Paddle the Outer Cape's Edge
Paddle the Outer Cape's Most Remote Waters
What to Know Before You Paddle
Moderate sustained paddling required. Recent experience and swimming ability essential.
Moderate paddling, tide and wind dependent
Bring your own boat or use ours
Recent paddling experience required
Great Island
The Paddle Ahead
Three miles of barrier beach, glacial bluffs, and protected bay waters
Barrier Beach Stretches
Great Island's 3-mile barrier beach system creates Cape Cod's most isolated mainland coastline, separating bay from ocean.
Glacial Bluffs Rise
Dramatic cliffs carved by ancient ice tower above the water, their natural erosion patterns telling thousands of years of coastal history.
Protected Waters Wait
Wellfleet Bay's calm surface invites sustained paddling, with the Cape Cod shoreline framing every stroke.
This paddle demands respect
Great Island's 3-mile barrier beach separates two bays, and the water between them moves with tide and wind. You'll paddle out of the Herring River basin and along glacial bluffs, through sections where both conditions shape every stroke. This requires moderate, sustained paddling and recent experience in the boat. You must be able to swim. The exposed coastal route rewards preparation and skill with views most visitors never see—but it doesn't forgive carelessness. Bring your own kayak or use one of ours. Either way, come ready.
Great Island's 3-mile barrier beach separates two bays, and the water between them moves with tide and wind. You'll paddle out of the Herring River basin and along glacial bluffs, through sections where both conditions shape every stroke. This requires moderate, sustained paddling and recent experience in the boat. You must be able to swim. The exposed coastal route rewards preparation and skill with views most visitors never see—but it doesn't forgive carelessness. Bring your own kayak or use one of ours. Either way, come ready.
Ready to paddle