Nauset Marsh, Cape Cod, MA

A shallow running canoe is a good choice to explore Cape Cod's saltmarshes with miles of shallow water, shore birds and barrier beaches that offer the canoeist easy travel if you judge the tides right. Keep in mind that marshes have their own tides. Nauset marsh peaks about 2 hours behind the ocean's tide. Check the tide charts and talk to the locals to pin-point high tides in the marshes and tidal rivers. A few years ago, a storm deposited a lot of sand in Nauset marsh making much of it too shallow to paddle at low tide.

We put-in at Salt Pond Landing located just before the Salt Pond Visitor's Center and the National Seashore Entrance on South Pond Road off Rt. 6 in Eastham. Alternate put-ins are at Hemmingway Road or just after the Orleans rotary heading North on Rt 6.

We passed through the channel from Salt Pond and entered the hummocks of Nauset Marsh, rich with marine life and a bird watcher's paradise. After navigating the shallow channels, we arrived at Nauset Beach and landed on the inside portion of the outer barrier beach. Kayaks were playing in the channel where the marsh meets the ocean. There was time to walk along the beach and watch the seals swimming just offshore and still make it back before low tide.

http://www.wellfleetchamber.com/ Maps and parking regulations for Wellfleet bay and ponds.

Tide Charts for Cape Cod Bay.

http://www.goose.com is a huge Orleans kayak shop which is organizing a water trail they hope will be adopted by the National Seashore allowing access and parking to enable kayakers to circumnavigate Cape Cod.

http://www.paddling.net/places/MA Paddle the whole state of MASS.

http://allcapecod.com/ccic/sports.html General water sporting information.

http://www.weather.com/weather/local/02667 Up to the minute weather for Wellfleet.

Cape Cod public salt water boat ramps and landings