Bike Cape Cod Canal: Mainland Side
Cycle a Paved Trail Along Canal from Buzzards Bay to Scusset Beach
Start a Cape Cod vacation by bicycling the Canal's seven miles of trail. Watch the boats or relax at Scusset Beach before bicycling back to Buzzards Bay's attractions.
This seven and a half mile paved bicycle trail provides easy access to the historic Cape Cod Canal, as well as the possibility of side trips to the village of Buzzards Bay or some time relaxing on Scusset Beach. Despite a slight uphill pull from Buzzards Bay, this is an easy cycle for most.
The Cape Cod Canal
The Cape Cod Canal, which was dredged in the 1920s, is a heavily used manmade waterway and the widest sea level canal in the world. Access roads used during construction and today for maintenance are now paved for biking, walking and inline skating.
On the mainland side of the canal in Buzzards Bay one can visit the National Marine Life Center where stranded sea turtles and seals are rehabilitated before being released back to sea. If the timing is good cyclists can watch as the local railroad bridge is lowered into place for trains to cross the canal, then raised again for ships to pass underneath.
Bicycling the Mainland Trail
This paved nearly level trail can be accessed at several points, making it easy for families to cycle shorter sections. A trip from the Sagamore Recreation Area to Scusset Beach and back would suit families with smaller children.
For those who prefer to get their hardest cycling over with first, taking the trail from Buzzards Bay is the answer. The bike trail is not very steep but provides a slow steady climb for much of the way. The return trip from Scusset Beach is then largely level or gentle downhill.
Like the trail on the Cape Cod side, there are benches placed regularly along the way for resting and watching the boats go by. There are steps up to the Herring Run Recreation Area, about halfway along the trail, with picnic tables and year round restrooms.
On reaching Scusset Beach, take time to stop and view Cape Cod Bay, have a swim or a bite to eat before heading back to Buzzards Bay. Bird watching from here can be very rewarding as well, with shorebirds and pelagics possible.
Access to the Bike Trail from Scusset Beach or Buzzards Bay
In Buzzard’s Bay, park in the Buzzard’s Bay Recreation parking lot just off of main street. This access point has year round restrooms and the village offers several places to eat in or purchase food for a picnic.
At Scusset Beach the access is at the far end of furthest parking lot. Seasonal restrooms and snack bar are found here.
To shorten the trip, access the trail from the Sagamore Recreation Area off of Hunter’s Brook Road. From the junction of Routes 3 and 6 take the turn at the light onto Canal Street which intersects with Hunter’s Brook at the Recreation Area parking lot.
Scusset BeachPhoto Credit: Jo-Anna Ghadban
