A delightful homemade map to the beach from a rental on Tern Lane. Photo credit: Frank Infurchia, Jr.
by Jeff Shaw
I am eternally fascinated with so-called “things hidden in plain sight.” An example that recently occurred to me, while on a run around the block, was one I’ve known about for decades. The hidden paths, trails and cut-throughs of my neighborhood.
Admittedly, these paths aren’t worth visiting (in this case, finding) for most people. However, their presence illustrates the point about discovering things hidden in plain sight. Practically, the paths listed are cut-throughs, time savers if you suddenly realize you left a pot of boiling water on the stove.
Similar paths probably exist in your neighborhood, too. You should check them out. Just be sure to follow any local private property signs, or at least, don’t loiter!
Overlook Drive connects Cranberry Lane (to Ridgevale Beach or West Chatham Center)
The “not to scale” path to the beach. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
View from Google Maps.
My friend Frank sent me the “map to the beach,” a cut through I was not aware of. This short path saved him from having to drive to the beach (and pay to park). It is also a great route for residents of lower Ridgevale Road to have a reasonable walk to West Chatham Center.
Shannon Lane connects Chatham Crest Drive (cul-de-sac connection)
The cul-de-sac connection. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
View from Google Maps.
If not for this trail, a 10–15-minute walk would be required to connect the two cul-de-sac roads.
Happy Valley Road connects Eileen Road (parallels part of Ridgevale Road)
An alternate route for walkers and runners that parallels a portion of Ridgevale Road. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
View from Google Maps.
Perhaps the most unknown of the paths listed, the Happy Valley Road, a mostly dirt, tight, one-way road is a great alternative for walkers or runners to a busy Ridgevale Road.
Nantucket Drive connects Patterson Road (Buck’s Creek Right of Way)
The Buck’s Creek Right-of-Way, complete with bench partially seen in foreground. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
View from Google Maps.
This path is an actual “Right-of-Way,” which means the public can access the area (which is surrounded by private, and large, homes. There is even a bench to soak in the view of Nantucket Sound on a clear day.
Three roads – or four, depending on the “mid-town” option described below – and a mere 3.1 miles, showcases much of Chatham’s natural beauty, historic significance and best kept secrets. Those roads: Main Street, Bridge Street, Stage Harbor Road (the fourth, Cross Street) connect to make the Chatham Loop (The Loop).
The Loop is well-known to locals and most summer residents. But everyone who visits Chatham should at least drive The Loop. If time is not an issue, I recommend walking it. While the scenery can be enjoyed by bike or on a run, the slow pace of walking (and controlled breathing; no sweating) will make it much more enjoyable. Any non-motorized approach should provide time to snap pictures, pursue a detour, or take a break without worrying about parking.
The Loop begins at the downtown rotary on Main Street, and runs around the Chatham Lighthouse onto Bridge Street. Bridge Street is the home of Chatham’s only drawbridge, the Mitchell River Bridge, and eventually intersects with Stage Harbor Road, which passes Oyster Pond, ending at the downtown rotary.
Now, if you want to be precise, the shape of The Loop is more of a triangle than the assumed circle. Regardless, it is a quintessential summer outdoor activity for anyone who enjoys the sights and sounds of a beautiful place.
The Chatham Loop (3.1 miles/5K!)
The start of the Chatham Loop. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Main Street (1.2 miles from Downtown Rotary to Chatham Lighthouse)
One could argue there is no better downtown than the Town of Chatham. Sure, Provincetown, Falmouth, Hyannis and Harwich Port receive high marks, too. But Chatham’s downtown is just 0.5 miles and is the home address to many notable locations, including the Chatham Lighthouse, Orpheum Theatre, Eldridge Public Library, Kate Gould Park (home of the Chatham Band and a brand-spanking new engraved brick walkway), Chatham Squire and a range of high- to low-end stories and shops that feature homemade chocolate fudge, locally roasted coffee, colorful ducks, soft serve ice cream and so much more. Within walking distance of Main Street is Veteran’s Field (home of the Chatham A’s of the Cape Cod Baseball League), a 9-hole golf course (Seaside Links), the fabulous Chatham Bars Inn, and the iconic Chatham Fish Pier.
The downtown block ends where Main Street turns right, into the Old Village (a Historic District, beyond and down School Street) and around the Chatham Lighthouse. Monomoy Wildlife Refuge is a short drive from where the road intersects with Bridge Street, at the Chatham Beach and Tennis Club.
