National Parks:
Cape Cod National Seashore

Wellfleet, Massachusetts -- Cape Cod National Seashore comprises 43,604 acres of shoreline and upland landscape features, including a forty-mile long stretch of pristine sandy beach, dozens of clear, deep, freshwater kettle ponds, and upland scenes that depict evidence of how people have used the land. A variety of historic structures are within the boundary of the Seashore, including lighthouses, a lifesaving station, and numerous Cape Cod style houses. The Seashore offers six swimming beaches, eleven self-guiding nature trails, and a variety of picnic areas and scenic overlooks.

DID YOU KNOW

• Cape Cod National Seashore was authorized by act of Congress in 1961.
• Cape Cod is the largest glacial peninsula in the world, and the Great Beach, on the Atlantic side of the Cape, is the longest expanse of uninterrupted sandy shoreline on the East Coast.
• Cape Cod is composed almost entirely of material deposited by glaciers that retreated about 14,000 - 18,000 years ago. Wind and water reworked these sediments to create beaches, spits, marshes, cliffs, and dunes. Coastal processes such as tides, winds, storms, and longshore sediment transport continue to shape and reshape the area.
• The seashore receives 4.4 million total recreation visits annually.

DON'T MISS ATTRACTIONS

• Cape Cod National Seashore is to be experienced and enjoyed in any number of ways. Drive scenic roads through local towns that offer insight into past and present life on Cape Cod. Visit one of our six magnificent beaches that provide year 'round opportunities for exploration. Walk miles of nature trails through distinct habitats, or bicycle paved paths that offer numerous views. Stop at a visitor center, or enjoy fishing, birdwatching, taking photographs, and touring historic buildings.
• On Thursdays in July and August park interpreters and volunteers bring to life an exciting era of Cape Cod's maritime history. This is the 24th year that park staff have interpreted the Beach Apparatus Drill, originally performed by the men of the US Life-Saving Service to maintain their rescue readiness. Park staff don surf whites and carry out the drill to 1902 specifications. The program is just one of the many Ranger-led programs in the park.
• Visitors to the former Marconi Station Site can stand near the spot where young Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi made communication history 100 years ago. In January 1903, the transmission of the first public two-way wireless message between Europe and America occurred. Communiqués between President Theodore Roosevelt and King Edward VII were translated into international Morse Code at Marconi's South Wellfleet and English stations, and were transmitted across the Atlantic.
• The sweep of a beam of light across a dark night sky is an experience long remembered. Visitors to Cape Cod National Seashore can view nine lighthouses, including the Nauset Light, the Three Sisters, and Highland (Cape Cod) Light, all open for viewing.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE PRIORITIES

The National Park Service is rehabilitating the Salt Pond Visitor Center at Cape Cod National Seashore. During summer and fall, daily visitor use far exceeds the limits of the current visitor center. Overcrowding causes many visitors to leave without receiving essential safety and resource-protection information, or using restrooms.

The Salt Pond Visitor Center project will improve visitor services and provide the public with a better park experience. The project will add accessible restrooms, reduce contaminants entering Salt Pond by adding a sand filtration system to the septic system, replace or upgrade existing fire suppression and alarm systems, remove asbestos and other hazardous materials, and improve obsolete interior spaces.

Other projects are underway at Cape Cod National Seashore, including replacement of the wood boardwalks that cross the park, and repair of the interior walls and ceilings of the Penniman House, one of the park's most architecturally and historically significant structures. Across the National Park System, the priority President Bush and the National Park Service have placed on improving facilities and historic structures, maintaining trails and roads, and protecting natural resources is improving conditions in the parks and providing better services for the visiting public.

Source: National Park Service