Directions to the launch:  Take Pilgrim Spring Rd. off Rt. 6 (just past the fire-lookout tower) about 0.7 m to the junction where Cove Rd. joins from the right and Indian Neck Rd. goes straight;  go straight 1.8 m to the intersection with Samoset Ave. on left; bear right staying on Indian Neck Rd. about another 0.3 m to the Indian Neck Beach parking area.  

Directions to the launch:  From Rt. 6 northbound in Truro, take the exit signed for Pamet Roads and Truro Center.  After exiting, you come to a junction signed for North and South Pamet roads.  Turn right, go several hundred feet, and turn right onto South Pamet Rd. which goes under Rt. 6.  After 0.1 m you come to Castle Rd.  Turn left, go about 100 feet and veer right onto Depot Rd.  After 0.5 m the road forks and you stay right toward Pamet Harbor.  At 1.3 m you come to the harbor parking area and twin boat ramps.

Paddle is about 5 miles.  Bear right after launch, paddling past the parking area; turn right, entering the Pamet River.  Paddling or perhaps drifting with the incoming tide, follow the river, first through its widest portion, then through a variety of turns past salt marshes and sandy ridges.  Where the river becomes murky, near Rt. 6, turn around and retrace the route back to Pamet Harbor.  On reentering the harbor, bear right into the Little Pamet River tidal flat if the water is navigable.  Otherwise, paddle due west to Harbor Bar and a landing spot where the inlet from Cape Cod Bay squeezes to its narrowest width, in a cove at the foot of the north jetty, also a perfect spot for lunch, a swim, or a stroll on the beach.  Since paddling out into Cape Cod Bay is recommended at slack tide, only the most experienced may want to chance this (the return will likely be against the outgoing tide).  Otherwise, return to the launch site, paddling east across Pamet Harbor.   

Directions to the launch:  From Orleans rotary, take Rt. 6 north 1.8 m and turn right onto Hemenway Rd.  After 0.3 m you will come to the parking area and the town landing. 

Paddle is about 4 miles.  The trip begins by bearing left from the launch, and heading north making your way into Salt Pond Bay.  Paddle through the bay, passing the entrance to Salt Pond (and the visitors center), and turning right into the marsh past West Cove.  Go clockwise around Joe Mayo’s Hook, finally entering Cedar Bank Creek to the right.  Paddle through the creek and into and across Nauset Bay, towards the Nauset Coast Guard Station.  The beach below the station is a good place to stop, for a swim, crossing the beach to the ocean side, lunch, etc.  After the tide turns, head back taking Robbins Channel on the south side of Ministers Flat and swing around Main Marsh and into Main Channel, where the water is crystal clear, providing a lucent underwater view of striped bass passing under your boat.  Paddle through Big Box and back to the landing.  

Directions to the Launch:  From Rt. 6, about 1.5 m north of the Wellfleet/Eastham line and 0.4 m south of the traffic signal at Marconi Station Rd., turn southwest onto Lt. Island Rd.  At 1.1 m, you reach a single lane, arching wooden bridge, which crosses over to Lieutenant Island.  Shortly after crossing the bridge, take the first dirt road on the left.  Follow this road along the marsh on your left, heading towards an octagonal shaped house off in the distance, but which can be seen from the bridge.  After traveling another 1.1 m from the bridge, and just past the octagonal house, you will reach a sandy parking area; the launch is from the beach at the end of a narrow path, just over the dune.

This trip circumnavigates Lieutenant Island with an excursion into the waters of the Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary both on the island and on the mainland.  The paddle is about five miles.  Turning left upon launching from the island’s most northerly beach, we begin a counterclockwise route around Lt. Island.  About half way around, the wildlife sanctuary lands come into view on our left.  At the island’s most southerly point, we paddle southeast, heading towards the Audubon Sanctuary on the mainland.  After exploring these waters, we return to the channel that leads us to the wooden bridge.  Passage under the bridge is fairly tight between the closely spaced pilings.  We then paddle through Loagy Bay, making our way around the headland and returning to the launch point.

Directions to the Launch:  From Rt.6 in Wellfleet at the southernmost traffic signal, take the exit signed for Wellfleet Center and Harbor.  This puts you on Main St., which you follow west for 0.3 m to E. Commercial St. Turn left and follow E. Commercial St., which soon becomes Commercial St.  Go 0.7 m to the town marina and harbor.  Turn right onto Kendrick Ave. and after several hundred feet veer left into a parking area.  Park at the east end of the parking area; take the path to the beach and launch outside of the roped-off swimming area.

