cranberry bog tours cape cod ma

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• Cranberry Bogs

Visiting Cape Cod Cranberry Bogs at Harvesting Season

Updated: October 25, 2023

During Cape Cod cranberry harvesting season, visitors come from far and wide to see our local bogs awash with color!

Acres of floating cranberries. Farmers surrounded in a sea of red, gathering their crop. Truckloads of berries going off to market. It's fascinating to watch!

On this page, I'll show you what the harvest is all about and let you know the best times and places to see it in person.

Want to wade into a bog among the floating cranberries? I'll give you the inside scoop about guided tours and wade-in-the-bog  experiences, too!

Table of Contents

• What is a cranberry bog  
• When is Cape Cod cranberry harvest season
• How cranberries are harvested
• Where to watch the harvest
• All about guided cranberry bog tours

What is a Cranberry Bog?

Simply put: a cranberry bog is a large, open field where cranberries are grown.

So, where are the berries?

Many harvest-watching newbies are surprised to learn that cranberries don't grow on trees or bushes. They don't grow in water, either.

Instead, they grow on low-to-the-ground vines in a special combination of sand, peat and other organic matter.

* See this article from University of Massachusetts' Cranberry Station to learn all about how cranberries are grown.

When is Cape Cod Cranberry Harvest Season?

Harvesting season begins in mid-September and reaches its peak in mid-to late October.

By mid-November, the season has pretty much come to an end. :(

Planning a trip to the Cape especially to see the cranberry harvest?

Timing your visit can be a bit tricky because most cranberry farmers don't let us know, in advance, when they plan to gather up their berries. 

In the "Bogs to Visit" section farther down on this page, I'll let you know when the harvests usually begin.

* Note: I also update that section whenever I find a harvest starting, or about to start, at our local bogs. So be sure to bookmark this page and check back often!   

How Cranberries are Harvested

What will you see on harvest days? 

That depends on which method the farmer is using to pick the berries:

• Wet harvesting - Also known as "water harvesting", the berries are gathered from a flooded bog.
• Dry harvesting - Picking machines are used to gather the fruit from a dry bog.

Wet Harvesting

The wet harvest is a multi-step process that happens over several days.

To begin, water is flooded into the bog from a nearby water source. 

Next, the farmers drive water-reel machines (a/k/a "egg beaters") through the flooded bog.

The reels churn just below the water's surface, knocking the cranberries off the vines.

Then, more water is released into the bog, raising the berries up so they can float freely.   

Why Do Cranberries Float?

Inside a cranberry, little "air pockets" surround the fruit's tiny seeds.

The air pockets make the berries buoyant, so they float!

How long are the berries left floating?

Not long! 

Once the berries are off their vines, the crop is usually brought in within the next 24 hours or so.  

* Tip: When you see cranberries floating in the afternoon, check back the next day. There's a pretty good chance you'll find the farmers working in the bog.

How are the cranberries removed from the bog? 

First, the farmers lay out a long length of "boom" material to surround the floating berries.

Next, the farmers gradually tighten the boom and push the  corralled berries toward an underwater vacuum system.

The berries are sucked from the water, through a large hose, into a wash plant.

As the berries go through the wash plant, weeds and other debris are separated out and fed into another truck for disposal.

Finally, the rinsed cranberries drop into the bed of a tractor-trailer for transport to a processing facility.

Did You Know?

Wet-harvested cranberries are processed for juices, canned sauces and other commercially-made products.  

Dry-harvested berries are sold fresh at bog-side stands, farm markets and grocery stores.

Dry Harvesting

Only a small fraction of Cape Cod's cranberry crop is dry harvested. So having a chance to see this process is an extra-special experience (IMHO)!

No flooding is involved with this method. Just the opposite. For a successful dry harvest, the berries must be free of moisture.

The farmers use a picker machine to "comb" the berries from the vines and deposit them into a container.

Then the berries are sorted to remove any damaged or over-ripe fruit and bog debris.

And finally, the most delicious cranberries you've ever tasted are bagged and ready for sale. :-)

Kept cool and dry (not rinsed!), fresh cranberries will stay good for a month or more.

They also freeze well for up to a year.

Where to Watch the Cranberry Harvest

Topping my list of the best places on Cape Cod to watch the cranberry harvest is ...   

Fresh From the Vine Cranberry Farm

300 Main Street (Route 28) West Yarmouth, MA

What makes this bog so special?

Chris and Lindsay Wilson, owners of Fresh From the Vine , are a super-friendly, hard-working team who thoroughly enjoy sharing their love of cranberry farming with all of us.

They welcome the public to watch them at work in the bog ... and they tell us when to come see the harvest ! 

* Follow Fresh From the Vine on Facebook to find out when they plan to flood the bog and corral the crop.

There's plenty of safe, off-street parking here ... a real plus, especially when you have little ones in tow!

Want to buy fresh cranberries? (Hint, hint: Yes, you do!)

The Wilsons sell their dry-harvested berries at their Fresh From the Vine farm stand right there by the bog.

The stand is open nearly every day from around the second week in October until they've sold out their entire crop, usually around mid-November.

* 2023 Update : They'll be wet harvesting here on: October 21st and 22nd; October 28th and 29th; and November 4th and 5th, rain or shine!

Old Colony Bog

Knob Hill Road & Mayflower Terrace South Yarmouth, MA

This big, beautiful cranberry bog stretches nearly the entire length of Knob Hill Road and Mayflower Terrace. So there's plenty of room to watch and take photos from the roadside when the berries are floating!

You can also reach Old Colony Bogs from the Cape Cod Rail Trail.

Get off the Rail Trail at the North Main Street/North Dennis Road crossing in South Yarmouth. Then go north, across the bridge over Rt. 6. You'll see Knob Hill Road on your right, just after you've crossed the bridge.    

Look for harvest activity at Old Colony Bogs in mid- and late October.

* 2023 Update: Work began here during the second week in October. As of October 22nd, there's still one large section of bog left to harvest. That'll likely happen in the next week. 

More Bogs in Yarmouth

With so many acres of active bogs in Yarmouth, there's no shortage of other places to look for harvesting activity around town.

You'll find a few more spots to watch in the areas around:

• 363 W. Yarmouth Road; and
• 95 Winslow Gray Road ( Syrjala Conservation Area walking trail to bogs)

Harvesting usually begins at these bogs around Columbus Day weekend and continues into November.

FYI: The only place to park on West Yarmouth Rd. is along the road shoulder. Park at your own risk! And please be sure not to block the farmers' access to the bogs!!

* 2023 Update: The harvests started on the West Yarmouth Road bogs during the weekend of October 13th. As of today (Oct. 25th), they're now working at the Syrjala Conservation Area bogs.

Beaton's Discovery Hill (Rt. 6A) Bog

295 Route 6A East Sandwich, MA

Looking for a harvest in September? This is one of the first places on Cape Cod where we see it happening.

Watch for the farmers bringing in the crop at this bog during the third week in September. 

You'll find limited, off-road parking alongside Rt. 6A.

* 2023 Update: They harvested here on September 12th, a week earlier than usual on special request from Ocean Spray. Darn! I missed it this year. :(

Thacher Cranberries

Great Western Road Harwich, MA

Cycling enthusiasts: this one's for you!

As you ride along the Cape Cod Rail Trail in Harwich, you'll pass by Thacher Cranberries on Great Western Road.

You can get here by car, too. Head to the area around 201 - 280 Great Western Road. Just be aware that there's very little, if any, safe parking alongside the road.

Look for wet harvesting to start here in early to mid-October.

*2023 Update: My first sighting of floating berries along Great Western Road was on October 8th. Corralling and pumping was still happening when I took a ride along this section of the bike trail on October 23rd.

Hall's Cape Cod Cranberries

Depot Road Harwich, MA

This is another great stop along the Cape Cod Rail Trail in Harwich!

Farmed by generations of the Hall family, this bog is at the Depot Street trailhead on the Rail Trail.

If you're coming by car, you'll find a small parking area across the street from this iconic building ...

When will you see cranberries floating at Halls' bogs?

Follow Halls Cape Cod Cranberries on Facebook for their occasional posts.

*2023 Update: I saw berries being gathered at Halls' North Depot bog on October 23rd. Still lots more to do at Halls bogs in the days ahead!

A Bit of Cape Cod Cranberry History

The Ocean Spray screenhouse dates back to the 1920s. It was described back then as a "Community Cranberry Warehouse" where "growers may sell their berries or have them packed on account".

Here's what it looked like nearly a century ago:

See the Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce ad on the side of building? It's a little faded now, but it's still there!

