Bicycle Tour: Cape Cod, Day One
I travelled from Somerville to the North of Highland Camping Area on Cape Cod, with about twelve miles of bicycle riding and fifty-four miles on the Provincetown Fast Ferry.
Wednesday, September 3, 2025, was the first of eight days and seven nights of riding and camping on Cape Cod. I had reservations for four nights at North of Highland Camping Area followed by three nights at Nickerson State Park. My plan was to spend each day hiking and/or bicycling. I toured this area of Cape Cod two years ago in September 2024.
I left the house at 11:30 a.m. and took the Somerville Community Path and other bike lanes to the Provincetown Fast Ferry pier in the Seaport district of Boston (45 minutes, 5.23 miles). A round-trip ticket on the Provincetown Fast Ferry cost $148, including $10 each way for my bicycle.
After I rolled my bike onto the ferry’s bow, a ferry employee tied it securely to the bike racks. Since my front rack prevented me from inserting my wheel into the bike rack, I leaned my bike sideways against the bike rack. Fortunately, there was plenty of space.
The ferry departed promptly at 1:00 p.m. and arrived at MacMillan Pier in Provincetown at 2:30 p.m. The weather was sunny but windy, and I sat in one of the seats in the bow.
Waiting in Line in Boston for Boarding the Provincetown Fast Ferry
Departing Boston on the Provincetown Fast Ferry
Arriving in Provincetown on the Fast Ferry
After disembarking at MacMillan Pier in Provincetown, I rode through Provincetown on Route 6A, following the East Coast Greenway route. To get to the Head of the Meadow Bike Trail, I needed patience to wait for a gap in the high-speed traffic to cross Route 6. The beautiful and quiet Head of the Meadow Bike Trail is located between the dunes and the ocean.
Head of the Meadow Bike Trail
After 6.92 miles of riding (46 minutes), I arrived at the North of Highland Camping Area, where I quickly checked in and found my beautiful and secluded campsite. The weather was sunny and a very comfortable 69 °F.
My Secluded Campsite at North of Highland Camping Area
Once I finished setting up my campsite, I walked to the Head of Meadow Beach. I walked down the beach to Coast Guard Rd and walked back to the campground on the Head of the Meadow Bike Path Connector for a total of 2.4 miles.
The trees growing in the woods include pitch pine (Pinus rigida), white oak (Quercus alba), and black oak (Quercus velutina). Compared to the beaches in Oregon, I find the beaches on Cape Cod uninteresting, but there is an abundance of soft dry sand. The moon was rising at 5:55 p.m., and I saw the head of a seal in the ocean.
Pitch Pine Forest Near the Head of the Meadow Beach
Head of the Meadow Beach
I managed my effort well on this short and easy day at 57% Zone 1, 33% Zone 2, and 10% Zone 3.