This paddle is about 7 miles (and possibly 3 more miles, all the way to Jeremy Pt.).  After launching, turn right paddling past Mayo Beach, taking care to stay out of the boat channel (green buoys on your left).  After passing Mayo Beach, veer left heading across the mouth of the Herring River and directly towards Great Island’s east tip.  Bear left at the tip, and paddle parallel to the shoreline being careful to avoid some rather large rocks.  As the beach swings away to the right, hold your course to pass well offshore of the cove at the entrance of a salt marsh (Middle Marsh), which can be visited on the return leg.  As you draw abreast of Great Beach Hill, look for a small cove, right, and then a sand spit ahead.  Move well offshore to round the spit.  Once past the bar, turn right and paddle into a large cove fringed with salt marsh.  To your left is the narrow, lengthy finger of Jeremy Point.  The cove has a sandy beach, well suited to beaching and having a picnic lunch.  A decision to paddle further south towards Jeremy Pt. will then be made.  Otherwise, on leaving the cove, retrace the path, taking a short excursion into Middle Marsh, if desired.  Then, paddle back to the launch site.

Directions to the Launch:  On Rt. 6. in Provincetown go 0.5 m past the traffic signal at Conwell St., signed for Provincetown Center (left), Race Point and Provincelands Visitor Center (right), to a flashing yellow light at Shank Painter Rd, signed for Rt. 6A and Provincetown.  Turn left; go 0.5 m to Bradford St, and turn right.  Go 0.2 m to Franklin St, and turn left.  Go 0.1 m to a stop sign where Commercial Street goes left and also straight.  Go straight and then follow Commercial St. as it jogs right.  After 0.2 m you reach a parking area, a boat ramp and sandy beach on the left.  A metered parking fee is charged, i.e. 25 cents per quarter hour.  So bring a lot of quarters.  The meters will take up to 10 hours of quarters.  The possibility of having access to parking at a new mini-storage facility at the top of Shank Painter Rd. and shuttling kayakers to and from the launch site, thereby avoiding having to pay the parking fee, will be explored just prior to the trip and reported via email to those who have signed up.

This trip is about four miles.  After launching, turn right and paddle toward the dike, a mile-long rock structure that separates Provincetown harbor from a large salt marsh to its west.  Continue paddling parallel to the dike towards the Wood End lighthouse, and its mournful foghorn.  Turning left, paddle along the shoreline towards Long Point Light.  Both these lighthouses are square rather then circular, an unusual design for Cape Cod.  The beach near the tip of Cape Cod offers a very suitable spot to beach the kayaks and enjoy a picnic lunch.  The need to explore the lighthouse, etc. should also be hard to resist.  Upon getting our fill, return to the launch site by paddling directly across the western part of Provincetown harbor, taking care to avoid boat traffic lanes.

Herring Brook, Coy Brook, West Harwich

Directions to the Launch:  Take exit 10 from Rt. 6 and turn onto Rt.124 south.  Drive through the intersection with Rt.39 (a right-left in the center of Harwich) to Rt. 28.  Turn right onto Rt.28 north, go 0.9 m, and turn left onto the town landing just before the Herring River bridge.

This paddle is five miles up the Herring River and Coy Brook, and back.  The Herring River in West Harwich has been labeled by some as the equivalent of a “Massachusetts Wild and Scenic River”, thanks to the foresight of the town of Harwich, which has protected much of the land surrounding the river and its reservoirs.  After launching, paddle north following the river.  At about two miles, turn east and paddle up Coy Brook to its end.  A stop here for lunch will also help to assure the tide to change to our advantage for the return paddle back to the launch site.

Directions to the Launch:  From Rt. 6, take Exit 12, signed for Rt. 6A, Orleans, and E. Brewster.  Go west towards Brewster 1.5 m to the Nickerson State Park entrance on left.  Continue past the entrance kiosk 0.3 m on Deer Park Rd.  Turn left onto Flax Pond Rd. for another 1.1 m to the parking area for Cliff and Little Cliff ponds.  Just past the parking area, the road continues for several hundred feet to a boat ramp on Little Cliff Pond, left, and a beach on Cliff Pond, right.  Launch from the boat ramp on Little Cliff Pond.

This trip is short, but enjoyable, only about 3 miles.  Launch into Little Cliff Pond, one of the clearest ponds on the cape.  As you paddle clockwise around it, you may see schools of small trout and an occasional bass.  Upon reaching the west side of the pond, you reach a low sandy barrier separating it from its larger neighbor to the west.  Land in a little cove from where you can portage to Cliff Pond, just a few hundred feet over a low rise. (There will be plenty of folks willing and able to help anyone, particularly those who are alone, with this short portage; “helping hands” are part of our Newcomers’ culture.)  Launching into Cliff Pond, bear left and begin a clockwise circuit by heading west.  The shoreline narrows and becomes rocky.  Passing a small cove, left, you round a high, steep-sided promontory and then enter a larger cove at the south end of Cliff Pond.  The sandy beach here provides a good spot to land and have lunch, and perhaps enjoy a short walk to Grassy Nook Pond nearby.  Once having enjoyed this secluded spot, paddle north out of the cove and then bear left around the next promontory, being extra careful of boats.  Continue paddling around the shoreline until you reach a roped-off swimming area at the beach at the end of Flax Pond Rd.  Turn left and land.  You are just 150 feet from the launch site on Little Cliff Pond (and your car!).