Cranberry Bogs in Falmouth

There's a lot of cranberry-growing acreage in the town of Falmouth, too!

When the calendar turns to October, here's where my Falmouth-area friends go to watch the harvest.

There's limited off-street parking, mainly on the road shoulder, in each of these locations.

• Old Barnstable Road to Carriage Shop Road There's a large area of bogs stretching between 143 Old Barnstable Road and 714 Carriage Shop Road in East Falmouth. (Street addresses are approximate.)
• E. Falmouth Hwy. (Rt. 28) Bogs - in the area of 633 E. Falmouth Hwy., East Falmouth, near Rocky's Gym.
• Wing Pond Conservation Area Bogs - walk-able via Wing Pond Woods trails. There's a small-ish parking area at the end of a dirt road off Rt. 28A. ( Walking trail info and map ). You can also bike ride to the conservation area bog on the Shining Sea Bikeway. It's about 1.9 miles south of the North Falmouth trailhead.

•   Thomas B. Landers Road Bogs - in the area around 64 Thomas B. Landers Road near the intersection with Turner Road.

* 2023 Update: Work began on the Carriage Shop Road/Old Barnstable Road bogs during the first week in October and finished up on October 16th.

The weekend of October 21st, berries were floating at Wing Pond bogs; and harvesting finished up at the bogs near Rocky's Gym and on Thomas B. Landers Road.

Guided Cranberry Bog Tours

Only two cranberry growers on Cape Cod give guided tours.

And only one offers a special tour where you can wade into the bog. (I've done it. And I have to tell you, it was a mind-blowing experience!)

So let's start there ...

Cranberry Harvest Tours to Walk or Wade

Long-time Cape Cod cranberry farmer, Dave Ross, and his partner, Patty, offer two different types of bog experiences at harvest time:

A walking tour where you'll see the crew at work and learn all about cranberry farming on the Cape ...

And a special wading tour where you can don the waders and climb in among the berries ...

Dave operates cranberry bogs in several different towns on the Cape. So tour locations, dates and times vary from week to week, according to the crew's work schedule.

When you call to make your reservation (required for all tours!), Patty will let you know where and when tours will be available. 

For more information and reservations, see Dave & Patty's Cape Cod Cranberry Bog Tours website.

Organic Cranberry Farm Tours

On a guided tour of Leo and Andrea Cakounes' property in Harwich, you'll learn all about a year in the life of a working organic cranberry farm.

Over the course of about 90 minutes, Andrea shares her wealth of knowledge about how an organic cranberry bog is formed, planted, tended and harvested.

You'll also have a chance to meet the resident farm animals and learn how they, together with the native birds and bees, all contribute to the success of this organic cranberry farm.

You won't see berries floating on the Cakounes' bogs.

But you'll definitely come away from this tour with new appreciation for the hard work and dedication it takes to bring organic Cape Cod cranberries from the farm to your table!

Advance reservations are required. No drop in's, please!

For details and reservations, see Leo and Andrea's Cranberry Bog Tours website .

Related Pages:

• Quick & Easy Cape Cod Cranberry Sauce Recipe

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• Tag(s) : AD Makepeace , Annie Crannies , Cape Cod cranberry bog tour , Cranberry Bog Tours , cranberry tours on cape cod , tour a cape cod cranberry bog , where to get cranberries on cape cod

4 Photogenic Cape Cod Cranberry Bog Tours

• Maureen Thompson
• September 5, 2023

Cranberry is a wild, native fruit grown in Cape Cod, grown in sandy bogs and marshes on long-running vines. The cranberry is a the second largest cash crop of Cape Cod .

If you plan to visit the Cape during the harvest season, or any time in the year, consider taking a cranberry bog tour to learn more about the history and the process of our native fruit.

Cape Cod Cranberry Bog Tours

1. cranberry bog tours.

Tour time(s) : Spring, Summer, and Fall.

Duration : 1.5 hours

Website : www.cranberrybogtours.com

Located in Harwich, the Cranberry Bog Tours has the largest cranberry bog on Cape Cod.The Cranberry Bog Tour is available seasonally in the spring, summer, and fall. It is a guided tour that explains the daily operations on the farm and the methods of harvesting. In addition, there is a farm stand and gift shop where you can buy cranberry-related items such as jam and honey.

The Cranberry Bog Tour is educational and informational, and appropriate for kids old enough to be interested in the tour.

Costs/Packages for Cranberry Bog Tours

You will need to make a reservation for your cranberry bog tour. The tour costs $20 for adults and children. Please note credit card payments are not accepted.

You can book your ticket and get scheduled times for the tour by calling the Cranberry Bog Tours on 508-432-0790.

2. Cape Cod Cranberry Bog Tour

Tour time(s) : Harvesting Season

Duration : 1 hour

Website : www.capecodcranberrybogtours.com

The Cape Cod Cranberry Tours is situated at the Governor Prence Inn, Orleans. You’ll see cranberry harvest in action and learn about the history and cultivation of cranberries. Tours are guided by a knowledgeable grower with up to three decades of experience.

This tour allows you to learn about the historic cranberry industry on Cape Cod in a fun and exciting way.  You’re likely to see local birds like the mourning dove, American Goldfinch, and the White-throated sparrow, so you might also want to bring your cameras or binoculars.

Depending on the time of the year, you’ll see blooming cranberry bogs. Come in your comfortable walking shoes as you will be walking on this cranberry bog tour.

Costs/Packages for the Cape Cod Cranberry Bog Tours

The tour costs $20 per person, and the minimum group size for a tour is four persons.  It is available at 4 pm daily based on the weather, and you can also reserve your place based on availability.

You have to reserve your space for the Cape Cod Cranberry Bog tour by calling 508 237 5478 or send an email to [email protected].

3. A.D. Makepeace Company Bog Tour

Tour time(s) : All year round

Website : www.makepeacefarm.com

Located just off-Cape,  the A.D. Makepeace Company is one of the world’s largest cranberry growers. They offer all-year-long private group tours, which come with a guide. You can dry harvest your own cranberries while on tour.

In the fall, you’re in for the beautiful wet harvest. Then, by winter, you witness the vines’ leaves change to the rich red cranberry color.

It is a guided tour. Throughout the tour, your guide will explain the yearly cycle of cranberry growing, methods of harvesting, and insights on what it means to be a cranberry farmer.

The A.D. Makepeace Company hosts an annual Cranberry Harvest Celebration in early October. You can join the event to learn more about cranberries.

Costs/Packages for the A.D. Makepeace Company Tours

There are group and private tours offered all year long. For groups, there have to be ten or more people.

For details of tour costs and packages, call 508 295 5437.

4. Annie’s Crannies

Tour time(s) : Fall

Website : www.anniescrannies.com

Sitting at the heart of the historic village of Dennis, Massachusetts, Annie’s Crannies is where you will find some of the best cranberries in Cape Cod. In 1994, Annie Walker, the owner of Annie’s Crannies, started cultivating cranberries to continue a family tradition that began with her grandfather, Ben Walker, combining over 200 years experience of growing cranberries.

You’ll see the tools used in harvesting cranberries, as well as large, blossoming cranberry bogs as Annie walks you around and shares her wealth of knowledge with you on the cranberry industry.

In addition to the cranberry bog tour, you will see how beeswax candles and honey are made from cranberry blossoms.As you walk past plants, she tells you about the bees needed to pollinate them.

An exciting part of the Annie’s Crannies tour is the gift shop where you can buy fresh berries. It also has other products such as soaps, fresh fruits, jams, cranberry recipes, and the Annie’s crannies Gift Boxes.

Annie’s Crannies tours take place during the harvest season during October and November on Saturdays and Sundays.  The Annie’s Crannies gift shop is always open during the harvest season – October to November.

If you want the full experience, the tour crew can put you to work by letting you clean your berries on their antique screening equipment.  You’ll also see the dry picking form of cultivation and dry picked fresh Howes variety cranberries.

The Annie’s Crannies tour is ideal for everyone if you’re interested in cranberries and their production. In addition, it’s an excellent way to learn about the history of farming cranberries in Dennis.

Costs/Packages of Annie’s Crannies Tours

Email or call to make reservations by sending an email to [email protected].  All prices are available when you reach out via this number: 508 385 5517.

The best cranberry tours in Cape Cod are provided by Cranberry Bog Tours, Cape Cod Cranberry tours, and A.D. Makepeace company. These tours are unbeatable, from exploring cranberry products to seeing the cranberry bloom to getting the harvest done yourself.

If a cranberry bog tour on Cape Cod is on your bucket list, these four tours are undoubtedly your best choices.

