Among the most scenic recreation trails in Massachusetts and a favorite with cyclists and day hikers, the Cape Cod Trail provides access to beaches, fresh water ponds, cranberry bogs and wild wetlands, quiet villages, and some of the best bird watching in the state. Anglers may want to try their luck on North Pond, where bass and panfish can be caught from shore.

Before the first railroad tracks were laid, the Cape was a relatively isolated area, accessible only by packet boat or stagecoach. By 1848, the Old Colony Railroad Company laid tracks that connected Boston and Sandwich. Railroad track extensions continued and by 1873, Old Colony had linked Boston with Cape Cod’s outermost point of Provincetown, offering a miraculously short, five-hour journey. As the Cape’s popularity as a summer resort increased, the railroad was heavily used to transport visitors from New York and Connecticut, as well as other parts of Massachusetts. With the growing number of visitors came train-loads of food and other provisions needed to meet their needs. But the railroad’s importance was soon surpassed by the automobile. Bridges to carry cars over Cape Cod Canal were opened in 1935, and in 1937 passenger service to the towns east of Dennis ended. Trains continued to haul freight until the mid-1960’s, but then the tracks were torn up and the station-houses were razed or vandalized. If you look carefully as you ride along the trail, you can still see occasional relics of the Cape’s rail days.

The Cape Cod Rail Trail runs mostly over the abandoned rail bed of the Old Colony RR. The railroad carried passengers and freight the entire length of the Cape through the mid-sixties when service was permanently abandoned east of Yarmouth. In 1976 the State of Massachusetts purchased the right-of-way for $1 and started plans for recreational use of the corridor. Beginning in 1978 the first sections of trail were improved for pedestrian, bicycle and equestrian use. In 1994 the Rail Trail was extended from Locust Road in Eastham to LeCount Hollow Road in South Wellfleet. And in 1997, the Town of Harwich built a 3.5 mile spur off the Rail Trail to the Chatham town line. In 2002 the Trail welcomed the first of two 'bicycle' bridges that will eliminate most of the areas where one must ride with traffic. In all the Rail Trail and its connections provide over 30 miles of off-road riding.

While not a qualifying ride for the Tour de France, the Tour De Cure is a noteworthy cycling event. All across the United States 30,000 riders become reacquainted with their bicycles. For some, it's just a matter of grabbing a few power gels and a bag of granola, filling a Camelback with water and heading out for a 100 mile ride. For others, it's trying to find tubes to fix the flats and WD 40 to dissolve the rust accumulated on the chain while the bike sat in the garage since the last Tour. Most riders are somewhere in between Fit and Desperate. My next ride will be along the shore of the old fishing town Gloucester, Massachusetts. If you would like to donate to our efforts as a sponsor, you may do so online: ADA sponsor page for the E Team. Each mile I ride, each dollar I raise will be used in the fight to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. No matter how small or large, your generous gift will help improve the lives of more than 20 million Americans who suffer from diabetes, in the hope that future generations can live in a world without this disease. Together, we can all make a difference! Thank you for making a generous contribution to this cause that is so important to me!

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