Directions to the Launch:  From Rt. 6, take exit 9, and follow Rt. 134 north to Rt. 6A.  Go right  and follow Rt. 6A east for 2.75 miles, then bear left at a fork onto Lower Road.  Drive 0.2 mile and turn left onto Paines Creek Road; then go 0.7 mile to the parking area at the end of the road.  The beach and the launch is to the left (launch is perhaps easiest into Paines Creek). 

The trip is about five miles in length.  Launching into Paines Creek, which is to the left of the parking area, appears to be the easiest approach.  Paddle towards Cape Cod Bay and turn left, following the shoreline for about ½ mile.  Then, turn left into the wide mouth of Quivett Creek and begin a journey only 1.5 miles long, but seemingly much longer as the creek twists and turns.  The paddle is very leisurely, through calm waters protected by the marsh and uplands.  Quivett Creek is the premier herring run on the cape each spring.  The return trip will be aided by the tidal change and may require some care leaving the creek, returning into Cape Cod Bay (rip currents may be present).  A stop on the beach for lunch and possibly a walk up the bluff for a spectacular view of the bay precedes the return paddle back to the launch site. 

Directions to Launch: From Rt.6, take exit 12 to Rt. 6A north.  Turn right onto Eldridge Parkway; drive 0.8 mile, and turn right onto Rt. 28, heading south.  Drive along Rt. 28 for 2.5 miles and then bear left onto Quanset Road (across from Rt.39 interchange).  After 0.1 mile bear left onto Portanimicut Road; follow it 1 mile to the parking area at the town landing; there’s additional parking on the street.

Paddling distance is 5 miles.  After launching and before entering Little Pleasant Bay, paddle into Paw-Wah Pond and make an offering to the Paw-Waw Medicine Man, who one winter a long time ago, moved his wigwam onto the ice to fish, fell through and was never seen again.  To have any luck fishing, or for calm waters, you must drop a few quid of tobacco as a peace offering (so much for folklore…).  Paddle into the bay.  Dead ahead across the bay are Sampson and Hog Islands.  Paddle to Hog Island, to the right, stopping perhaps at Money Head, the northern tip, where one can look for treasures Captain Kidd supposedly buried here (so legend says…).  On leaving Money Head, paddle leisurely around Hog Island, swinging to the north, with Nuaset Beach to your right, and ospreys to your left.  Paddle through Broad Creek, past Sampson Island on your left.  After rounding the northern tip of Sampson Island, stop for lunch on the sandy shore, where walking on the beach may reveal places along the banks where erosion has unearthed Indian middens (refuse heaps of old shells), a visual and tangible link to the past.  By now, the tide will have turned making for a leisurely return to the launch site.

Directions to the Launch:  From Rt. 6, take exit 11, and follow Rt. 137 south to Rt. 28.  Turn left onto Rt. 28 South; drive 1.9 m, and turn right onto Vineyard Ave.  Drive 0.4 m to the dirt parking lot at the town landing.

The trip is about five miles paddling distance.  Launch, turning to the right, into Oyster Pond River, staying off to the side avoiding boats tied up at floating docks.  Paddle downriver past another town landing on Barn Hill Rd, and out around Eldridge Point.  When the river enters Stage Harbor, head northeast, paddling past many shorebirds feeding on the exposed mudflats and marsh.  If the outbound currents are not too harsh, enter the Mitchell River and pass under the bridge leading into Mill Pond.  A panoramic view of a quaint New England village with gentle hills, church steeples and an old gristmill dating from the 1800’s is immediately seen.  After exploring Mill Pond, paddle back out, into and across Stage Harbor, toward the barrier beach, locally called the dike; several clammers will likely be harvesting their “crop” on the sandflats.  With favorable winds and a clear sky, paddle out around the dike, into Chatham harbor, and, if so inclined, explore the sandflats fringing the northern tip of Monomoy Island.  On the changing tide, return and stop at Stage Harbor Light, on Hardings Beach, for a lunch break.  The incoming tide now will make for an easy paddle back to the launch.

Directions to the Launch:  From the Orleans rotary, take Rt. 6 north 1.8 m and turn right onto Hemenway Rd.  After 0.3 m you will come to the parking area and the town landing.

