There's a good reason why Cape Cod is paradise for people who love the outdoors, and that reason is the miles of maintained hiking and biking trails which meander throughout our meadows, uplands and through Cape Cod's many public parks.

One of the most impressive trails is the Cape Cod Rail Trail, 21 miles of paved surface running parallel to U.S. Rt. 6 beginning just south of Patriot Square Mall in Dennis on Mass. Rt. 134, through Nickerson State Park, and ending in Wellfleet behind the South Wellfleet General Store. The rail trail, the former route of the Cape Cod railroad, is a smooth and mostly flat surface providing bicyclists with a private universe where they can roll along merrily at whatever speed they choose.

Hiking through Cape Cod's conservation and parklands is still the best way to see some of the Cape's most spectacular sights, such as a pristine kettle pond or perhaps a great blue heron perched by the shoreline. The many walking trails of Cape Cod reward the outdoor enthusiast with a wealth of scenery and the blessing of solitude. These trails lead nature lovers and the casual stroller to every corner of the Cape, through woodlands, over cedar swamps, into open salt marsh, and onto ocean shorelines. In this chapter you'll find information on 48 of these trails.

Falcon Publishing prints Best Easy Day Hikes: Cape Cod, which is another resource you can use for information on trails. And if you want to discover what it's like to walk the whole Cape from end to end, try Elliot Carr's Walking Cape Cod; it's a good source and a good read. The Cape Cod National Seashore also offers invaluable trail information. There you can find maps, updates on trail status and condition, and also find out which of the trails in the National Seashore are best suited to your particular interests and experience.