Learn more about Cape Cod’s farm tours !

• AD Makepeace , Annie Crannies , Cape Cod cranberry bog tour , Cranberry Bog Tours , cranberry tours on cape cod , tour a cape cod cranberry bog , where to get cranberries on cape cod

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The Best Cranberry Bog Tours, A Scarlet Surprise in Massachusetts

October 27, 2020

Vera Andrews

Until you’ve seen the untold  beauty of a raspberry-ripple  cranberry bog, you haven’t lived. Here’s how to find the best cranberry bog tours in Massachusetts. With a splash of history on the side. From Ella Buchan on Drive USA.

Cranberry Bogs in Massachusetts

I’m a little obsessed with cranberries since visiting Massachusetts.

The tart, bouncy little rounds are the official state berries, growing in bogs that dye the landscape with ruby pools around harvest time.

Perhaps this northeastern state is just like a cranberry – bursting with flavour and juicy history, from the very first settlers in the 17th century to first whispers of revolution against British rule.

Or perhaps I’ve had a little too much cranberry wine…

5 Cranberry Bog Tours in Massachusetts

If you fancy wading through these scarlet fields yourself, you’ll need to plan ahead. In most cases, you’ll need to book at cranberry bog tour in advance. And, of course, you have to visit in season. The cranberry harvest runs from mid September to mid November.

Here are some of the best cranberry bog tours, according to locals:

A.D. Makepeace Company (Featured in this article)

A.D. Makepeace is the Cranberry farm featured in the travel experience article below. Our researcher rated it one of the best cranberry bog tours in Massachusetts.

158 Tihonet Road, Wareham508-322-4028,  admakepeace.com

Cape Cod Cranberry Realty Trust

These Cape Cod cranberry growers live on the “elbow” of Cape cod, just beyond Hyannis. 

The Governor Prence Inn, 66 Route 6A, Orleans; Sea Shore Park Inn, 24 Canal Road, Orleans

508-255-1216,  governorprenceinn.com ;  seashoreparkinn.com

Flax Pond Farms

Jack, Dot and family will guide you around this cranberry bog. Check in advance and reserve your spot.58 Pond St., Carver Sadly, these premises have permanently closed.

Mayflower Cranberries

Run by Jeff, the Executive Director of the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association, look out for quirky cranberry bog tours that involve fine dining waist deep in scarlet berries.

72 Brook St., Plympton781-585-1999,  mayflowercranberries.com

Stonebridge Farm

Stone Bridge Farm offers cranberry bog tours during October, which include a guided tour of their farm animals amid their family run business.

186 Leonard St., Acushnet508-951-1551 or 508-951-1902,  stonebridgefarmevents.com

The History of Cranberries in Massachusetts

As with everything in Massachusetts, you’ll find the cranberry bogs entwined in the history of the founding of modern America. 

Like the tart fruit, Massachusetts doesn’t shy away from the sourer aspects of its history. Rather it embraces its past, with all the complexity and injustices – from the destruction of Native American people, cultures and traditions to the infamous Witch Trials in Salem.

A DIFFERENT LOOK AT AMERICA’S HISTORY

An hour south, Plymouth is where New England was established. Brits landed here in 1620, having decided against Cape Cod’s Provincetown due to the lack of water and abundance of angry arrows from the native population.

A replica ship, the Mayflower II, now stands where they docked, while a tiny rock claims to mark where they first stepped on American soil.

Costumed actors stroll elegantly through Plimoth Plantation’s 17th century English village, waxing lyrical about how they came to this land – and suggesting I flirt with some soldiers down the hill.

I am more intrigued by the Wampanoag Homesite, giving voice to an often neglected side of America’s history.

Those who work here are not actors, but members of the Wampanoag and other native tribes committed to challenging stereotypes and reclaiming their culture and language.

Abenaki Dan Shears realised the importance of his culture when his grandmother, who taught him about the tribe, passed away. Now his daughter wants to learn the Abenaki language.

“Most people don’t think we exist out here. Unfortunately there is a lot of our culture that has gone and there’s no getting it back,” he tells me.

“We try to reclaim as much as we can.”

FAR FROM BOG STANDARD

Wampanoags harvested wild cranberries for 12,000 years, often drying them to make pemmican, mixing the berries with dried meat and animal fat for a snack that could last for months. They were also used to treat fever, swelling and sickness.

Now, they’re a tourist attraction.

Before arriving in Massachusetts, I expected to learn about pilgrims and ‘witches’. But bogs?

The state is one of the world’s biggest producers of cranberries, harvesting between mid-October and early November.

The colourful spectacle draws people from around the world. True devotees can don waders and join in at some bogs.

I track down a harvest at an AD Makepeace bog on (where else?) Cranberry Road, Carver.

Parking up, I’m distracted by a labradoodle, fixing me with curious hazel eyes. Forges belongs to Andy, a production manager at the bog.

Fortunately, he loves cranberries. “He’d roll about in those bogs all day if he could,” says Andy.

The fruit grows in low bogs, which are flooded to loosen the berries from the vines. Once they bob to the surface, helped along with water reels or ‘eggbeaters’, they are pumped on to a truck.

The swirl of garnet and the lemon chiffon of semi-ripe berries brings back childhood memories of raspberry ripple ice cream.

I’m with Forges on this one. Who wouldn’t want to dive in?

More on Travel in Massachusetts

• How to plan the perfect road trip from Boston through New England.
• The best things to do in Nantucket, New England’s “Far Away Place.”

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The Best Cranberry Bogs to Tour this Fall on Cape Cod

It’s cranberry season on Cape Cod and with just a short drive around the area, you are able to find many bogs being harvested during the fall months. The bright red colors of the berries are absolutely stunning and a beautiful sight to see while visiting Cape Cod this fall. Our guests are always curious about the best time to visit a bog, what tours are being offered, and what to do with the fresh cranberries. Here we will try to answer all of your questions and recommend our favorite Cranberry Bogs on Cape Cod that currently offer tours.

The cranberry is a wild and native fruit of Cape Cod. Cranberries benefit from exposure to sand and grow in marshes and ponds. Cranberry Bogs thrive on Cape Cod because of its unique climate and natural resources. We are fortunate to have so many Cranberry Bogs on the Cape within a short drive from the Inn that guests can enjoy. Visiting one is best during the harvest season which is from mid-September to mid-December . Fall is the ideal time to come observe the berries in all their ripened glory. The bright red berries floating on the surface of the bog make for some amazing fall backdrops. To learn more about cranberry history, check out the Cranberry Growers Association website .

Sure, apples and pumpkins are the go-to “pick your own” for fall, however, our favorite is touring a cranberry bog . Each year we purchase enough fresh cranberries to put in our freezers to last us the entire year so we can bake all our delicious cakes and scones. They are considered an antioxidant-rich “superfruit” loaded with vitamin C. Check out the many health benefits of cranberries here.

There are plenty of farms on Cape Cod where you can tour cranberry bogs. The following three cranberry bog tours are our favorites . You have to plan accordingly and reserve your tour dates.

Cranberry Bog Tours, Harwich

Leo and Andrea Cakounes operate the largest organic cranberry bog on Cape Cod. This bog is located in Harwich, MA , and daily tours of the bog are offered seasonally. During your visit, you will learn about the 12-month operation of a cranberry bog, see the equipment, and visit the farm animals. Bring field glasses or binoculars if you have them, and bring a camera. The tours are by reservation only and last 1.5 hours. The price is $15 per person.

Annie’s Crannies, Dennis

Cranberries have been a part of Annie’s family-long tradition. After working for over 25 years as a Broadway production wardrobe supervisor Annie left her job to start her own tradition of growing cranberries on the Cape. After an extensive search and negotiation, she acquired the Dennis bog formally owned by her grandfather. This endearing bog has a fantastic gift shop that is open during the harvest season. They sell fresh berries, bogside honey, beeswax candles, jams, soaps, and Annie’s Crannies Gift Boxes . Tours start at 11 a.m. daily!

Cape Cod Cranberry Bog Tour

This is a fun, interesting, and educational tour of one of Cape Cod’s most historic industries. You will learn about the history and cultivation of cranberries and will see cranberry bogs blooming, growing, or being harvested, depending on the time of the year. Tours are given by growers with over 28 years of knowledge and experience. It’s a walking tour, so wear comfortable walking shoes or sneakers. Also, do not forget your binoculars as there are often sights of interesting local birds and wildlife. Their tours are given directly at the bogs. They operate over 60 acres of bogs in 3 towns. Tours are by advance reservations only. Please call in advance to discuss location and availability. The price for tours is $20 pp. Fresh cranberries are available for sale to pick up or to be shipped from mid-September to December. Fresh cranberries make for a great gift, especially for somebody who bakes cakes, bread, and pies.