This trip is about six miles long.  The Inlet Marsh route through Nauset Marsh is often called the “bird-watcher’s route.”  Launch from the beach, turning right, and paddle south through Skiff Hill Creek.  Fort Hill, and hopefully lots of herons, is on the right.  Paddle across the inlet to Town Cove, entering Nauset Harbor, ultimately reaching Inlet Marsh, in the center of the harbor.  Stop here for lunch, but be on the lookout for the occasional intrepid tern that thinks your head would make an excellent spot to relieve itself, in hopes of sending you on your way.  After the tide turns, paddle around the Horn or through the Straits of Magellan, and back up Skiff Hill Creek to the landing.  This may be tricky, because of the possibility for getting stuck on the sandflats exposed by the low tide; so an extended lunch may likely be advisable. 

Directions to the Launch:  From Rt. 6, take Exit 12 onto Rt. 6A north.  Turn right at the next traffic light, (Skaket Corner) onto Eldredge Pkwy.  Drive 1 m and turn right onto Main St (second traffic light).  After 0.3 m turn right onto River Rd. (across from the cemetery) and drive 0.4 m to the town landing.  Parking is primarily on the street, since the very small lot area at the landing is not generally used for parking.

This trip is three miles in length.  Launch from the landing and you will be on what is now known simply as The River.  Meeting House Pond is to the left, and can be explored on the return trip, if desired.  Paddle about a half mile downriver to a marsh inlet on the left known as Lucy’s Slough.  On entering this marshy area, look for red encrusting bryozoans under water, that have the appearance of delicate lacework., growing on stones that were once the foundation of an old tide-powered grain mill.  Another brilliant animal to look for in these shallow waters is red beard sponge, one of the most common sponges on the cape.  Paddling back to the river, continue downriver, passing, or exploring, as you wish, the inlets on the right, the last of which is the Namequoit River, also the entry to Arey’s Pond.  Paddling into these inlets may be tedious due to the outgoing tide; but the return to The River will be that much easier.  Continue paddling downriver, ultimately reaching Namequoit Point on the right, beyond which is Little Pleasant Bay; Sampson and Hog Islands are just across the bay.  Stop at Namequoit Point for lunch.  The tide should have turned by now, allowing for an easy paddle back to the launch point.  Or, if so inclined, first explore Meeting House Pond.

Directions to the Launch:  From Rt. 6 in Wellfleet, north of town, turn east onto Gull Pond Rd. just opposite Moby Dick’s restaurant.  Go 1.1 m to Schoolhouse Hill Rd. (not signed) and turn left at the stone pillar signed Gull Pond Landing.  At 0.3 m Schoolhouse Hill Rd. veers left, but you continue straight a few hundred feet and then turn right into a parking area.  Continue for several hundred feet to a boat-launching area on your left.

Cape Cod is famous for its hundreds of kettle ponds, water-filled depressions created by the melting of huge chunks of buried ice left behind as the ice-age glaciers retreated.  Gull Pond is the largest in Wellfleet and along with its neighbors, Higgins, Williams and Herring ponds contributes water to the Herring River, ultimately emptying into Wellfleet Harbor at Great Island.

The trip is about 2 miles long.  Paddle away from the launch site, turning right to begin a counterclockwise circuit of Gull Pond past a secluded shoreline and homes tucked away in the pines.  The pond takes its name from the congregation of gulls usually floating in its middle.  Other birds which inhabit the pond include cormorants, crows and bluejays.  Continuing around the pond, the hills on the right gradually dip down until there is only a low, sandy barrier separating Gull Pond from Higgins Pond.  If the ponds are full there should be enough water to paddle from one pond into the other.  If not, we will have to portage our kayaks across the narrow passage.  There will be plenty of help for anyone who desires it.  Once back in our boats, turn right and begin a counterclockwise tour of this pond, which is much smaller and more secluded than its neighbor.  Soon you will reach the north shore where a very narrow and usually shallow cut leads to Williams Pond.  This pond is indeed the most secluded and brimming with wild and plant life.  After circumnavigating the pond, return to Higgins Pond via the cut, and continue in a counterclockwise direction.  Reaching and paddling through the sluice to Gull Pond, paddle along its west shore, staying clear of the lily pads in shallow water to your right, ultimately arriving at the launch site.

Directions to the Launch:  From Orleans, taken Rt. 28 heading south into Chatham.  Just after leaving Harwich and passing the “Chatham” sign, and at the Masonic sign on the right, turn left into a narrow, steep drive, which leads to a long parking area and beach front on Pleasant Bay. Park as far to the east as possible and launch there, from the beach.

This trip is about six miles long.  Launch from the beach into Pleasant Bay, turning to the right, and paddle along the north shore of Nickerson Neck.  Continue around Eastward Point and Fox Hill, entering Bassing Harbor, and finally around Avalon Point into Crow’s Pond.  After exploring Crow’s Pond, retrace the earlier path, around Fox Hill and across to Strong Island, to have lunch.  Paddle across to Nickerson Neck and return to the launch site.