Great Island Trail
Plan to spend half a day exploring the meandering trails around Great Island.
Plan Around Great Island Trail
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Use this detail page to confirm that the stop is worth it, then carry that decision into a trip draft while the park context is still fresh.
Great Island Trail Details
You should plan to spend half a day exploring the meandering trails around Great Island. The out-and-back three-mile hike to Jeremy Point is three miles, but if you have the time, do the eight-mile loop that includes a stop at the site of Smith Tavern, a long-vanished watering hole for Colonial-era whalers. Your hike will take you along elevated stretches of sand, through pitch pine forests, and along salt marshes. You'll enjoy great ocean views and, if the water beckons, there are crossover paths leading through the dunes to the beach. The Great Island Trail is the most challenging hike in the Cape Cod National Seashore: you'll usually be walking through soft sand, and portions of the path out at Jeremy Point are submerged at high tide. Seasonal restrooms can be found at the parking lot.
Difficulty
Low
Distance
7.2 miles
Estimated time
3-5 hours
Region
N/A
Nearby Parks Around Great Island Trail
Compare nearby parks around Great Island Trail when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around Great Island Trail
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Great Island Trail while the map context is still fresh.
0.1 mi away
Great Island Picnic Area
A great place to fuel up before exploring the seven miles of trails.
0.3 mi away
Blasch House
This "McMansion" is a sad example of what the entire Cape Cod shoreline might have looked like without federal protection.
1.0 mi away
Griffin Island
This roughly four-mile hike circles Griffin Island.
1.0 mi away
Duck Harbor Beach
Known for its calm waters, soft white sand, and low dunes.
