November - December 2015

When the temperature drops, go take a hike!

Cape Cod Life  /  November/December 2015 / , ,

Writer: Taylor Lange / Photographer: Dan Cutrona 

When the temperature drops, go take a hike!

November - December 2015

Cape Cod Life  /  November/December 2015 / , ,

Writer: Taylor Lange / Photographer: Dan Cutrona 

2015

Photography by Dan Cutrona

Marconi Station, Wellfleet

A short distance from Route 6 in Wellfleet, hikers and nature lovers will enjoy a brisk walk in the Marconi Station area, which is part of the Cape Cod National Seashore in Wellfleet.

“A particularly popular spot is the Marconi Station site,” says Susan Moynihan, the National Seashore’s chief of interpretation and cultural resources management and a 30-year veteran of the National Park Service. “One can stand on an overlook and see both Cape Cod Bay and the Atlantic.”

Named for Guglielmo Marconi, the Italian inventor who sent from this location the first transatlantic communication from the United States to England more than a century ago, the Marconi Site features scenic Marconi Beach and a system of trails, including the 1.5-mile White Cedar Swamp Trail. Considered fairly easy, the trail leads hikers through areas flush with tree varieties: from black and white oak and pitch pine to red maple and Atlantic white cedar.

A short walk from the parking lot, the overlook stands atop an 85-foot bluff running along the shore. With the leaves off the trees, the area offers long, gorgeous views of the coast. Visitors can look out over the ocean, where hundreds of ships over the years, including Black Sam Bellamy’s Whydah, have sunk or been washed ashore. Looking eastward, one can also view Cape Cod Bay.

“Nature as a powerful force and shaper of the Outer Cape could be considered another attraction in the winter,” says Moynihan, who adds that hikers should simply remain a safe distance from the cliff’s edge.

Most visitors can tour the site in about an hour. Maps and tourist and wildlife information, as well as restrooms, are available at the Cape Cod National Seashore’s headquarters, which is open year-round, Monday to Friday, at 99 Marconi Site Road in Wellfleet.

Taylor Lange

A resident of Boston and a native of Cummaquid, Taylor Lange has written a number of articles for Cape Cod LIFE in recent years including a piece on five great winter hiking areas on the Cape and Islands. When not working, Taylor enjoys skiing in Vermont or boating and fishing on the Cape.