Beach Driving on Cape Cod National Seashore

[lakesinai]

The Cape Cod National Seashore is now closed to off-road vehicles until April. I grew up driving these and other Cape Cod beaches. I welcome you to look over the web site and imagine a trip. With a speed limit of 15 mph, it's not a Baja Race Track, but a world to itself. Locals often keep an old 4wd for beach driving, and at town beaches, there are residency restrictions, or pay big fees!
https://www.nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/cape-cod-national-seashore-oversand-beach-driving.htm
Dated but informative video explaining beach use and terminology, "foreshore", etc.
https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=264011BD-A7D2-4BDC-837B-BFA1E0AE88F4

Some highlights: 11psi tire pressure is the norm. The Cape has the softest sand in the NE. As you go down the coast, it varies. Delaware State Seashore requires 16 to 18 psi, in my experience,
Cape Hatteras NC is a mixed bag, with mostly hard packed sand on Corolla (20lb) unless you're driving in the Dune cut-throughs (15 lbs). But some of the Outer Banks National Parks beaches more resemble Cape Cod or Delaware.

The other issue for Sand Driving is that the Drivable Foreshore gets wider the further South you go. So Amelia Island, FL can be attempted without airing down if you dont mind stressing your vehicle . . .

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[BroncoAZ]

I’m not trying to be too harsh, but imagine not telling everyone these things exist so the locals can continue to enjoy them. The more regional opportunities are publicized the more crowded they get and the higher the fees go, or the increased traffic causes damage and the areas are closed. Nauset raised the non resident beach sticker to $386 this year, up from about $220 last year. They still sold a bunch and will probably raise it again for 2023. I live in the next town over year round, but I skipped the permit at the new price.

 

[lakesinai]

I’m not trying to be too harsh, but imagine not telling everyone these things exist so the locals can continue to enjoy them. The more regional opportunities are publicized the more crowded they get and the higher the fees go, or the increased traffic causes damage and the areas are closed. Nauset raised the non resident beach sticker to $386 this year, up from about $220 last year. They still sold a bunch and will probably raise it again for 2023. I live in the next town over year round, but I skipped the permit at the new price.

You do make a good point, although Nauset does have a residents only section nearer the Town Cove inlet. But, as you say, you're not a resident. And residents (Chatham/Orleans) have Fall and Spring access when the tourists are gone. Perhaps that the speed restrictions make this boring for some of our 6g members, who want Baja sand! Personally, I do all my beach driving before Memorial Day and after Labor Day. And yes, orv areas are becoming fewer and fewer.

To my knowledge, Cape Cod does not do beach replenishment adding to the scarcity problem.

The outcry from locals against noisey Off-road use is what got the Vermont Off-Rodeo moved from Vermont to New Hampshire! So you point out a major problem: more and more capable vehicles, and less places to run them.

 

[BroncoAZ]

I appreciate you reading that the way I intended and not getting offended, thanks.

I live in East Harwich, no special townies only zone for me. Any sticker works year round unless the beach is closed for f-ing plover nesting season. If my boat is in the water (May through October/November, pulled it last weekend) I have no interest in driving on the beach, but it’s nice to go once in a while Thanksgiving to Easter. They were supposed to have an off season only sticker, but I haven’t seen pricing yet. Nauset broke through across from Minister Point in Chatham about 12 years ago, there is only a 1/2 mile section of Nauset remaining in Chatham. I’m going to laugh when Orleans denies the Chatham residents their own town sticker when there is no beach left across the line. They’ve been fighting over the non resident sticker revenue for years.

 

[lakesinai]

I appreciate you reading that the way I intended and not getting offended, thanks.

I live in East Harwich, no special townies only zone for me. Any sticker works year round unless the beach is closed for f-ing plover nesting season. If my boat is in the water (May through October/November, pulled it last weekend) I have no interest in driving on the beach, but it’s nice to go once in a while Thanksgiving to Easter. They were supposed to have an off season only sticker, but I haven’t seen pricing yet. Nauset broke through across from Minister Point in Chatham about 12 years ago, there is only a 1/2 mile section of Nauset remaining in Chatham. I’m going to laugh when Orleans denies the Chatham residents their own town sticker when there is no beach left across the line. They’ve been fighting over the non resident sticker revenue for years.

I guess, enjoy while you have it! It was, actually, more fun to beach the boats at the inlets at Barnstable Harbor, etc or Jeremy's Point and spend the day, while all the tourists were in line at Nauset or Skaket. I haven't been back since my father died about 8 years ago . . . Now that I'm in SC, I've found other ways to get to the SE beaches, although I do wax nostalgic for the Cape from time to Time. I was there for the Blizzard of '78, never forget the power of the N'oreaster rearranging the Eastham beaches as I watched from Fort Hill!

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