Cape Cod Canal Bike Path

During the summer, I park at the beach and make this a full day affair with a nice 14 mile bike ride (7 miles one way), lunch at the buzzard’s bay end, and after a change into a swim suit, a relaxing afternoon on the beach. On the off seasons, I park at the buzzard’s bay bridge and go from there. Either way it is a beautiful ride along the canal with views of tugboats, birds, and campers. The wind can make this ride a little more difficult at times, but the path is so smooth and flat that it doesn’t ruin the ride.

one of my fav meditation spots. Great outside workout, great for picnics, great for naps!

A great walk! You can bike, walk, run– whatever you want! we love to take the dog here. People fish. Bring their chairs and relax. There are some picnic benches, but only a handful!

Came Down with the kids to walk. It’s just gorgeous. The sound of the waves, the smell of the ocean is so relaxing. The path is suitable for bikes, walking, and rollerblading. Many family members were seen walking along the Canal. The roads are clean and well-​kept. There are benches stations for cleanup. There is a small covered area with picnic benches. There is a restroom facility at the very beginning over by the railroad bridge. I highly recommend anyone who is visiting the Cape to come and take a walk and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Oh BTW there is no cost for parking or walking.

Another glorious late summer day in New England. The husband and I just can’t stay home. So we throw the bicycles into the back of the pick-​up and drive out to the Cape (Cape Cod, MA). It’s an easy trip on a weekday. We park at the recreation area in Buzzards Bay where we know there are restrooms. Snap a few photos because there’s more traffic on the canal than we’ve seen on prior trips. Then we are off. Our destination is Scusset Beach State Reservation at the other end of the canal, about 6.5 miles away.
We were obviously not the only ones that couldn’t resist getting out on such a great day. We pass all sorts of people. Besides the typical walkers, there are dog walkers, women with babies in strollers, parents with kids on bikes, folks on rollerblades, and fishermen. One woman was just sitting on a bench enjoying people watching while knitting. The funniest was the biker with the small terrier in a milk crate attached to his handle bars.
There are several other parking areas and/​or recreation areas along the path that provide you with the opportunity to use the restroom or get a drink of water. We did go off the path at one of these recreation areas (Scusset Beach) to hunt down an old battery. At this point, I was wishing I had brought my trail bike instead of the hybrid as my balance is better on the trail bike. But we survived and we did find the site. Mission accomplished.

Went along the path early in the morning. So relaxing. Saw some people fishing and was amazed by the size of the fishes that were caught.

Running is always better with a water view. Always. My 13.1 mile run here yesterday was about as good as a 13.1 mile run can be. You see water, boats, bridges, fishermen, and seagulls. It’s flat, paved, and a wide path. Thank you to the person who posted the 100 Main St Buzzards Bay MA address because I had a little difficulty finding a starting point (I’m also awful with directions so it may have just been me). I will be back to run or bike this wonderful trail.

Beautiful views of the canal, herring run, and just a good excuse to get some excersise

Great place for bike riding or walking. Beautiful. Even nice to just bring your chair, a book and snack. We loved it.

Went cycling on the Cape Code side yesterday and it’s really an outdoor exerciser’s paradise. Unlike the East Bay Bike Path in Bristol, RI (where I normally go) there are no stops to slow you down and there’s nothing but water views the whole way. I barely noticed how time flew by both ways and I think I could ride on nothing but this path for the rest of my life with no complaints. There weren’t any boats out when I was there but you can tell it’ll be a busy canal in the summer so they’ll be some neat vessels to see. The air is clean and the salt water smell is wonderful, although it can get a bit windy so wearing something with a hood (even in warmer weather) might be a good idea if you have sensitive ears.
The ends of each side tend to have a lot of families taking their time and clogging up the route a bit but if you’re there for speed don’t worry, the center of the path is peaceful and isn’t crowded. There is an eyesore of a power plant on the Sagamore end, but it doesn’t block the water views and doesn’t hurt anyone with it’s presence. As others have pointed out, some folks do leave their dogs mess behind wrapped in little bags instead of putting it in the trash but at least it’s not in the road. Right now the public bathrooms/​fountains are closed but they should be opening in May. Stunning path, well worth the trip from the South Coast to get there.

