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Hiking around
Cape Cod's Lieutenant Island |
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| Have
a question about this
destination? |
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| Away from
the crowds, Lieutenant Island is an area off the
beaten track, which offers a unique environment
for a hike along the shore. A small hill dotted
with a few summer homes tucked beneath the pines,
the island is connected to the mainland by a narrow
causeway and an old wooden bridge. During the
equinox tides, the causeway barely keeps the link
to the Cape, and on stormy days, the road itself
is close to being flooded. The rest of the year,
high tide leaves enough room around the island
for a hike that is partly on the beach, partly
in the saltwater wetlands connected to the nearby
Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellfleet. |
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This tour will
add a bit of adventure to your regular hike.
First, you will need to time your hike with
the tide: when the water is high, one section
of the beach is submerged – in fact, we
have already paddled there with our kayaks at
high tide… Second, there are no signs or
markings, and there isn't even a path on some
sections of the hike.
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Like nearby
Great
Island and Wellfleet
sanctuary this hike will take you
to that strange no man's land between land and
ocean: the terrain you will explore is just
a few yards from the water, and you have equal
chances to meet squirrels and crabs on this
tour, not to mention turtle nests.
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This hike is
enjoyable in all seasons: in summer, the (relatively)
warm water on the bay side means that you can
take a dip in the ocean if you bring your swimsuit;
there is no shade, however, so it is also a
good idea to bring a hat. In winter, like much
of the Cape, Lieutenant Island is deserted,
and this walk will delight those you enjoy solitude
and silence (to the point that you can actually
HEAR the tiny crabs scramble away on the trail).
In fall and winter, the trail can be wet, and
you may want to exchange hiking shoes for rubber
boots or waterproof shoes.
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| Here are the
detailed hiking directions: |
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From the parking lot, walk
over the bridge and continue towards Lieutenant
Island |
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Just before reaching the island,
take the sandy road to the right towards
the bay |
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At the next intersection,
continue right towards the wooden gate at
the end of the road |
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When you reach the end of
the road and see the Audubon Wildlife Refuge
signs, take the narrow path over the dunes
on the left to reach the beach |
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Turn left on the beach and
continue past the tip of the island |
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The dunes disappear and the
shore becomes steeper; continue past the
breakwater rocks - this area is entirely
submerged at high tide |
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Continue until the dunes reappear
and look for an opening in the dunes with
a narrow path |
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Take the path and walk down
to the sandy road behind the dunes |
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Turn left on the road and
walk along the gate past a few houses until
you reach the other side of the wetlands |
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Leave the road before it climbs
up towards a home on the small hill, and
turn right over the wetlands to reach the
high tide mark along the edge of the wetlands;
from this point, there is no clear trail
until you round the island, but the mark
is easy to follow |
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This is a fragile area, so
tread carefully and walk over the flotsam,
driftwood and algae pushed up by the tide,
rather than on the wetland grass |
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Continue along the wetland
edge until a narrow trail reappears near
a white house on your left (wooden support
wall) |
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Take the trail and turn slightly
left; after a last curve, the bridge reappears
in the distance |
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Continue past the wooden gate
with the Audubon Sanctuary signs, and take
the sandy road along the houses to reach
the causeway |
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Turn right on the causeway
to return to your car |
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a few stops along the way, allow about 3 hours
for the tour. |
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Including the
time to drive from and to Boston, this hike
should give you a solid day out near the ocean.
If you are really fast and have time for another
hike, go back to your car and visit the Mass
Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary right next door for
another great hike in the Wellfleet
Sanctuary. You can also head just
a few miles north and hike to Great
Island.
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Finally , if
you want to further explore this preserved area
over a full weekend or an entire week, the Mass
Audubon Society operates a small and secluded
campground in the Sanctuary, which
may very well be the best address on the Cape
for nature and outdoors lovers.
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(Picture:
High tide at the causeway to Lieutenant Island)
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