Camping: Cape Cod 2026, Day One

Sunday, September 20, 2026, was the first of five days of camping at Shawme-Crowell State Forest in Sandwich, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod.

I like to visit Cape Cod on weekdays after Labor Day. The weather is still nice, businesses are still open, but the crowds have disappeared and the campgrounds are not crowded. See, for example, How to experience ‘second summer’ on Cape Cod right now, according to locals.

On this trip, I camped at Shawme-Crowell State Forest, which is located in Sandwich on the Upper Cape near the Cape Cod Canal. This state forest contains 700 acres of pitch pine and scrub oak forest with sandy soil, and the campground is large with over 200 sites. I had never stayed at this campground before.

Preparations

I took my Trek hybrid bicycle with me. I used a pedal wrench to remove the pedals and a hex key to loosen the bolts that secure the handlebar to the stem so I could turn the handlebars ninety degrees. These preparations made it easier to put my bicycle in the back deck of the Honda Civic hatchback I had rented from Zipcar.

I took all of my camping equipment that I use when touring by bicycle. I planned to buy canned food instead of carrying dehydrated backpacking food since I didn’t neet to worry about weight.

The Drive

I left the house at 12:30 p.m. on a Sunday. I stopped right away at the local gas station to put air in front right tire. I put in a lot of air, but not enough to reset sensor. Zipcar maintenance should have taken care of this before I used the car; I think Zipcar’s maintenance is declining.

Traffic, as always, was slow through Boston until I got farther south on I-93, after which I was able to drive the speed limit all the way to the Sagamore Bridge crossing the Cape Cod Canal. When I reached the Cape, State Route 6A and and U.S. Route 6 on the Cape side of the Sagamore Bridge were clogged with weekend traffic exiting the Cape. I arrived at the campground at about 2:30 p.m.

Afternoon Activities

I set up my campsite by 3:25 in moderate rain, 62 °F. The campground was mostly empty after the weekend campers had left. The rain was annoying, but the forecast was for it to end the next day.

My Campsite at Shawme-Crowell State Forest

My Zipcar, a Honda Civic Hatchback

I walked more than a mile to the campground entrance, and then I tried to walk on State Route 130 to the intersection with State Route 6A. These are typical narrow Cape Cod roads, built with no consideration for walkers or bicyclists. I did not see a way that I could walk or bicycle to one of the local grocery stores (Market Basket or Stop & Shop). I returned to my campsite, having walked 4.21 miles measured with my watch.

Typical Cape Cod Road (Walkers and Bicyclists Not Welcome)

I drove to the local Market Basket the hard way, taking a wrong route that took me north over the Sagamore Bridge. I exited Route 6 to the road along the north side of the Cape Cod Canal and figured out how to get back over the bridge to the grocery store, where I bought a turkey wrap, cookies, and five cans of Progresso soup.

Back at my campsite, I ate a can of soup, the turkey wrap, and a cookie for dinner. An owl began hooting as it got dark. The park was very quiet, and I could not hear traffic noise from nearby U.S. Route 6. I cleaned my spoon and the soup can, brushed my teeth, set up my sleep system, and was asleep in my bag at 7:30 p.m.

I woke up at 9:15 p.m. to the sound of rain; I was too warm in my sleeping bag, and I took off my socks. After listening to an audiobook for a couple of hours, I fell back asleep.

For the second day of this six-day camping trip, see Cape Cod 2026, Day Two.