Paddling Our Wild Shores

Cape Cod is vintage New England, steeped in the tradition of Thoreau, replete with tales of shipwrecks and daring rescues, and visited every summer by hordes of tourists who mostly sightsee by car. The park is oriented toward bicyclists, day-hikers, and car campers, and not particularly toward paddlers. Still, there are day excursions for canoers and kayakers. Extensive marsh and bay water typifies the Nauset Marsh region near Eastham, for instance, and the Great Island area outside Wellfleet offers an interesting short jaunt. Sea kayaking on the ocean side, with side trips behind barrier beaches, is also feasible, but keep those shipwrecks in mind and check weather conditions.