Each of these cranberry bogs offers slightly different experiences, however, all of them are a great way to spend a fall day on the Cape. After a day of exploring the Cape Cod cranberry bogs return to our beautifully decorated Inn for fall with plenty of pumpkins, mums, and cranberry-filled freshly baked goodies! Sit back, relax, and enjoy our cozy rooms with fireplaces. Enjoy our homemade breakfast in the morning with more fall-inspired dishes. Book a stay today and take advantage of our enticing fall packages.

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Welcome to Our Cranberry Farm

Leo & Andrea Cakounes operate the largest organic cranberry bog on Cape Cod.  Located in Harwich, MA, daily tours of the bog are offered seasonally. Learn about the 12 month operation of a cranberry bog.  See the equipment and visit with the farm animals. Please visit our FAQs page to see if our tour is right for your summer fun.   See tour times and contact us here to book your tour.

(508) 896-3300

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Authors: Marco & Angelo

We own the Candleberry Inn, a boutique bed and breakfast in central Cape Cod. We're glad to share our recommendations on all the great things to explore throughout Cape Cod.

3 Best Cranberry Bog Tours on Cape Cod to Experience This Year

Cape Cod is full of unique experiences, and taking cranberry bog tours is just one example. Did you know that, in the United States, Massachusetts is the second-largest producer of cranberries with over 14,000 acres of cranberry bogs spanning the Southeastern Massachusetts region? Let’s learn more about cranberries and cranberry bog tours on Cape Cod!

Get our free Cape Cod Vacation Guide, full of the best things to do in Cape Cod. The best activities, restaurants, museums, events, views, and much more!

About Cranberries & Cranberry Bogs on Cape Cod

The wild cranberry is one of three species of fruits native to North America, and it was first domesticated on the Cape. The name is derived from the phrase “crane berry,” which references how the cranberry flower resembles the head of the Sandhill crane — the birds once frequented cranberry bogs.

History of Cranberry Bogs

For thousands of years, the Wampanoag People widely used wild cranberries (sasumuneash) as not only food but also as dye and medicine. When English settlers arrived in the area in 1620, the Native Americans taught them how to use this unique fruit for the same purposes.

The cultivation of cranberries didn’t begin until 1816 after Revolutionary War veteran Captain Henry Hall noticed that his wild cranberries would grow better when sand was blown over them. He started transplanting the vines and spreading sand on them, which others copied, steadily increasing the number of growers.

After the commercial cranberry industry caught on, the harvest season became vital to the Massachusetts and local economies by the early 1900s. Children were even excused from school to work on cranberry bogs. The industry continues to evolve to meet the demand for this fresh fruit.

How Cranberries Grow & Thrive

A special combination of factors must be present for cranberries to grow and survive — an adequate supply of fresh water and acidic peat soil. The fruit grows on low-lying vines in bogs (or marshes) that are layered with clay, gravel, peat, and sand.

The bogs were originally created by glacial deposits. However, new cranberry bogs have been formed from kettle ponds that are filled with clay, debris, and sand to create the perfect environment for the fruit vines to spread and thrive.

The Cranberry Season by Month

The cranberry season in Cape Cod extends from April to November. After going dormant through winter, the cranberry vines begin to wake in April, so the leaves start turning green. As the buds break in May, new cranberry vines grow.

Flowers emerge on the vines around mid-June, and native and migratory bees pollinate the blossoms. Then, tiny pinheads form and grow bigger through July and August. The berries start turning red by late August.

Early season cranberry varieties can be harvested around mid-September. The perfect time for harvesting most cranberry varieties is in October, though. About 95% of the berries are harvested by the end of the month. As the cranberry harvest season ends in November, the cranberry vines begin going dormant for the winter.

The best time to take a Cape Cod Cranberry Bog Tour is during the harvest season which is from mid-September to mid-December. The brilliant red berries floating on the bog’s surface make for some amazing fall color backdrops.

Learn More at the Harwich Historical Society Museum

If you want to learn more about cranberry bogs before taking a tour, head to the Harwich Historical Society Museum at Brooks Academy. It has a permanent Cranberry Culture exhibit, the largest dedicated to the cranberry history on Cape Cod.

The museum has other temporary exhibits to explore as well. But, after learning about cranberries and bogs at the museum, you can learn even more by heading to the source. There are three fantastic places for cranberry bog tours on Cape Cod.

Cape Cod Cranberry Bog Tours in Orleans

Based in Orleans, Cape Cod Cranberry Bog Tours has been growing cranberries for more than 35 years. It has multiple bog locations and offers educational tours at all of them. The specific bog that you visit will depend on bog activity when you reserve a tour.

No matter which bog you visit, you’ll learn about the history and cultivation from a cranberry grower with more than 35 years of experience and knowledge. Depending on the time of year, you’ll see the cranberries blooming, growing, or being harvested.

Since the cranberry bog tours are available throughout the growing and harvesting seasons, the weather will vary. Make sure that you dress appropriately, and wear comfortable walking shoes because you’ll be on your feet a lot. And, don’t forget your camera to capture your experience!

Orleans Restaurants Near Cape Cod Cranberry Bog Tours

With all that walking around with Cape Cod Cranberry Bog Tours, you might be hungry for a snack or full meal. Check out these awesome restaurants in Orleans.

Cibo Italian Kitchen & Market

For handmade and authentic Italian cuisine, the Cibo Italian Kitchen & Market is the best place to dine. The brother-and-sister team hails from Italy, and they use fresh, simple ingredients in every dish. The restaurant menu features hot and cold plates, panini, soups, and multicourse family meals.

Also in the building is a market where you can get handcrafted, prepackaged foods. Lavazza coffee, ice cream, and a range of desserts, breads, and pastries are available too.

We highly recommend making reservations at Ten Yen if you want the best sushi on Cape Cod. The food menu includes sashimi-style appetizers, maki, nigiri, ramen, and handrolls. Pair your meal with Japanese beer, cold sake, wine, and craft cocktails.

Young’s Fish Market

For some of the freshest seafood in Orleans, head to Young’s Fish Market by the Rock Harbor docks. The family-owned and operated market has an array of fish and seafood that’s locally caught daily — including lobster and shellfish. It’s a great place to get a lobster roll after a cranberry bog tour.

Ice Cream Cafe

If you’re taking your cranberry bog tour in the summer, you might want to cool off at the Ice Cream Cafe . It has 38 homemade ice cream flavors, including soft serve, non-dairy, and vegan options. You can get frozen yogurt, sorbet and sherbet, ice cream sandwiches, frozen fresh fruit drinks, and coffee as well.

Hot Chocolate Sparrow

If it’s chilly out during your spring or fall cranberry bog tour, you can warm up at Hot Chocolate Sparrow . This espresso and dessert bar is known across Cape Cod for its hand-dipped chocolates, fudge, desserts, and specialty coffee drinks, including hot cocoa.

Harwich Cranberry Bog Tours on Cape Cod

Operating the biggest organic cranberry bog on the Cape, Leo and Andrea Cakounes offer an inside look at how cranberry bogs are managed and harvested. At their Harwich farm, they offer Cranberry Bog Tours throughout spring, summer, and fall.

The times vary, but daily tours are offered from April through October and last about 1.5 hours. During each tour, the growers teach you about the 12-month bog operation, and you get to see the equipment that they use.

Cranberry Bog Tours are suitable for children who are old enough and interested in learning about cranberries. They’ll see various farm animals on the property too.

After the tour, you can stop by the cranberry farm stand to purchase fresh cranberries and sweetened dried cranberries. The shop also sells cranberry bog honey and assorted, all-natural handcrafted soaps.

We recommend that you contact the farm ahead of your Cape Cod visit because the tours fill up quickly. Also, take cash to use at the farm stand because it doesn’t accept credit cards.

Harwich Restaurants Near Cranberry Bog Tours

Before you leave Harwich after your cranberry bog tour, you could grab a bite to eat. The town has several delicious options for a snack, meal, or special Cape Cod experience.

First Crush Winery

One of the best Cape Cod wineries , First Crush Winery produces award-winning wines. The winery offers standard and premium wine tastings, which include a plate of local cheeses and crackers. Additionally, you can order wine by the glass and the turbo wine slushy.

Devil’s Purse Brewing Company

A Cape Cod brewery is a fantastic place to relax after walking cranberry bogs tours, and Devil’s Purse Brewing Company in South Dennis is one of the best. The brewery creates American-style beers with strong European influences. Here, you can have a draft with snacks on outdoor picnic tables.

