Bicycle Tour: Cape Cod 2025, Day One

Wednesday, September 3, 2025, was the first of eight days and seven nights of riding and camping on Cape Cod. I made reservations for four nights at North of Highland Camping Area followed by three nights at Nickerson State Park. My plan was to spend each day hiking and/or bicycling.

I left the house at 11:30 a.m. and took the Somerville Community Path and other bike lanes in Cambridge and Boston to the Provincetown Fast Ferry pier in the Seaport district of Boston (45 minutes, 5.23 miles). A round-trip ticket on the Provincetown Fast Ferry cost $148, including $10 each way for my bicycle.

After I rolled my bike onto the ferry’s bow, a ferry employee tied it securely to the bike racks. Since my front rack prevented me from inserting my wheel into the bike rack, I leaned my bike sideways against the bike rack. Fortunately, there was plenty of space.

The ferry departed promptly at 1:00 p.m. and arrived at MacMillan Pier in Provincetown at 2:30 p.m. The weather was sunny but windy; I joined five other passengers in the seats in the bow, but gradually the other passengers sought shelter inside because the wind was so strong.

Waiting in line in Boston for boarding the Provincetown Fast Ferry

Departing Boston on the Provincetown Fast Ferry

Arriving in Provincetown on the Fast Ferry

After disembarking at MacMillan Pier in Provincetown, I rode through Provincetown on Route 6A, following the East Coast Greenway route. To get to the Head of the Meadow Bike Trail, I needed patience to wait for a gap in the high-speed traffic to cross Route 6 at the tricky intersection with Stotts Crossing and High Head Road.

The beautiful and quiet Head of the Meadow Bike Trail is located between the dunes and the ocean.

Head of the Meadow Bike Trail

After 6.92 miles of riding (46 minutes), I arrived at the North of Highland Camping Area. I managed my effort well on this short and easy day at 57% Zone 1, 33% Zone 2, and 10% Zone 3.

I quickly checked in and found my beautiful and secluded campsite. The weather was sunny and a very comfortable 69 °F.

My secluded campsite at North of Highland Camping Area

Once I finished setting up my campsite, I walked to the Head of Meadow Beach.

I walked down the beach to Coast Guard Road and walked back to the campground on the Head of the Meadow Bike Path Connector for a total of 2.4 miles.

The trees growing in the woods include pitch pine (Pinus rigida), white oak (Quercus alba), and black oak (Quercus velutina). Compared to the beaches in Oregon, where I grew up, I find the beaches on Cape Cod uninteresting, but there is an abundance of soft dry sand. The moon was rising at 5:55 p.m., and I saw the head of a seal in the ocean.

Pitch Pine forest near the Head of the Meadow Beach

Head of the Meadow Beach

For the second day of this eight-day tour, see Cape Cod 2025, Day Two.