Nauset Marsh

About this Location

The Nauset Marsh Trail is a 1.3-mile loop, plus a 1.5-mile spur to Coast Guard Beach, one hour. The trailhead is adjacent to the Salt Pond Visitor Center amphitheater, 50 Nauset Road, off US-6. This trail winds along the edge of Salt Pond and Nauset Marsh, crosses fields, and returns to the Salt Pond Visitor Center through a recovering forest. There are several spectacular vistas along the way. A minimally-maintained trail extension leads to Doane Picnic Area and Coast Guard Beach. The extension is one mile each way.

The trail is rated easy with some log steps and a moderate grade. Use caution when crossing the bike trail. Restrooms are located at the visitor center parking area.

About Cape Cod National Seashore

See all hotspots at Cape Cod National Seashore

Cape Cod is a large peninsula extending 60 miles into the Atlantic Ocean from the coast of Massachusetts. Located on the outer portion of the Cape, Cape Cod National Seashore’s 44,600 acres encompass a rich mosaic of marine, estuarine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems. These systems and their associated habitats reflect the Cape’s glacial origin, dynamic natural processes, and at least 9,000 years of human activity. Geomorphic shoreline change, groundwater fluctuations, tidal dynamics including rising sea level, and atmospheric deposition are among the many physical processes that continue to shape the Seashore’s ecosystems. Marine and estuarine systems include beaches, sand spits, tidal flats, salt marshes, and soft-bottom benthos. Freshwater ecosystems include kettle ponds, vernal pools, sphagnum bogs, and swamps. Terrestrial systems include pitch pine and scrub oak forests, heathlands, dunes, and sandplain grasslands. Many of these habitats are globally uncommon and the species that occupy them are correspondingly rare.

Features

  • Restrooms on site

  • Entrance fee

  • Wheelchair accessible trail

Content from Nauset Marsh Trail webpage and Cape Cod National Seashore website

Last updated March 14, 2024