Pleasant Lake Pizza Shark

Near Hinckleys Pond, you can enjoy some of the best pizza on Cape Cod at Pleasant Lake Pizza Shark . This fun place serves fast and easy lunches. You can order “Mako-Your-Own” pizzas, sandwiches, and salads. Ice cream by the pint and penny candy by the quarter-pound are available too.

The Seal Pub & Cafe

For American fare, check out The Seal Pub & Cafe . Serving lunch and dinner, this restaurant’s menu features pizza, sliders, and other entrees. You can order cafe drinks and pastries, as well as draft beer, wine, and cocktails.

Do you or someone in your party have a restricted diet? You’re likely to find a sweet treat at Sweet Izzy , the only 100% dairy-free ice cream shop on Cape Cod. Using a blend of non-dairy milks, all of the ice cream is soy and gluten-free as well as vegan. Many of the toppings are vegan and gluten-free too.

Also, patrons love how friendly the shop owner is!

Cranberry Bog Tours at Annie’s Crannies in Dennis

You won’t find advertisements about cranberry bog tours at Annies Crannies in Dennis. That’s because owner Annie Walker wants the experience of finding her farm to be an adventure.

After taking the tour, you’ll likely reap more benefits from the discovery. Annie brings history to life with her knowledge and passion. The love of her work shines through!

The cranberry bog is located on Molly’s Pasture, which Captain Hall struggled to make a success in the 1800s. However, Annie has turned the bog into a success by cultivating 457 barrels of cranberries, which those who take her tour note is an impressive feat.

Along with cultivating cranberries, Annie’s Crannies takes advantage of the bee population to produce multiple types of honey. The remaining bee wax is used to make various candles. You can purchase these items, fresh berries, and other products in the fantastic gift shop before you leave.

Annie’s lifelong friend Dean helps at the bog too. He owns the cranberry bog where Captain Hall began cultivating cranberries in the 1800s.

Dennis Restaurants Near Annie’s Crannies

If you need a bite to eat after your Annie’s Crannies bog tour, Dennis has a lot of options. Here are some of our top picks.

Kender & Sisters and Firestarter Pizza

You get two delicious experiences at this restaurant depending on when you dine. Until about mid-afternoon, Kender & Sisters serves brunch dishes, baked goods, and coffee. In the evenings, Firestarter Pizza is home to the Ultra Sauce and serves 13-inch pizzas and snacks.

The Pheasant

At The Pheasant , you can expect a creative, made-from-scratch menu that features fresh ingredients. The menu changes regularly depending on the meat, produce, and seafood available from local farms and fishermen. Also, you can have beer, cider, wine, and signature cocktails with your meal.

Scargo Cafe

Featuring a Colonial setting, Scargo Cafe is open for lunch and dinner. The menu includes entrees, small plates, and sandwiches. The restaurant has a decent selection of beer, wine, and specialty cocktails as well.

Cape Cod Creamery

For a sweet treat after your cranberry bog tour, head to Cape Cod Creamery . It makes the creamiest, smoothest, and most flavorful ice cream on Cape Cod. You have 26 flavors to choose from, and gelato, sorbet, yogurt, sugar-free, and vegan options are available.

Other Places to Buy Cape Cod Cranberries & Cranberry Products

As a superfood, cranberries offer unique health benefits. They’re rich in vitamins and dietary fiber and have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that improve cardiovascular and urinary tract health.

You can buy cranberries and cranberry products all across the Cape to take advantage of these benefits. Some grocers and markets actually sell cranberries from the above bogs. Here are a couple of other vendors.

Harwich Historical Society Museum

If you visit the Harwich Historical Society Museum, you can purchase cranberry products — jellies and jams — in the museum gift shop. The shop sells related books and gifts too.

In addition, the museum hosts the Farmers’ Market from June through October, where you can find lots of locally grown produce, handcrafted items, baked goods, and more.

P.J. Cranberries

In Sandwich, you can purchase fresh cranberries at P.J. Cranberries . This bog has been operating since 1990, growing Early Black cranberries and other varieties. You can get 5-pound bags of the bog’s cranberries, each of which comes with a recipe tag. You can even buy P.J. Cranberries in local stores.

Best Place to Stay Near Cranberry Bog Tours on Cape Cod

If you plan to explore these active cranberry bogs, stay at Candleberry Inn . Our bed and breakfast is located in Brewster Massachusetts and within a 15-minute drive of the cranberry bog tours on Cape Cod.

We offer comfortable rooms and suites , luxurious amenities , and special packages . Before you join your cranberry bog tour, you can indulge in our daily gourmet breakfast .

Check our availability for your next Cape Cod getaway!

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3 of the Best Cranberry Tours on Cape Cod

Tis the season for cranberries. I just had a guest ask me about the tours this morning and thought it’s a perfect time to blog about our favorites. Over the years of living on Cape Cod we have grown to love our cranberries- not only the history of this delicious fruit which you can read about here , but also the joy of being here for the harvest season. Each year Byron and I purchase enough fresh cranberries to place in our freezers to last us the entire year.

I just love this picture we took several years ago when we visited Thacher Farm. Harrison was especially delighted as he got to play around the bogs.

Three of our favorite Cranberry Tours

Cranberry bog tours-.

Leo & Andrea Cakounes operate the largest organic cranberry bog on Cape Cod.  Located in Harwich, MA, daily tours of the bog are offered seasonally.  Learn about the 12 month operation of a cranberry bog.  See the equipment and visit with the farm animals.

Tours are $15 and reservations are a must. Call for information and to book your tour- 508-432-0790

Cape Cod Cranberry Bog Tours-

This is a fun, intersting and educational tour of one of Cape Cod’s most historic and important industries. You will learn about history and cultivation of cranberries, and will see cranberies bogs blooming, growing or being harvested, depending on the time of year.

Tours are given by a grower with 28 years of knowledge and experience.

It is a walking tour, so wear comfortable walking shoes or sneakers.

Tours are given daily in season at 4 pm, and can also be arranged by appointment 24 hrs in advance, based on availability and weather.

The bogs are in bloom mid June to mid July. Cranberries are growing mid July to mid September. The harvest is mid September to mid December. Fresh cranberries are available for sale (to pick up or be shipped) mid September to the end of December. We often see interesting local birds and wildlife. Bring field glasses or binoculars if you have them, and bring a camera.

We meet at the Governor Prence Inn in Orleans and will carivan by car to a bog in neighboring Chatham, or another nearby area.

Tours are $10 per person–minimum group size is 4 persons for a tour.

www.capecodcranberrybogtours.com

508-237-5478

Annie’s Crannies

An endearing little bog in Dennis that has a fantastic gift shop that is open during the harvest season, They sell fresh fruit (check the web site for availability) Bogside Honey, Beeswax Candles, Jams, Soaps, Cranberry Recipes, and Annies’ Crannies Gift Boxes.

The gift shop will be open on Saturday and Sundays form 9am-5pm starting October 12th through November 10th. Tours are at 11am

www.anniescrannies.com

When to visit

Cranberry bogs have a surprisingly long growing season, from April to November, and benefit from the freezing of the ground for a brief dormant period. Fall is the best time to come observe the berries in all their ripened glory. The bright red berries floating en masse during a wet harvest make for some striking Cape Cod imagery. The cranberry harvest season begins around Labor Day and usually runs into the middle of November, depending on weather conditions. The Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association has created a cranberry harvest trail guide –  which shows you the locations of all the bogs mentioned above.

Come Stay with us

and enjoy everything fall has to offer. Our inn is decorated with plenty of pumpkins and mums and our fireplaces are all on to keep you warm. Our breakfasts always include many yummy recipes using fresh fall cranberries including our popular Cranberry Biscotti and Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies.

Check out our Boutique Guest Rooms that are oh so comfortable and romantic. You may also want to consider our new Quiet Season Dinner Package which is such a great value and includes a welcoming tray of fresh baked bread, cheeses and wine.

Book a stay with us today here and enjoy all that fall has to offer on Cape Cod with a tour of a cranberry bog, where you can also bring some home fresh to enjoy later.

2 thoughts on “ 3 of the Best Cranberry Tours on Cape Cod ”

I just found it on the blog!! Cant wait to try this weekend !! thanks

Enjoy- it really is a great recipe!

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Five Cranberry Bogs You Can Tour in Massachusetts

Head south toward the Cape to learn how farmers harvest our official state berry: the cranberry.

Keep your weekends full of the coolest things to do around Boston with our weekly Weekender newsletter.

