Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary

Cape Cod

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Birders flock to Mass Audubon's 940-acre sanctuary, where 5 miles of trails cross tidal creeks, salt marshes and beaches. The most popular is the Goose Pond Trail (1.5-mile round trip), which leads out to a salt marsh and offers abundant opportunities for spotting marine and birdlife. The sanctuary also offers guided walks and kayaking tours, seal cruises and summer kids' programs.

You can walk the sanctuary trails until dusk, but get here before 5pm to see the eco-displays in the solar-powered nature center.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Dune's edge, pitch pine, Marconi beach, wellfleet, Cape Cod national seashore.

    Cape Cod National Seashore

    1.99 MILES

    Cape Cod National Seashore extends some 40 miles around the curve of the Outer Cape and encompasses the Atlantic shoreline from Orleans all the way to…

  • Provincetown Art Association and Museum, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

    Provincetown Art Association & Museum

    15.28 MILES

    Founded in 1914 to celebrate the town’s thriving art community, this vibrant museum showcases the works of hundreds of artists who have found their…

  • "Image of Pilgrim tower in Provincetown, MA, USA"

    Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum

    15.37 MILES

    Climb to the top of the country's tallest all-granite structure (253ft) for a sweeping view of town, the beaches and the spine of the Lower Cape. The…

  • Salt Pond Visitor Center

    Salt Pond Visitor Center

    3.34 MILES

    The Salt Pond Visitor Center is the place to start exploring the National Seashore – and it has a great view to boot. Here you'll find exhibits and short…

  • Heritage Museums & Gardens

    Heritage Museums & Gardens

    28.03 MILES

    Fun for kids and adults alike, the 100-acre Heritage Museums & Gardens sports a superb vintage automobile collection in a Shaker-style round barn, an…

  • Captains' Mile

    Captains' Mile

    17.88 MILES

    Nearly 50 historic sea captains' homes are lined up along MA 6A (the Old King's Hwy) in Yarmouth Port, on a 1.5-mile stretch known as the Captains' Mile…

  • John F Kennedy Hyannis Museum

    John F Kennedy Hyannis Museum

    21.79 MILES

    Hyannis has been the summer home of the Kennedy clan for generations. Back in the day, JFK spent the warmer months here – times that are beautifully…

  • Gulls at Herring Cove Beach.

    Herring Cove Beach

    15.99 MILES

    Swimmers favor the relatively calm (though certainly brisk) waters of Herring Cove Beach, part of the Cape Cod National Seashore. The long, sandy beach is…

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Nearby Cape Cod attractions

1. Marconi Beach

1.78 MILES

Part of the Cape Cod National Seashore, Marconi is a narrow Atlantic beach backed by sea cliffs and undulating dunes. Facilities include changing rooms,…

2. Cape Cod National Seashore

1.99 MILES

Cape Cod National Seashore extends some 40 miles around the curve of the Outer Cape and encompasses the Atlantic shoreline from Orleans all the way to…

3. Three Sisters Lighthouses

2.54 MILES

While visiting Nauset Light Beach, don't miss this curious trio of 19th-century lighthouses – they were saved from an eroding sea cliff and moved to a…

4. Nauset Light

2.69 MILES

Nauset Light is a picturesque red-and-white lighthouse guarding the shoreline at the Nauset Light Beach. Look familiar? You may have seen it on all the…

5. Nauset Light Beach

2.76 MILES

Cliff-backed Nauset Light Beach, north of Coast Guard Beach, is the stuff of dreams. It's broad and sandy and its features and facilities are similar to…

6. Schoolhouse Museum

3.22 MILES

The kid-friendly Schoolhouse Museum, across from the Salt Pond Visitor Center, is housed in a sweet, one-room schoolhouse dating from 1869. It features a…

7. Coast Guard Beach

3.24 MILES

All roads lead to the National Seashore's Coast Guard Beach. The main road from the Salt Pond Visitor Center deposits you here, as do cycling and hiking…

8. Salt Pond Visitor Center

3.34 MILES

The Salt Pond Visitor Center is the place to start exploring the National Seashore – and it has a great view to boot. Here you'll find exhibits and short…

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