Bridge Street (0.8 miles to Lighthouse)
The vast woodlands along Bridge Street. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Bridge Street is a bit of an underappreciated time-warp. A mix of old, historic homes (many proudly displaying preservation awards near their front door) are close to the road as well as mansions (if not compounds) tucked out of sight behind tall vegetation and long driveways.
A vast stretch of woodlands appear, somewhat surprisingly, on both sides of Bridge Street between the residential neighborhood and Mitchell River.
The view from the Bridge Street drawbridge. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
As for the drawbridge area, the active harbor will soon be the home of a historic Coast Guard Boathouse. The historic boathouse will be retrofitted for use as a municipal shellfish grow-out facility. The boathouse once served as home base for the famed motor lifeboat CG36500 that participated in one of the Coast Guard’s most heroic rescues, saving 32 crewmen from the stricken tanker SS Pendleton in February of 1952.
Note: If you are up for a short detour, take a left onto Stage Harbor Road from Bridge Street. The road will take you to Stage Harbor Yacht Club, with gorgeous views of the harbor. Nearby is a stone marker honoring Samuel DeChamplain, the first known man to land on these shores (1606), not to mention beautifully restored homes along Champlain Road.
Stage Harbor Road (1.0 miles to Rotary)
The home stretch of the Chatham Loop. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
The final stretch of The Loop passes the Atwood House & Museum, home of the Chatham Historical Society. Also, at the intersection of Stage Harbor Road and Cross Street (the “mid-town” route) is a historic schoolhouse, the Atwood School. Finally, the route passes Oyster Pond, a public beach with free parking suitable for families, with moored boats floating with the tide.
“Mid-Town” Route (Cross Street 0.4 miles)
The Midtown Route contains everything above except the views of Oyster Pond. From Stage Harbor Road, turn right onto Cross Street back to downtown (rather than proceeding past Oyster Pond back to the downtown rotary). Along the way is lesser-known Chase Park, home of special outdoor events (commonly arts and craft fairs) and also home to the Chatham Croquet & Lawn Bowling Clubs (and courts), which are free and open to the public when not reserved by the club.
The clubhouse of the Croquet and Lawn Bowling clubs. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Beyond Chase Park is the historic Godfrey Windmill (built in 1791), which is open for viewing every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (11-3) during the summer. Volunteers conduct live demonstrations of making cornmeal. Finally, past the Windmill is the Chatham Labyrinth, which celebrated its 10-year anniversary this year.
Another oddity, which will probably make you smile, across from Shattuck Lane is a home (76 Cross Street), with a replica life-sized “dollhouse” version of the larger home. There is also a life-sized glass blown cow in the backyard.
A ‘whale of an oddity’ can be found in the Old Village. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
The new mobi mat at Ridgevale Beach, Chatham. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
by Jeff Shaw
The mobi mat (and its other branded cousins) is a game changer. These hard plastic mats should be found on all beaches on Cape Cod and elsewhere.
The mats increase accessibility for people in wheelchairs (my family), make it easier for folks with bad knees (my family) and effortless for people with strollers (my family) to get from the parking lot, boardwalk or bridge to shore.
A mat at Hardings Beach, Chatham. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
It’s almost hard to believe it has taken until 2022 for these mats to become common. Such a seemingly minor improvement makes walking uneven sand of a beach near you nothing but a breeze (Jimmy Buffett pun intended).
While I have not been able to find specifics on how much these improvements cost, implementation timelines or if there are plans to extend access where current mats end, we can probably all agree, easier access – for more people – is a good thing.
The transfer from bridge to mat is still slippery at Ridgevale Beach, Chatham. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Here is a great companion piece, with additional listings of accessible beach on Cape Cod, by Sarah Watson.
The intersection of Route 137 and Millstone Road, Brewster. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
by Jeff Shaw
Like many, I tend to take Millstone Road, the 2.5-mile residential road, when getting around in Brewster. The winding, somewhat scenic road, connects Route 137 near a Cape Cod Rail Trail (CCRT) crossing and Route 6A across from the Sea Camp property (and near a different CCRT crossing). I say “somewhat scenic” because while many homes are set back from the road and separated naturally by trees, scrub pine and deep woods, the roadway lacks sweeping views of ocean, fresh water ponds, dunes or gardens that showcase the Cape’s natural beauty.
Also like me, you may have noticed some colorful lawn signs dotting the landscape along the shoulder of the road. The signs illustrate the battlelines of a multi-year campaign on the future of the road. Indeed, the opposing positions are: “Save Millstone Road,” i.e., preserve the “scenic” character of the road or “Sidewalks for Kids,” i.e., make the road more pedestrian-friendly for all users.