Cranberry Bog photo via Shutterstock

Sure, apples and pumpkins are the go-to pick-your-own plants of fall, but when you look past Halloween, there’s one fruit that stands out from all others—the cranberry. Without these antioxidant-rich “superfruits,” Thanksgiving just wouldn’t be the same.

Cranberries grows in bogs, and while you have to head farther out of town to find them, there are plenty of spots in Massachusetts where you can tour cranberry bogs, even dive in, and haul home some fresh-picked produce.

The following are five spots that offer cranberry bog tours. Plan accordingly—most require that you pre-schedule tour dates. To learn more about how cranberries grow, sustainability, and more local farms, check out the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association’s website, Cranberries.org .

Bonus: Also check out our apple-picking guide , and once you have both key ingredients, learn how to make apple-cranberry preserves .

A.D. Makepeace Company (Also host of the annual Cranberry Harvest Celebration , October 11-12, 2014.) 158 Tihonet Road, Wareham 508-322-4028, admakepeace.com

Cape Cod Cranberry Realty Trust The Governor Prence Inn, 66 Route 6A, Orleans; Sea Shore Park Inn, 24 Canal Road, Orleans 508-255-1216, governorprenceinn.com ;  seashoreparkinn.com

Flax Pond Farms 58 Pond St., Carver 508-866-3654 or 508-866-2162, flaxpondfarms.com

Mayflower Cranberries 72 Brook St., Plympton 781-585-1999, mayflowercranberries.com

Stonebridge Farm 186 Leonard St., Acushnet 508-951-1551 or 508-951-1902, stonebridgefarmevents.com

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Visiting Cranberry Bogs in Massachusetts

See and Taste New England's Most Colorful Fall Crop

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more photogenic crop than cranberries, which ripen and redden in the fall. In Massachusetts , the cranberry harvest coincides with fall foliage season , providing a double dose of visual splendor. According to the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association, 400 of North America's 1,000 or so cranberry farms are concentrated in Massachusetts: Most are south of Boston in Plymouth County and on Cape Cod .

Any drive in this region during Massachusetts' cranberry harvest season, which typically begins the last week of September and runs through October and sometimes into November, is likely to offer views of cranberry bogs, where growers are hard at work tending and picking the state's top agricultural cash crop. There's a good chance, too, you'll find yourself driving behind dump trucks brimming with red berries.

The Pilgrims discovered cranberries growing wild in bogs near their settlement in Plymouth and christened them "crane berries" because their spring blossoms resemble the shape of the shore bird's head and beak. From their Native American neighbors, the Pilgrims learned to use cranberries not only for food and medicinal purposes but as a natural dye.​

Cranberries are one of only three fruits native to North America that are now cultivated commercially. Like blueberries and Concord grapes, demand for cranberries has escalated worldwide as knowledge of their nutritive properties has increased.

If you'd like to set out on a fall driving tour to visit cranberry bogs in Massachusetts, here are some of your best bets for viewing the harvest in progress and purchasing fresh cranberries and cranberry products.

Mayflower Cranberries

If you want to make sure you don't miss out on the harvesting action at this small cranberry farm, which has three berry-producing bogs, make reservations well in advance for one of Mayflower Cranberries' Harvest Viewing Tours , available on select dates in October and November. If you want to don hip waders and venture into the bog to assist with the harvest, you can opt to reserve Mayflower's two-hour  " Be the Grower" Experience . It's pricey, but it may help you appreciate your day job! These experiences sell out far in advance of the harvest season. The new Adopt-A-Bog experience is also an option. You'll use a wooden scoop to dry harvest your own plot of cranberries and take home 30 pounds of fresh-picked fruit in a wooden crate.

Mayflower Cranberries also has a farm store and ships fresh-picked berries anywhere in the United States.

Flax Pond Farms

Kim Knox Beckius

Flax Pond Farms is an ideal place to learn a bit about the history of cranberry growing in Massachusetts. Inside the shop at Flax Pond Farms, you'll discover an antique Bailey Cranberry Separator that dates to 1924. Kids have a blast watching cranberries that pass a "bounce" test for quality scoot down the shoot and onto the conveyor belt, where they can be manually sorted by color and size. You can observe the machine in operation in this video .

Outside on a bog tour , you might meet grower Jack Angley, who has cultivated cranberries on 35 acres since 1967. Wet harvesting was a new innovation in the late '60s, but without a reliable source of water, which is critical to the process, Angley, his wife Dot, and their team of family and hard-working neighbors have "stayed with dry harvesting."

While picking cranberries with a motorized dry harvester is labor-intensive, it has an advantage. Cranberries that are harvested by flooding bogs are only suitable for processing into concentrate for juice, dried cranberries and other consumer products with an extended shelf life. Only dry harvested cranberries can be sold as fresh, whole berries.

Cranberries are rich in antioxidants and nutrients, and those who have tasted Flax Pond Farms' product come back year after year. Some folks who've visited these bogs on bus trips even call to order fresh-picked cranberries for mail order delivery. While most of the farm's crop is marketed by Massachusetts-based Ocean Spray —the largest cranberry cooperative in the world—2,000 pounds can be sold annually from the family's lovely farm store, where samples of hot mulled cranberry tea are served. 

Rocky Maple Bogs

When radiant red cranberries percolate to the surface of a flooded bog, it is quite a sight. When bogs are flooded using a sprinkler irrigation system, naturally buoyant cranberries wriggle themselves loose from their vines and pop to the surface. Wind propels the berries toward one corner of the bog, and a boom is used to corral the cranberries toward a pump truck or conveyor system on shore. 

You don't have to be on a guided tour to observe wet cranberry harvesting if you happen upon it: Just be respectful of private property, stay out of the bogs and don't ever pick cranberries without permission. After all, these are working farms: not tourist attractions. Rocky Maple Bogs (18 North Carver Road, Wareham, MA) is worth a drive-by if you're hoping to stumble upon a scene like this during cranberry season.

The cranberry beaters, sometimes called "eggbeaters," you may get to see in action don't actually pluck cranberries. Their paddle wheels agitate the water, coaxing reluctant cranberries to release from the vine. Once a bog is flooded, cranberry harvesters must work against the clock to get their product out of the bog and off to the processing plant before berries spoil.

Makepeace Farms

If you don't want to leave experiencing the cranberry harvest to chance,  A.D. Makepeace Company  offers guided bog tours on select dates during the season. View the  schedule  online, or call 508-322-4028 for details.

Whether or not you book a spot on this tour, make  Makepeace Farms  a stop on your cranberry bog driving tour. This farm market is  the  best place to shop for cranberry goodies and souvenirs, plus other locally produced gourmet delights and gifts including fresh cranberries, sweetened dried cranberries, cranberry granola, cranberry salad topping, cranberry salsa and Richard's Famous Garlic Salt.This all-natural seasoning is made in Carver, Massachusetts, at Cranberry Barn Kitchens.

Cranberry Bog Tours

Learn about organic cranberry farming on a tour of Cape Cod's largest organic bog. Starting in April and available daily through the fall harvest season, these kid-friendly and accessible tours require advance reservations. Before you leave, purchase sweetened dried cranberries and organic cranberry sauce at the farm stand. Fresh cranberries by the pound are also available during the harvest season.

Cape Cod Cranberry Bog Tours

You'll get an agricultural education on walking tours offered by this cranberry grower, which has cultivated 75 acres of bogs on Cape Cod for more than a quarter-century. Make reservations in advance for daily outings from mid-June to mid-December to view bogs in bloom, cranberries on the vine and ultimately, the harvest. The minimum group size is four people.

Annie's Crannies

Visit this Cape Cod cranberry grower on weekends during the harvest season for bog viewing and to shop for fresh fruit and farm-made products including Bogside Honey. Owner Annie Walker left her Broadway production wardrobe supervisor job in 1994 to tend this bog, which was once owned by her grandfather. Dennis is the first town in America where cranberries—a native wild fruit—were successfully cultivated. 

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Cranberry Bog Tours on Cape Cod

One of just three fruits native to New England, cranberries are a Cape Cod icon. The cranberry bog has been a central part of  New England farming  for hundreds of years. Even today, there is a distinct culture surrounding cranberry bogs, and visiting one during the harvest is a classic New England fall activity. If you've ever wondered what, exactly, a cranberry bog is and how to get the most out of visiting one, you're in luck. We've waded into the mire to get the inside scoop on Cape Cod's famous fruit.

