Welcome back to National Parks and other public lands with T!

New England Road Trip➤

Patty and I hit the road again in April 2023. We planned to visit a friend in Rhode Island and attend a meetup of the National Park Travelers Club in Massachusetts. Along the way we hit several other National Park Units and historic sites. After visiting New Bedford Whaling, we stopped in Hyannis for the night. The next morning we headed to the Salt Pond Visitor Center on Cape Cod and the Nauset Marsh Trail.

Cape Cod National Seashore➤

The Laurentide Ice Sheet, which covered much of North America during the last Ice Age, formed Cape Cod as it advanced and retreated. Cape Cod is the largest glacial peninsula in the world.

An act of Congress designated Cape Cod National Seashore and President John F. Kennedy signed it into law on August 7, 1961. President Kennedy, a Massachusetts native, had a strong connection to Cape Cod. He played a pivotal role in the establishment of the national seashore. He recognized the importance of preserving the natural beauty and cultural heritage of Cape Cod for future generations, and the establishment of the national seashore was a significant step in achieving that goal.

Cape Cod National Seashore protects forty miles of pristine sandy beach, salt marshes, ponds, and upland forests. These ecosystems support diverse species of plants and animals. Lighthouses, historic landscapes, and wild cranberry bogs provide insights into Cape Cod’s rich history and enduring traditions. Meanwhile, beaches, waterways, and extensive walking and biking paths offer modern-day visitors a wide range of recreational experiences.

Salt Pond Visitor Center➤

The Salt Pond Visitor Center welcomes visitors to Cape Cod National Seashore year-round. Located in Eastham, the center has a theater, America’s National Parks store, museum, and restrooms. We watched the 14-minute movie, Standing Bold, and perused the exhibits. I have embedded the film at the bottom of this post.

We exited through the back door of the visitor center and took the Nauset Marsh Trail. This trail loops approximately 1.3 miles around the area. It winds along the edge of Salt Pond and Nauset Marsh, crosses fields, and returns to the Salt Pond Visitor Center through a recovering forest. European settlers clearcut the forests when they first arrived on the Cape.

The Wampanoag, the First People, lived on this land from the end of the last Ice Age. Cape Cod was home to several Wampanoag tribes. The Nauset tribe settled around the salt marsh. Nauset Marsh and the surrounding region provided the Wampanoag people with abundant natural resources, including fish, shellfish, waterfowl, and plant materials.

After European settlers arrived in the early 1600s, they converted the land for agricultural purposes. They cut down trees, grew crops and raised livestock. A boat displayed at the trailhead with signage illustrates how farmers navigated the marshes to collect hay for cattle feed and bedding. These cows produced salty milk! By the 1800s, agriculture waned and made way for tourism as a way of life.

New England Posts➤

• Mark Twain
• Roger Williams
• Slater Mill
• New Bedford Whaling
• Cape Cod: Nauset Marsh Trail
• Cape Cod: Three Sisters Lights
• Cape Cod: Nauset Light
• Pilgrim Memorial State Park
• Minute Man: Hartwell
• Minute Man: Battle Road
• Springfield Armory

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Location: 50 Nauset Rd, Eastham, MA
Designation: National Seashore
Date designated/established: August 7, 1961
Date of my visit: April 14, 2023