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Cape Cod Bike Trails

Riding Cape Cod’s bike trails is one of the best ways to experience parts of the Cape you’d never see by car.

Whether you’re an avid cyclist or just out for an easy spin with family or friends, you’ll find plenty of good miles to ride.

Bicycle parked by a wooden fence overlooking Lewis Bay with beach roses in bloom.

Trying to decide where to ride? Here’s a quick preview of Cape Cod’s top bike trails.

Cape Cod Canal Pathways

These paths run along both sides of the Cape Cod Canal between Bourne and Sandwich.

People walking, biking, and pushing strollers along the Cape Cod Canal path, with the Sagamore Bridge visible in the distance.A common sight along the Canal — young riders practicing their new biking skills.

Repaved in late 2025, these paths are smooth, wide and flat from end to end.

No other trail on the Cape gives you this much open water right beside you. Perfect for a casual ride while you watch the ships and motor yachts pass by. 

Shining Sea Bikeway

The Shining Sea Bikeway runs from North Falmouth into the village of Woods Hole, passing long stretches of ocean, marshes, cranberry bogs and farmland.

A cyclist riding along the Shining Sea Bikeway in Falmouth, with one person walking and another stopped alongside the trail taking a photo of Vineyard Sound.A coastal stretch of the Shining Sea Bikeway near Vineyard Sound.

Short side-rides from the trail will bring you to Nobska Point Lighthouse and to historic Falmouth Village for shopping, lunch and sightseeing. 

Good to Know ...

Not bringing your own wheels with you? Not a problem!

You'll find plenty of reliable bike rental shops all over the Cape.

Cape Cod Rail Trail

The Cape Cod Rail Trail runs nearly 30 miles from Yarmouth all the way out to Wellfleet, linking towns, ponds, parks, and back roads all along the way.

People riding the Cape Cod Rail Trail through downtown Orleans, with shade trees and nearby shops.The Rail Trail goes into downtown Orleans, one of the few town-center stretches along the route.
Directional signs along the Cape Cod Rail Trail showing distances to Nickerson State Park, Orleans Center, the National Seashore, Wellfleet Trailhead, the Old Colony Rail Trail, and Dennis Trailhead.The CCRT links up with Nickerson State Park in Brewster and the Old Colony Rail Trail from Harwich to Chatham.

The miles and directions are well marked and easy to follow. 

A rider pauses by Hinckley’s Pond along the Cape Cod Rail Trail in Harwich, while his wife is at the water's edge taking a photo.One of several easy pull-offs where you can stop for a beach break, a pond-side picnic or just a brief rest.

Whether you opt for a long ride or a short one, there's always something unique to see along the Cape's main biking artery.

Cape Cod National Seashore Bike Trails

The National Seashore trails run through Eastham, Truro, and Provincetown.

A person biking along a paved trail on the Cape Cod National Seashore, where windblown sand drifts across the path between dunes and beach grass.Riding through the Outer Cape dunes sets National Seashore trails apart from other Cape Cod bike paths.

These trails have some hills, a few sharp turns, and stretches where sand blows across the path. So they're a bit more challenging than other trails.

But if you're up for it, you'll find great rides here, through some out-of-this-world scenery. 

Good to Know ...

Cape Cod’s bike trails stay open year round, so you can ride in any season.

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