                                                    Cape Cod & Beyond Properties

The History of Massachusetts Cranberry Bogs

Native Americans introduced European settlers to cranberries near what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts. They used the versatile fruit for food, dye, and medicine. The settlers learned to harvest wild cranberries and came to rely on them for nutrients and for bartering with their Native American neighbors. Whalers and merchants discovered that they could snack on cranberries during long stints at sea to fend off scurvy. Contrary to popular belief, cranberries don’t grow underwater. Instead, they thrive above ground on acidic peat moss with a steady supply of fresh water. They also benefit from exposure to sand, making them particularly perfect for the marshes, ponds, and bogs of coastal New England. Commercial cultivation of the cranberry began in earnest in 1816 and the berries were sold in Europe shortly thereafter. With the help of its unique climate, Cape Cod dominated the cranberry market along with other coastal New England areas. Cranberry bogs remain an economic engine in the region to this day, and a popular destination for visitors looking to appreciate their beauty and utility in New England.

When to Visit a Massachusetts Cranberry Bog

Cranberry bogs have a surprisingly long growing season, from April to November, and benefit from the freezing of the ground for a brief dormant period. Fall is the best time to come observe the berries in all their ripened glory. The bright red berries floating en masse during a wet harvest make for some striking New England imagery and form the cornerstone of an array of harvest festivities. For the main event in the world of cranberry bogs, visit Wareham, MA, in October for the Cranberry Harvest Celebration . Co-sponsored by the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association and Ocean Spray Cranberries, the festival features wet harvest demonstrations, artisan cranberry crafts and foods, boat rides through the bogs, vendors, and live music. Admission is inexpensive and parking is free, so this festival makes a great way to spend a day.

Cranberry Bog Tours

If you can’t make it to the festival, you can still get a feel for Massachusetts cranberry bogs with a visit to a working bog during the autumn months.  Each cranberry bog offers a slightly different package, ranging from cranberry bog tours to boat rides to the opportunity to step right into the bog yourself. Head to PJ’s Cranberries in East Sandwich, MA, for the chance to buy bags of freshly harvested cranberries. Each bag comes with paper recipes for cranberry pancakes and cranberry bread! Annie’s Crannies in Dennis, MA, also has Bogside Honey and Beeswax candles. Flax Pond Farms in Carver, MA, offers tours of their bog as well as a gift shop that includes cranberry condiments and cranberry candles. Really get your feet wet with Mayflower Cranberries ’s “Be The Grower” package in Plympton, MA, in which visitors don waders and lend a hand. The Cranberry Association  has a list of all Massachusetts cranberry bogs.

Where to Stay

After a day of wading through marshes and sampling their sweet crops, the thought of the car ride home can be daunting. Rather than buckling in for the long haul, sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery from a hotel just minutes from your cranberry bog of choice. Staying at one of the great Sandwich hotels puts you very close to Wareham and East Sandwich, while Plymouth hotels position you to explore Plympton nicely.

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Cape Cod Cranberry Bog

Calling all cranberry lovers to see the colorful cranberry bogs for a fun filled day trip to cape cod the fun doesn’t stop there… after lunch we will take a relaxing cruise through the cape cod canal to herring run so don’t forget your cameras, day 1 - cape cod, ma, tour details, transportation, trip highlights, upcoming departures, if you like this tour, you may also like..., sail away argia, gloucester lobster cruise, a taste of cape cod.

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Home » Things to Do » Outdoors & Adventure » Cranberry Growing & Harvesting » Massachusetts Cranberries

Massachusetts Cranberries

Massachusetts Cranberries invites you to enjoy the unique experience of visiting a working cranberry bog. Our native fruit has been cultivated for over 200 years – learn more about the seasons of the cranberry, how cranberry farming works, and the incredible health benefits of this little red berry. See for yourself what Massachusetts’ number one food crop is all about and how cranberries make up the fabric of this beautiful New England state.

Group and Student Tours are available weekdays April-November and public harvest tours are open weekends in October. Visit our website cranberries.org to register and learn more about this amazing berry. Tours are 60-90 minutes long and include the history of the cranberry in Massachusetts, information about the cranberry industry and a close-up view of a local cranberry bog. Tours begin at our Cranberry Tour Barn in Carver, MA or Makepeace Farms in Wareham, MA.

Coach tours and Education tours are sold out for the 2024 season. Please email  [email protected]  to be contacted for the 2025 season.  Dates for Public Tours will be posted in August.

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New England Bucket List: Wading into a Cranberry Bog

Getting knee-deep into a cranberry bog with waders on has long been an item on my New England bucket list . Did you know cranberries are native to New England, like their cousin the blueberry? Without New England the world would not know the tart-sweetness of this red fruit. (England has a relative, but not quite our cranberry.) From a visit to a Cape Cod Festival years back my family found the recipe for our holiday favorite, Cranberry P’Cake . There are other cranberry bog tours in New England, but we loved our family run tour with Stone Bridge Farms in Acushnet, Massachusetts. It was the coolest thing my family experienced this fall– agreed on by the youngest of us to the senior members.

Table of Contents

A Little about Cranberries

Cranberries are grown in on low-lying vines in clay and sand-lined bogs. Bogs are sort of like valleys and were created by glaciers long ago. These bogs are a unique ecosystem for not only cranberries, but also unique life and there are many around New England. You can read more about them here.

About Stone Bridge Farm

One thing I love about the farm is that it is family-run for over 25 years. Most of the farms around New England are family-run, but also sell their fruit to large distributors such as Ocean Spray.

The cranberry farm sits in a residential neighborhood. There is a marked parking lot. If you take one of the first spots, it is a little confusing where you need to go. We almost knocked on a house door. If you walk to the other side of the parking lot, it will be more obvious to check in at the barn.

The house has a little store in it, with yummy things to buy, as well as cranberries.

How to book a tour at Stone Bridge Farm

Book a tour time online.  Tours are offered every half an hour, 7 days a week for the month of October. They sell out months in advance, so I would recommend booking your tour by the end of July if you want your choice of days and times. The cost is $30 a person. It was a bit confusing to book, because you book one reservation for your whole party and pay for everyone but the first person when you arrive at the farm.

What you Will Learn on the Cranberry Tour

The owners of the farm give the tour, which is pretty cool.

The tour starts with a history of cranberry farming in New England and a view of some of the tools used, both current and antique.

Then we learned about the difference between dry and wet cranberry harvesting. During October, the farm has both a dry bog and a wet blog. It is pretty interesting to compare the two.

I had no idea that all cranberries weren’t picked in flooded bogs! In dry harvesting, the berries are picked, using various methods, from the intact, above ground plants. Dry harvesting is used to get cranberries to use as fruit… pretty cranberries.

It makes sense to learn that wet harvests are quicker. The bog is flooded during a wet harvest and all the berries are reigned in and collected. But the fruit isn’t pretty as it has gone through a lot, so these berries are used for juicing and such.

The Highlight of the Cranberry Tour

The part we all came for- the donning of waders and climbing into the bog for a perfect picture opportunity. It was everything we hoped for and my ten-year-old son did not want to get out.

I was concerned about what shoes to wear as I didn’t want to ruin them getting into the bog. I shouldn’t have worried. You actually take your shoes off and the waders cover your clothing. The bog feels cold through the plastic waders, but you come out just as clean as you went in. The owner is happy to take pictures for you.

In reality, the whole tour was even better than we hoped. I came with two tweens, myself and three seniors. Everyone was educated and entertained. Be sure to add this experience to your New England fall bucket list.

Read on for more fabulous ideas for things to do in New England in fall .

Have you been to a cranberry bog? Tell me about it in the comments.

If you liked it, please share it. Thank you!

4 thoughts on “New England Bucket List: Wading into a Cranberry Bog”

We just finished the tour at Stonebridge Farms and absolutely loved it. We found the tour thanks to your blog. It was a great experience. I told the owners we found them through your blog and they asked for the link as more than one person had told them they found them through your blog.

I am so happy to hear that I helped to bring this experience to you!

Hi, I’m visiting in October. Can I wade into the bog during October?

Although the month of October is when they have farm tours their website says there will be done this year.

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Islands of Cape Cod & Cranberry Bogs

"Escape to the Cape"! Our Cape Cod tour offers island tours of Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket, a thrilling whale watch or scenic sandy dune tour, the history of Hyannis including the JFK and WWII Memorials, a stop at Plymouth Rock, a hands-on lobstering cruise, and a cranberry bog tour.

