Active Pursuits in Mashpee

Beaches -- The small part of the shoreline not reserved for the New Seabury Resort is an under-sung sleeper: South Cape Beach, off Great Oak Road (5 miles south of the Mashpee rotary). Mashpee is set amid the 450-acre South Cape Beach State Park (tel. 508/457-0495). This lengthy stretch of beach has miles of hiking trails. Parking costs $7 per day.

Boating -- Cape Cod Kayak (tel. 508/563-9377; www.capecodkayak.com) rents kayaks (free delivery) by the day or week and offers lessons and ecotours on local waterways. Call for a schedule and more information.

If you'd rather explore on your own, you can rent a canoe in Falmouth and paddle around the Mashpee River, Popponesset Bay, and Mashpee/Wakeby Pond.

Fishing -- Mashpee/Wakeby Pond (boat landing off Rte. 130, Fisherman's Landing) is considered one of the top 10 bass-fishing lakes in the country. Saltwater fishing licenses can be obtained at Sandwich, Falmouth, or Barnstable town halls. South Cape Beach in Mashpee is a prime spot for surf-casting.

Nature Trails -- The Mashpee Conservation Commission (tel. 508/539-1400, ext. 540) sponsors free naturalist-guided nature tours throughout Mashpee from May through December. Call for a schedule. A shady peninsula jutting into the Cape's largest body of fresh water (the adjoining Wakeby/Mashpee Pond), the 135-acre Lowell Holly Reservation off South Sandwich Road in the northern corner of the township harbors some 500 holly trees and a number of magnificent centennial beeches. The stewards of this enchanted place, the Trustees of Reservations (tel. 978/921-1944), charge $6 per day for the 2-mile trail loop on summer weekends; weekday admission is free. South Cape Beach State Park also offers a network of sandy trails.

Watersports -- The town of Mashpee offers swimming lessons at Attaquin Park at Mashpee/Wakeby Pond, off Route 130, and also at South Cape Beach; call the town leisure services department (tel. 508/539-1400, ext. 519) for details.

For Kids -- The Cape Cod Children's Museum, 577 Great Neck Rd. S. (tel. 508/539-8788; www.capecodchildrensmuseum.org), has a toddler castle and a 30-foot pirate ship, among other kid-pleasers. It also sponsors many special events. The museum is open Monday through Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday noon to 5pm. Admission is $6 for ages 1 to 59, $5 for seniors.