Biking Old Colony Rail Trail
Harwich to Chatham MA
The Cape has such great biking trails-Shining Sea and Cape Cod Rail Trails just to name a couple. We spent the holiday weekend in Mashpee, MA and wanted to try something new, so we decided to check out this lesser known 8 mile Old Colony Rail Trail from Harwich to Chatham. Having been to Chatham briefly years ago, I was so excited to explore this seaside Cape town!
We parked at the bike path parking lot next to the First Congregational Church in Harwich Center- but I would recommend parking at Brooks Park in Harwich since there is less road traffic. The bike trail meanders through beautiful wooded areas with plenty of shade and is well maintained and mostly flat. There were also signs for hiking paths along the trail…next time!
We took the trail to the end, passing an eclectic ice cream shop around mile 4, a small craft airport home to Hangar B cafe (which I have heard is outstanding) and a couple scenic ponds. Some parts of the trail require that you bike on the road in order to continue on the bike trail, but it was very clearly marked with maps at many of the intersections.
At the end of the trail there is a map with suggestions on “Where to Go from Here”. We opted to first head to the Chatham Fish Pier on the ocean and biked along Barcliff Road to the pier. I LOVED this low traffic street lined with quintessential cape-style homes beautifully landscaped with gorgeous blue and purple hydrangeas!
The Fish Pier was my favorite part of the day! Watching the fishing boats come in from the observation deck was like watching a parade with flocks of birds flying behind the fishing boats and playful seals leading the way. The seals were so incredibly cute as they gracefully dove down into the water and happily swam on their backs waiting for anything to drop from the boats. The Pier also has a Fish Market where you can grab fresh seafood favorites for lunch or dinner and eat at the picnic tables.
Not quite lunchtime, we hopped back on our bikes and headed to the Chatham Lighthouse-passing the beautiful Chatham Bar Inn and more gorgeous homes with bright hydrangeas. The spot at the Chatham Lighthouse was so scenic- the lighthouse on one side and the beach/ocean on the other. However I don’t recommend swimming at this spot due to the abundance of signs warning of sharks and dangerous currents!
Now we were hungry! So we headed to bustling downtown Chatham with all its boutiques and restaurants. The shopping is fantastic here with specialty stores like Ducks in the Window, Fisherman’s Daughter or Candy Manor and higher end stores like Mahi Gold Outfitters, Lily Pulitzer and Southern Tide. My favorite was The Mayflower with their unique and chic home accents and treasures.
TIP: It was harder than we thought to find a place to lock up our bikes downtown-we eventually found a bike rack at Kate Gould Park.
We browsed the shops for a bit while waiting for our table at the popular Chatham Squire to be ready. Chatham Squire has a fun, laid-back casual vibe and offers classic New England pub fare. After finishing our perfectly cooked lunch-grilled chicken and bacon sandwiches, crab cakes and fish and chips-we picked up a sweet treat and iced coffee at Chatham Perk and headed back on our bikes to take the trail home. Between biking on Old Colony and all around the town of Chatham we covered about 20 miles!
TIPS: If you would like to extend your bike trip, the Old Colony Rail Trail easily connects with the Cape Cod Rail Trail in Harwich. Also if you have time (and energy) after your bike ride, the Cape Cod Lavendar Farm is close by in Harwich. With tired legs and rain clouds moving in we decided to save that spot for next time!