Free — you'll pick up right here.
Watch this trail
Sign up to watch it — saving subscribes you to gate, closure and report changes.
Massachusetts
Great Island Trail
4.7 mi
Distance
699 ft
Gain
1h 44m
Time
No verdict for this trail
We won't guess. Here is exactly what we do and don't know.
What we do know
Inside Cape Cod National Seashore
National Park unit boundary is mapped — agency alerts for it feed this page automatically.
Boundary data
What's missing
No access route mapped
We don't yet know which road reaches this trailhead, so we can't tell you if it's gated.
Nobody's filed a report here yet — be the first.
Why you'll love it
Here's your day, mapped
Great Island Trail
AI-suggested draft · review before you go
Meals
Gear for the day
Elevation & route
- Distance
- 4.7 mi
- Elevation gain
- 699 ft
- Elevation loss
- 699 ft
Photos
Directions & GPX
Permits & access
No permit or access details on file for this trail — check with the local land manager before you go.
About this trail
<p><strong>Length:</strong> 3.9-8.8 miles round trip (3.9 for tavern loop round trip to parking area; 8.8 for round trip to Jeremy Point overlook including tavern loop.)<br /> <em>Allow three to five hours to explore Great Island.</em><br /> <strong>Location:</strong> Corner of Griffin Island and Chequessett Neck Road. From Route 6, follow green signs to Wellfleet Center; turn left onto East Commercial Street (follow signs to Wellfleet Harbor); continue along the shoreline from town pier via Chequessett Neck Road to the Great Island parking area. (Keep water view on left after leaving Route 6.)<br /> <strong>Pets: </strong>Leashed pets are allowed in designated ares on Great Island Trail. Be sure to check trail signs for permitted areas.<br /> <strong>Features:</strong> This trail follows sandy stretches between the elevated heights of Great Island and Great Beach Hill. Its higher elevations punctuate spectacular vistas which emerge from an even-aged, pitch-pine forest. Part of this trail leads to a colonial-era tavern site (no remains visible). Other sections skirt salt marsh embayments.<br /> <em>A picnic area is adjacent to parking area.</em><br /> <strong>Conditions:</strong> The park’s most difficult trail; mostly soft sand; some log steps; portions are submerged at high tide; hats, sturdy footgear and drinking water advised; portable toilets. Leashed pets are allowed between the upper/lower parking areas along the trail to the first cut and out onto the beach. </p> <aside> <p>Beach access is via designated trail only. Do not traverse the dune to reach the beach. Please stay on designated trails to protect fragile resources.</p> </aside>
Add to a trip & share
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail
~9 min drive
<p><strong>Length:</strong> 1.2 mile loop, one hour<br /> <strong>Location:</strong> 195 Marconi Station Road. At the stop light, turn east off Route 6 into the Marconi Station Area, South Wellfleet. Follow brown signs to the Marconi Site and White Cedar Swamp.<br /> <strong>P…
Nauset Bike Trail
~14 min drive
<strong>Length:</strong> 1.6 miles<br /> <strong>Location:</strong> There are multiple access points to the Nauset Bike Trail: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/visitorcenters.htm">Salt Pond Visitor Center</a></li> <li>Doane Picnic Area (2 hour parking l…
Nauset Marsh Trail
~14 min drive
<p><strong>Length:</strong> 1.3 mile loop, plus 1.5 mile spur to <a href="https://www.nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/coast-guard-beach-eastham.htm">Coast Guard Beach</a>, one hour.<br /> <strong>Location:</strong> Adjacent to the Salt Pond Visitor Center amphitheater, 50 Nauset Ro…
Red Maple Swamp Trail
~17 min drive
<p><strong>Length:</strong> 0.8 mile round trip, 30 minutes.<br /> <strong>Location:</strong> Enter this trail from the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/forthill.htm">Fort Hill Trail</a> or from Hemenway Landing in Eastham.<br /> <strong>Pets: </strong>Pets are…
Beech Forest Trail
~19 min drive
<p><strong>Length:</strong> 1 mile loop, (pond loop 0.75 mile, extension loop 0.25 mile), one hour.<br /> <strong>Location: </strong>175 Race Point Road. Turn right off Route 6 at traffic light onto Race Point Road. Proceed approximately 0.5 mile to the Beech Forest parking ar…
Cape Cod Community College Circuit (Unofficial Cape Cod Pathways)
~37 min drive
Easy point-to-point walk through Cape Cod Community College campus and pathways.
Atlantic Circuit Trail (Proposed)
~53 min drive
Short out-and-back trail in Massachusetts for a quick nature walk.
Four Ponds Loop
~54 min drive
Easy 1.4-mile loop around four scenic ponds in Massachusetts.
Bentley Loop
~55 min drive
Easy 3-mile loop through Massachusetts woodland.
East Head Reservoir Loop
~55 min drive
Easy 2.45-mile loop around a scenic Massachusetts reservoir.
