Explore a Beach from Your Cape Cod Home This Fall

When you’re looking for a home on Cape Cod, one of the star amenities are the pristine beaches that line both the Atlantic Ocean and Cape Cod Bay. While Cape Cod beaches attract thousands of visitors each summer, living on the Cape offers access that vacationers don’t get.

One of those perks is beach parking with a resident sticker. All 15 Cape municipalities require annual beach stickers for resident parking. The current fee in Barnstable is $45 for the year. In Dennis, it’s $50. You can get beach sticker information for all Cape Cod towns here.

After Labor Day, parking on most Cape Cod beaches is free. That makes it easy to explore the beaches close to the homes you’re considering. We’re sharing some of our favorite Cape Cod beaches perfect for a cool fall walk within close proximity to some of the the hottest Cape Cod homes for sale.

Upper Cape Beach Walks

Town Neck Beach, Sandwich

Summertime at high tide, kids and adventure lovers jump into the water from the famous Sandwich Boardwalk. During the fall, the boardwalk provides a setting for a brisk walk beneath tranquil skies. Town Neck Beach highlights:

• Short walk from parking lot to beach
• Park at the far end to access the Sandwich Boardwalk
• Views of the Cape Cod Canal
• Nearby hot beverage stops: Marylou’s Coffee at 69 Tupper Road, Sandwich. Cafe Chew at 4 Merchants Road, Sandwich.

East Sandwich Beach, Sandwich

This soft sand beach offers panoramic views along a long stretch of coastline edged by grass-covered dunes. Each Sandwich Beach highlights:

• Short walk over a small dune from the parking lot
• Boardwalk access to beach
• Idyllic views of Cape Cod Bay
• Nearby hot beverage stops: Beth’s Bakery and Cafe, 16 Jarves Street, Sandwich
  

Mid Cape Beach Walks

One of Barnstable’s most popular beaches fills up with visitors in the summer, but fall weather provides endless views of Nantucket Sound amid nothing but the sound of gulls overhead. This long stretch of beach offers about five miles of walking. Craigville Beach highlights:

• Parking lot
• Nearby hot beverage spot: Pineapple Caper Cafe at 29 Wianno Aveue, Osterville

Sandy Neck Beach, Barnstable

This six-mile long barrier beach borders 4,700 acres of dunes, maritime forests, and marshes. There are trails for horses, off-road vehicles, and walking/hiking. A 1.6-mile loop trail offers stunning views of Cape Cod Bay. Winter conditions can be windy, so dress accordingly. The trail extends along dunes and salt marshes. Sandy Neck is a popular area for birdwatchers. While summer weather brings out greenhead flies and mosquitoes, you won’t find these and other stinging insects during cold weather. Sandy Neck Beach highlights:

• Sandy, rocky beach
• Accessible year-round
• Parking lot
• Winter activities include walking, beachcombing, photography, birdwatching
• Nearby hot beverage stops: Nirvana Coffee Co at 3206 Main Street, Barnstable and Cafe Riverview at 451 Route 6A, Sandwich

Lower Cape Beach Walks

Fort Hill Trail, Eastham 

                            Photo by David/Creative Commons CC BY 2.0

This quintessential walking trail extends to the very tip of Cape Cod and the iconic Long Point Lighthouse. The trail extends along Provincetown Harbor and Cape Cod Bay.  Be sure to check a tide calendar before setting out. The shortest route to the lighthouse takes you across the Breakwater jetty, which can be underwater at some high tides.

Parking at the south part of Herring Cove Beach gives you access to a longer route to the Long Point Lighthouse. This 8-mile round-trip follows a trail that goes by Wood End Lighthouse and the beach that faces the Atlantic Ocean. Long Point Lighthouse Trail highlights:

• 5.3 mile loop over the Breakwater jetty
• 8 mile loop from Herring Cove Beach parking
• Moderate to challenging terrain over soft sand and rocks