Kayaking Nauset Marsh

Much of Cape Cod's allure comes from its natural beauty and its unique location, jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean. A large number of migrating birds and marine mammals visit these shores at specific times each year to feed and breed, and kayakers who want to see some of this wildlife have the perfect opportunity. Nauset Marsh is one of the most productive salt marsh habitats in the world. A vast secret world of marshy grassland, it's crisscrossed by meandering streams and tidal creeks of seawater, which flow in and out with the tide and are ideal for kayaking. These marsh areas are also a birder's paradise; depending upon the season, you will see many species of nesting and shorebirds, including the blue heron and osprey, and you may see otters as well. Farther out towards the Nauset Inlet at the outer barrier beach section of Nauset Marsh, you may even encounter basking seals.

The Nauset Marsh area has acres of sedge islands, known locally as hummocks, separated by a maze of channels easily accessed by canoe or kayak. Photo: courtesy of Cape Cod Museum of Natural History

Access to Nauset Marsh is quite easy, with plenty of parking available at two Eastham town landings. We recommend that your first choice be the landing at Hemenway Road off U.S. Rt. 6 in Eastham, directly after the Fort Hill entrance and the right after the Eastham Visitor Center. Once in the water, head in any direction for a wonderful day of exploration. Heading south and east, you will pass acres of sedge islands, known locally as hummocks, separated by channels of water which all connect the salt marsh to the greater ocean ecosystem. Paddling into coming currents on a moderately calm day is pleasant for novice and experts alike. The beginner gets the feeling of open space, and seasoned paddlers have the chance to travel into oncoming seas at the spit to the Atlantic Ocean. Navigational charts are not necessary even at low tide.

You can also enter Nauset Marsh at the Salt Pond town landing off U.S. Rt. 6--after the stop light in Eastham Center, it's the next right after the police and fire stations. As you make your way out from Salt Pond and into Nauset Marsh, you'll be entering the marsh a half-mile north of the Hemenway Landing (just so you have your bearings). Once past the cedar trees and the Salt Pond inlet flow, follow the shoreline east to the great expanse of barrier beach which protects the marsh from the surf of the Atlantic. As you approach the beach, past the boardwalk on your right, you will see a perfect place to beach your boat to take a walk along the barrier beach and collect some seashells.

Back in your boat, as you make your way south down the outer beach, conditions will change. The currents get stronger the nearer you get to the Nauset Inlet. For those experienced paddlers prepared with the proper gear and skills, it is a short run through the inlet and into the Atlantic Ocean and playtime in the surf. It can be dangerous for the beginner, even an intermediate paddler, and it does require specialized gear including spray-skirt, wetsuit and helmet. If you are not ready for the surf riding, no problem; continuing south you can skirt the inlet and enter the sheltered waters of Nauset Harbor.

Nauset Harbor has lots of spots to stop for a swim or picnic. Paddling the shoreline, you will pass Nauset Heights, with its beautiful homes overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. From there it's across the entrance to Town Cove and a paddle in front of historic Fort Hill. You have almost completed the full circumference of Nauset Marsh and are less than a mile from the Salt Pond landing where you started your paddle. The Cape Cod National Seashore Visitor Center will act as your beacon, as it sits overlooking Salt Pond.

If you wish to take this tour with a guided interpreter, several of the tour companies mentioned in this chapter offer tours of Nauset Marsh, including the Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet Bay Audubon, Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, and Cape Cod Coastal Canoe and Kayak.