A Save Millstone Road lawn sign on Millstone Road. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
This hyperlocal political hot potato dates back to 2015, when the town adopted a Complete Streets policy, backed by $10 million in funding. Complete street policies intend to make roads more pedestrian and bike friendly. In Millstone Road’s case, the proposal included a five foot bike lane and five foot sidewalk, in addition to the 11 foot two-way vehicle travel lane. Just shy of $6 million is available for the project.
According to the Brewster Town Administer, almost 25 percent of the town lives on or off Millstone Road. So yeah, there are bound to be strong opinions worthy of signage.
Not living in Brewster, it is easy to say, build the dang bike lane/sidewalk already! And down with nimbyism! While tempting, I also understand homeowners worrying about paving over grassy areas, narrower driving lanes and having to double-check for passing bicycles and vehicles every time they turn into or out of, their driveway.
A Sidewalks for Kids lawn sign on Millstone Road. Photo credit: Ellen Shaw.
The town does have a Bikeways Committee, but the link is invalid to their Comprehensive Strategy. The plan, reviewed and approved by the Board of Selectman, probably provides additional context and/or economic and community benefit information.
Indeed, a quick glance at a Cape Cod Commission (CCC) map re: Biking in Brewster, suggests building the bike lane and sidewalk makes sense. Just look at this map.
Millstone Road is sandwiched (Cape town pun intended) between 1,900 acre Nickerson State Park (with its own 8-mile paved recreational trail network) and the 30+ mile Cape Cod Rail Trail, the majority of which runs through Brewster. Enabling more people to travel safely to these recreational areas (not to mention nearby Cape Cod Bay side beaches), is a benefit for residents and visitors.
Further, according to the CCC map, Millstone Road is already deemed a “Regional Bicycle Road,” albeit a dangerous one given the twists and turns of the shoulder-less road.
Having written much about biking on Cape Cod, I’m super biased. I say, build the dang bike lane/sidewalk! But be sure to maximize the “occasionally buffered grass strips” that would help preserve the character of Millstone Road, too.
The Cape Cod Rail Trail extension at LeCount Hollow Road. Photo credit: Ellen Shaw.
The Cape Cod Rail Trail, one of the most popular recreational attractions for visitors and locals on Cape Cod, keep growing. For decades, the 26-mile, paved recreational path passed through the towns of Dennis, Harwich, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham and Wellfleet (with an extension or spur trail to Chatham). But a vision to connect the current Cape Cod Rail Trail all the way west, to the Cape Cod Canal as well as all the way east, to Provincetown, is more likely than you may think.
In 2018, a 3.7-mile extension to the west opened a new trailhead at Higgins Crowell Road in Yarmouth. Plans to extend the trail further to Mary Dunn Road in Barnstable are underway. Though grainy, this map, courtesy of Friends of the Cape Cod Rail Trail, shows the most updated route and future expansions.
The author at the Higgins Crowell Road trailhead in Yarmouth in 2020. Photo credit: Bob Shaw.
New in 2022, the first mile of a two-mile extension in Wellfleet opened. That first new mile connects the LeCount Hollow Road trailhead to Bittersweet Farm Road, near Wellfleet Hollow Campgrounds. Apparently construction of the second mile of the two mile extension is stalled after public outcry.
Interestingly, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation previously approved a 14-mile shared use path along Route 6 from Main Street in Wellfleet to Shore Road in Truro. Already a preferred biking, running and walking route, Shore Road in Truro parallels Route 6 where it is squeezed by Pilgrim Lake and Cape Cod Bay. The actual sections of the 14-mile shared use path are still being debated.
On the other end of Cape Cod, there are plans to connect the Cape Cod Canal Recreation Path with the Shining Sea Bikeway in Falmouth. Completing this project would create about 24 miles of uninterrupted trail on the Upper Cape running from Sandwich to Woods Hole. Sounds like a North to South Cape Cod Rail Trail (24 miles vs 30+ miles, respectively)!
Also new, the Old Colony Rail Trail, that previously mentioned extension or spur trail, connecting Chatham and Harwich trail sections, is planning to install a bicycle repair station near Brooks Park (in Harwich) in the fall. The station will have tools on hand for bicyclists to make minor repairs. Additionally, the town is seeking to install a hydration station to refill water bottles, especially helpful, not to mention, an efficient use of time on longer rides. Finally, be on the lookout for Bernie Meggison, a seasonal ranger on patrol and local bike celebrity to answer your questions.
So yeah, there may just be a future where you can walk, bike, run, rollerblade or even skip in delight, the entire length AND width of Cape Cod!
