seashore's Salt Pond Visitor Center by Eastham. The most unusual is the quarter-mile Buttonbush Trail, specially adapted for the sight-impaired, with a guide rope and descriptive plaques in both oversize type and Braille. The Doane Loop Trail, a half-mile woodland circuit about 1 mile east of the visitor center, is graded to allow access to wheelchairs and strollers. The 1-mile Nauset Marsh Trail skirts Salt Pond to cross the marsh (via boardwalk) and open fields before returning by way of a recovering forest. Look both ways for bike crossings!

Tennis

Five public courts are located at the Nauset Regional High School in North Eastham and can be used on a first-come, first-served basis; for details, contact the Nauset Regional High School (tel. 508/255-1505). Willy's Gym, 4730 Rte. 6, North Eastham (tel. 508/255-6370), offers six indoor courts at a fee of $20 per person.

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Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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				Frommer's Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard 2008 Author: Laura M. Reckford Pub Date: January 29, 2008 Price: $17.99				Related Titles: Boston For Dummies, 4th Edition Frommer's Boston 2009 Frommer's Boston Day by Day, 1st Edition

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