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Cape Cod Canal
Activities & Attractions
 

Quick note on terms:

• “Mainland side” = the north side of the Canal, before you cross the bridge onto the Cape.
  
  
• “Cape side” = the south side, on the Cape itself.

Cape Cod Canal Visitors Center

Unlike most visitors centers, this one is part museum and part info hub.

This is a real, 40-foot patrol boat — inside the Visitors Center.

It's easy to spend an hour or more here, learning how the Canal was built and how it works today, tracking boats on radar, and practicing your nautical knot-tying skills. There are plenty of hand-on activities for the kids, too.

• Cape Cod Canal Visitors Center brochure (PDF) →

Bicycling, Walking & In-Line Skating

Both sides of the Canal have flat, paved paths that run nearly the full seven-mile length of the waterway.

They’re perfect for all sorts of outdoor activities, and you'll find benches and picnic spots all along the way.

Biking, walking, fishing, boat-watching, or just taking in the views — the Canal is a local favorite for all that and more.

The paths are free to use all year round, and easy to access from well-marked parking areas. If you need wheels, there are bike rentals nearby.

Fishing at the Cape Cod Canal

The Cape Cod Canal is one of the most popular and productive fishing spots in all of the northeast. 

There's access for anglers along both sides of the Canal, from one end to the other.

*Reminder: You'll need a MA saltwater permit to fish the Canal. The authorities do check, and the fines for fishing without a license are pretty steep!

Splash Pad Fun

If your kids need to burn off energy, the splash pad at Buzzards Bay Park is hard to beat.

It’s free, super colorful, and there’s a playground right next to it.

The splash pad’s a guaranteed hit on hot summer days!

Some families spend the afternoon here. Others just swing by for a quick cool-off break. (You can join the splashy fun, too — if you’re game!)

• See all splash pads on Cape Cod →

Watching Trains Cross the Railroad Bridge

Catching a train crossing the Canal is like stepping back in time. It's one of the most memorable sights along the waterway.

The lift span sits less than 10 feet above the water when it's lowered for a train to cross. Quite a sight to see!

Trains don’t cross on a set schedule, so most people miss it.

But if you’re near the bridge and hear two long (very loud!) blasts from the operator’s air horn, stick around — it’s about to happen.

Best chances to see the trains →

Visit Aptucxet Trading Post

This is where the Plymouth colonists built their first trading post back in the 1600s.

Today the site also includes other historic buildings, replica saltworks, colonial gardens, and shaded walking trails.

A very short walking trail, around marker pole #355 on the Cape-side canal path, will bring you to Aptucxet Trading Post.

My favorite part of Aptucxet? President Grover Cleveland's personal train station is here — the one he used when he had his summer home on the Cape in the 1800s.

Take a Dip in the Bay

Want to spend a few hours swimming and sunning? Follow the mainland-side Canal path to its eastern end, and you’ll come to Scusset Beach.

Looking down Scusset Beach toward the Canal’s eastern breakwater on a quiet spring day.

It’s a big sandy beach on Cape Cod Bay with all the amenities  — restrooms, showers, a snack bar and a playground for the kids. 

Wildlife Spotting

We humans aren’t the only ones who “flock” to the Canal. (Sorry, bad pun!) This is a prime spot for birdwatching.

This Great Blue Heron is just one of the many species of birds and other wildlife that make their home along the Canal.

If you're really lucky, you might catch a glimpse of a mink that lives along the Canal, or a migrating whale swimming by.

And in April and early May, schools of herring put on quite a show as they climb the fish ladder on the way to their spawning grounds.  

Read about the herring run on Cape Cod →

Take a Canal Cruise

A sightseeing cruise will give you a completely different perspective on the Canal — under the bridges, alongside passing ships, and through some surprisingly strong currents.

From the deck of the cruise boat, it feels like a whole different world.

Along the way, there’s live narration about the Canal’s history and sights.

Cruises leave from Onset Pier on the mainland. They're a fun way to spend a few hours out on the water.

• Check cruise offerings, schedules and prices →
  
  

Watching the Ships Go By

You never know what kind of watercraft you’ll see transiting the Canal. Everything from small pleasure boats to mega-yachts and cruise ships use this waterway.

Tugboats, barges, and Coast Guard vessels are regulars here, too.

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter "Hammerhead" on the Canal. This is the same ship that carried the Kennedy family for JFK Jr.’s burial at sea.

And every now and then, you'll see a vessel that'll have you saying, "Wow, look at that!"

Mayflower II transiting the Canal on her way to Plymouth.
(A rare sight, for sure!)

Have tons of fun exploring the Cape Cod Canal!

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