Nauset Marsh Trail Map (click to enlarge)

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See the Hiking Trails web page for an interactive location map.

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Length: 1.3-mile loop
Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: Easy with some mildly hilly terrain

The Nauset Marsh Trail is a loop trail that begins at Cape Cod National Seashore’s Salt Pond Visitor Center. To get to the trailhead, either walk out the back of the building and take a left towards the amphitheater or access it from a short path behind the restroom in the parking lot. The trailhead is to the right of the amphitheater and is marked with a sign.

Nauset Marsh Trail at Cape Cod National Seashore starts to the right of the Salt Pond Visitor Center’s amphitheater

The trail runs along Salt Pond and Salt Pond Bay before circling back inland. If you want to learn something along the way, pick up a trail guide in the brochure box at the start of the hike. If you don’t need it afterwards, be sure to return it to the box.

Start of the Nauset Marsh Trail at Cape Cod National Seashore

The first half mile of the hike is out in the open, so wear a hat and apply sunscreen if avoiding the sun is important to you. Also, I hiked the trail in late July and was harassed by biting flies that were smart enough to hang around at my ankles where I couldn’t swat them easily. They weren’t too bad, but they were annoying. I recommend wearing long pants for this reason. I did not have a problem with mosquitoes.

When you reach Salt Pond, the trail turns left and follows along the eastern shore until coming to a channel that flows out to Salt Pond Bay. There is nothing to keep you from turning right and following the shore in a counterclockwise direction, but when you hit the channel you’ll have nowhere to go and must turn around and retrace your steps. You might also travel that way if you visit the pond to do some shell fishing (permit required from the town of Eastham).

Take a left at Salt Pond to stay on the Nauset Marsh Trail at Cape Cod National Seashore

Salt Pond is what is known as a kettle pond. As the glaciers retreated 18,000 years ago, huge pieces of ice were left stranded at various locations. When these melted they left depressions in the earth that eventually filled in with water. Salt Pond was once isolated, but the ocean tides cut a channel that now connects it to the bay. This turned the once freshwater pond into a saltwater pond, thus the name. The channel is actually filling in with sand, so one day the pond may return to being a stand-alone body of fresh water.

Salt Pond at Cape Cod National Seashore

The trail along the shoreline is a wide dirt path. Ticks are prevalent in the grass, so be sure to stay on the dirt and as far from the vegetation as possible.

Typical terrain of the Nauset Marsh Trail as it flanks Salt Pond at Cape Cod National Seashore

It is only a quarter mile to the start of the channel. There is a boat ramp on the west side of the pond, so you may see kayaks, canoes, and ever motorboats. The National Park service leads a canoe trip on Salt Pond that travels a short way up the channel, though it launches from near the amphitheater, not the public boat ramp.

Boaters navigate the channel that leads to Salt Pond Bay, Cape Cod National Seashore

The Nauset Marsh Trail only follows the channel for a short way before cutting left and heading inland through a field. Signs mark all of the turns. A path does continue to follow the channel, but this leads through private property.

A path along the channel to Salt Pond Bay continues onto private property, Cape Cod National Seashore

The trail eventually heads into the forest and makes its way up to the top of a small hill overlooking Salt Pond Bay. I usually use hiking poles in such terrain, but these hills were so mild that I did not need them.

Hilly terrain in the wooded area of Nauset Marsh Trail at Cape Cod National Seashore

Just before descending back down the hill is a scenic overlook with views of Salt Pond Bay. There are two benches, so you can take a break and enjoy the scenery.

Benches at the scenic overlook along the Nauset Marsh Trail at Cape Cod National Seashore

View of Salt Pond Bay from the Nauset Marsh Trail at Cape Cod National Seashore

Once back down by the bay, some sections of the trail get very narrow and run through tall grass, which is where ticks lie in wait. This is another reason to wear long pants on the hike, regardless of the weather.

Tall grass along a narrow section of the Nauset Marsh Trail at Cape Cod National Seashore

At the .7-mile mark the trail splits, giving hikers the option to continue back to the Visitor Center or to hike to Doane Memorial, which, according to the sign, takes about a half hour. The sign also warns of poison ivy along the way. I have no idea what trail this is, for the only trail I know of that runs through this area and leads to Doane Memorial is the paved Nauset Trail, and this is not paved. I am guessing that it is simply a short path that leads over to the Nauset Trail, though I did not check it out.

Intersection of the Nauset Marsh Trail and a connector to Doane Memorial at Cape Cod National Seashore

From the intersection all the way back to the Visitor Center, the Nauset Marsh Trail remains in the forest and continues through mildly hilly terrain. At the 1-mile mark it actually crosses the paved Nauset Trail, which reinforces my assumption about the previous side trail. I did see poison ivy, so there’s another reason to wear long pants.

Intersection of the Nauset Marsh Trail and the paved Nauset Trail at Cape Cod National Seashore

Just a little farther ahead, the Nauset Marsh Trail crosses the Nauset Trail one more time and then merges with the Buttonbush Trail. This leads back to the Visitor Center and comes out at the parking lot near the restroom building.

Nauset Marsh Trail merges with the Buttonbush Trail near Cape Cod National Seashore’s Salt Pond Visitor Center

The Nauset Marsh Trail is a pleasure to hike. It has some great scenery along the pond and bay and is relatively easy. If you can walk 1.3 miles, you can do this hike. It is far superior to the Buttonbush Trail, and since it actually covers half of it, there’s no real reason to hike Buttonbush if you hike the Nauset Marsh Trail.

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