One of my favorite places of all time. Peaceful. Great!!! Wish there were a few more bathrooms along the way

There is no bad here. Great scenery, sunsets and sweet smells of the sea. If you get lucky you’ll see some cool ships (tankers, cruise ships etc…) or even see the RR bridge go down around 6pm ish. Nice flat walkway for bikes and walker/​runners, most everyone is friendly here. There are benches and covered tables in a few spots to rest. Only peeve here is the idiot dog walkers who take the time to bag Rover’s poop then leave the bag on the side for some secret maid to come and collect.
C’mon, there’s like 30 trash cans you lazy bastards.

Nice place for a walk, run or bike ride.

It’s a «bike path», but you can also jog, walk, rollerblade, etc.
This location is very convenient from the South Shore.
Sometimes I drive down route 3, and take the Cedarville exit (2), and then head down 3a to Sagamore. (There’s some bad drivers in Cedarville, so drive carefully.)You take a right to go down 3a, and the road splits between the Sagamore recreation area and the Scussett Beach recreation area.
Could this bike path be better? There is a big electric station nearby (on the Cape Cod side of the canal). Does it bother me? I don’t think so.

Beautiful bike path! My family and I just got back from a 5 mile ride which was very nice.

My son and I have been here SEVERAL times to ride on both sides of the canal. The best part about the Canal is you never know what’s going to come through. Tankers, tugs, antique schooners, yachts, ect… The parking is great and there are bathrooms located in each lot, both sides. If you ride on the side before the bridge, it’ll take you down to Scusset at the end. If you ride on the side over the bridge, it’ll still take to a beautiful ending and Seafood Sam’s!!!

A nice, scenic bike path. It’s very flat but it gets a but challenging on windy days! It’s 14 miles back and forth and at the end, there is a small beach. The downside us that it’s pretty crowded on nice days.

One of the most scenic places to walk, run, bike ride, meditate or make-​out is this gem that is called the Cape Cod Canal. I personally come here to walk or think. I can come here by myself and feel safe; no matter what time of day. The people that come here are generally friendly and family oriented or walking their dogs. I also use this path to practice my photography skills. There is lots of tall grass and wildflowers that can and does create interesting foreground effects for the canal background. Obviously Spring, Summer and Fall are the best seasons to enjoy a spot like this; it is tranquil during Winter months as well.

Beautiful bike path. Riding on it on my recumbent bike I feel like I’m floating on the water. And the sign that says «10 mph maximum. No wake» just makes it. Nope, I won’t leave any wake!
The trail is about 14 miles total, but split into two nearly equal sections on either side of the Canal.
If you don’t want to cross the bridge with cars, you can just enjoy one side at a time. If you park at one end of either side and return, you’ve done 14 miles. Two good parking spots I found are the Buzzard’s Bay Recreation Area on the north side and Bourne Recreation Area on the south side. If you’re using a GPS you can find the north side lot by putting in the address of the Krua Thai restaurant, 100 Main Street, Buzzards Bay MA and you will be right there.
At this trailhead there’s a gorgeous elevated railroad bridge. If you catch it just right you can see the bridge descend to accommodate a passing train, and then rise again. Seeing that just made my day!

A bike path
made for
ships.
The Cape Cod Canal was completed in 1916 and was improved several times throughout the years. Of course it’s main purpose is to save ships the time and hazards of going all the way around the tip of the cape but it also serves another purpose. Recreation.
I’m not sure if the builders had any idea how many people would be using the access road on the the side of the canal for walking, biking, skating and just plain hanging out. They were probably thinking about just ships and not recreation.
The path is about eight or so miles from one end to the other and isn’t an especially invigorating ride physically. The magic of the canal path is the absolutely gorgeous scenery and views. You get to go under three different bridges and during the summer a parade of ships, ranging from small sail boats to large tankers are constantly going by. In the autumn the trees surrounding the canal are turning colors and offer a stunning contrast to the blue water. In the winter fierce winds and raging storms scream up the channel. In the spring flowers of different varieties line the side of the canal and huge egrets, herons, and ospreys fly over head. Always changing and truly something for everyone.
The west end of the path starts in the quaint little town of Bourne and the east end terminates in Scusset Beach. In between are incredible views and interesting things to look at in every direction. In the summer it’s like a three ring circus and it’s difficult to stay on the path because of all the cool things to watch. Because of the amount of people using the path and the lack of hills it certainly isn’t the most difficult physical challenge. However for pure fun, stimulation and aesthetics it’s the best bike path I know of.