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Package Includes:  

4 Nights’ Lodging, 4 Extended Continental Breakfasts, 1 Boxed Lunch, 2 Dinners (Including 1 Lobster Dinner), Guided Tour of Provincetown along Scenic Route 6A, Visit to Cape Cod National Seashore Visitors Center, Whale Watch Excursion OR Dune Tour, Roundtrip Ferry Passage and Sightseeing Tour to Either Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket, Guided Tours of Hyannis and Plymouth, Cranberry Bog Tour by A.D. Makepeace, Photo Stop at the Forefather's Monument and Plymouth Rock, Admission on Lobster Tales Cruise, Baggage Handling & Transportation

Dates and Departures:   (Slightly different itineraries)

Summer In Cape Cod:  June 10-14, 2024 - Departs:  York Springs, Carlisle, Camp Hill, Harrisburg, Hanover & York

Cape Cod Islands & Cranberry Bogs Tour:  September 9-13, 2024 - Departs:  York Springs, Carlisle, Camp Hill, Harrisburg, Hanover & York

Cape Cod Island Hopping In New England:  July 8-12, 2024 - Departs:  York Springs, Carlisle, Camp Hill, Harrisburg, Hanover & York

**Please contact our friendly tour professionals to make your selection for the Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket Island tour, as well as choice of Whale Watch or Dune Tour by one month prior to departing.**

***ALL WOLF'S TOURS - TIMES AND ITINERARY SUBJECT TO CHANGE***

Step on board your Wolf's motorcoach for travel north to Cape Cod, Massachusetts with rest and meal stops enroute. Early evening you arrive for check in at the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Cape Cod Hyannis (508-771-6100) for a delightful four-night stay. The hotel features an indoor heated pool, fitness center, business center, convenience shop and complimentary Wi-Fi access. Spacious guest rooms offer visitors modern conveniences including a mini refrigerator, microwave, coffee/tea maker and supplies, hairdryer, iron/ironing board, flat screen LCD TV and iron/ironing board. Dinner is included tonight at a local restaurant.

Once again, an extended continental breakfast is included this morning at the hotel. Following breakfast, say "good morning" to your local guide who joins you on the coach for a driving tour of Hyannis highlights including the John F. Kennedy Memorial, the Korean War Memorial and a view of St. Francis Xavier Church, the summer parish of the Kennedy Family. Next, you travel to Wareham, Massachusetts, the "Gateway to Cape Cod", for a Cranberry Bog Tour by the world's largest cranberry grower, A.D. Makepeace. Your guide shows examples of an existing bog, currently in production, and discusses the stages of the cranberry growing process. There are two methods of harvesting, and you "may" even see it happening. Learn from the expert cranberry growers about farming and harvesting this fruit named "cranberry" by the Pilgrims. A boxed lunch is included during your visit. Afterwards, you board the motorcoach and travel to America's Hometown, Plymouth. Home of our pilgrim fathers and one of the country's first settlements, it is well known for its historical value in U.S. history. A photo-stop will be made at the Forefather's Monument, the largest, solid granite monument in the United States. She stands facing the harbor, welcoming those who come by water. A second photo-stop will be made at Plymouth Rock, the traditional site of disembarkation of the Pilgrims in 1620. Next, enjoy a Lobster Tales Cruise to learn about the many creatures that live in Plymouth Harbor. Experience a "hands-on" approach to see how lobsters are harvested from their natural environment. So, roll up your sleeves and help to haul in the lobster traps. Dinner is on your own tonight and your local guide will offer suggestions for the area.

Start your day with an extended continental breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, welcome your local guide and board the motorcoach for a full day of touring. Start your travels on historic Route 6A, the Old King's Highway, a scenic byway winding through centuries of Cape Cod history. You will pass hundreds of historic structures which characterize its early development. View a windmill and a lighthouse, as well as the Cape Cod National Seashore Visitors Center. Sand dunes and the ocean surround you as you approach "Land's End" - Provincetown. This is the extreme tip of Cape Cod, formerly known as the "Province Lands". The pilgrims landed here first before they decided to settle across the bay in Plymouth. You will have some free time to enjoy Provincetown's variety of restaurants, shops and galleries that make this artists/fishermen village so unique. This afternoon, board an excursion vessel for an amazing experience of Whale Watching. You cruise into the natural habitat of a diverse marine environment including birds that migrate here from all over the Atlantic and fish that use these shallow waters to feed. The onboard naturalist introduces you to everything you may see and will answer questions about whales, birds, fish and lighthouses. OR - you may choose to stay on dry land and take a narrated Dune Tour. Ride along the shoreline of the Cape as your guide highlights points of interest including the "dune shacks" where famous artists and writers became inspired to create their art. Dinner this evening is on your own and your guide will offer some suggestions in the local area. You then return to the hotel for the night.

An extended continental breakfast is included at the hotel this morning. Afterwards, you make your way to the Hy-Line Docks for ticketing and boarding of your ferry to either Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket. If choosing Martha's Vineyard, upon arrival you board a local bus for a Sightseeing Tour. Learn about the history and lifestyles of the islanders as you pass through Vineyard Haven. There will be free time for lunch and shopping in the historic village of Edgartown. Complete your trip today on the Island in Oak Bluffs, where you may choose to stroll through "Cottage City" with its brightly painted cottages with decorative "gingerbread" trim. If you choose to visit Nantucket Island, upon arrival by ferry, you will have free time for lunch and shopping on your own. Your guide will point out the restaurants, galleries and shops that are within walking distance of the dock. Before departing beautiful Nantucket Island, enjoy a narrated driving tour. The island is a beautiful oasis of over 40% conservation land with plentiful beaches. The wharves and cobblestoned streets of town are lined with restaurants, high-end boutiques and steepled churches. Please remember to wear comfortable walking shoes to stroll through downtown. Once back on the mainland from your island experience, you will have dinner included with lobster as one of the entrée choices.

Awake to your last morning at the hotel with an extended continental breakfast included prior to check out and departure. You travel home to Pennsylvania with some delightful memories of your trip to Cape Cod. Meal and rest stops will be made enroute home.

**Please contact our friendly tour professionals to make your selection between the Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket Island tour, as well as your choice of the Whale Watch or Dune Tour at least one month prior to departure date. ***ALL WOLF'S TOURS - TIMES AND ITINERARY SUBJECT TO CHANGE**

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'We've had to adapt': Renovated bogs, hybrid cranberries give Cape farmers a boost.

It's been five months since David Ross and his son, James, started renovating two cranberry bogs, one in Barnstable and the other in Sandwich . Work at the Barnstable bog is finished. Sandwich is close behind.

On June 8 an excavator was putting down a layer of sand before rootings could be planted in Sandwich. It will take three to four years to see the payoff in a higher yield and more marketable cranberry crop. 

Ross takes a long view of the industry he’s been in for 41 seasons. He hopes the renovation will make the farm economically viable and produce cranberries for another 30 to 50 years — long enough for his son to continue.

“We’re survivors,” Ross said, “but there’s been a lot of external pressure and economic pressure, so we’ve had to adapt.”

Renovating the bogs is part of the Ross’s adaptation process, one they've undertaken with the help of the state. David Ross will be reimbursed $42,750, or about 50% of the cost of the work upon its completion, compliments of a state cranberry bog renovation grant . James will get $49,500 after his renovation work is completed.

Why renovation grants matter

The grant program was just one recommendation that came out in a state Cranberry Revitalization Task Force report in 2016. The task force was formed to bolster an industry worth $1.431 billion to the state, important to 2,114 farmers and responsible for 6,908 jobs. Bay State farmers were struggling to keep up with their competitors.

The 2016 report suggested grants, low interest loans, and tax credits. The task force even presented exit strategies aimed at conserving land and preserving the environment as bogs were retired and farmers aged out of the industry. 

The commonwealth’s number one crop

Cranberries are the state’s leading commercial crop. In 2021, cranberry production, processing and manufacturing accounted for more than $60 million according to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources . The total economic impact to the state was close to $1.7 billion according to Farm Credit East . 

“It’s a huge economic driver,” Ross said.

But the industry is falling behind competitors in Wisconsin and Canada. Massachusetts may be where the cranberry industry started 200 years ago, but the state now produces only 30% of the 400 million pounds of cranberries Americans consume annually, according to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center. 

Prices for the heirloom varieties grown in Massachusetts, the relatively small, irregular size of the bogs, and the difficulty getting and paying for commercial loans are challenges to small family farms that produce most of the state’s labor-intensive crop. The grant program is one way the state is helping farmers.

Why renovate cranberry bogs?

Most of the state’s bogs are in the depressions of old kettle ponds. They have irregular sides and uneven topography. Varieties traditionally grown here — Early Blacks and Howes, for example — are smaller berries compared to hybrids that have been developed by Rutgers University and the Grygleski family in Wisconsin . Some hybrids produce two to four times more barrels per acre than older varieties. And consumer preference has changed: there is less demand for varieties traditionally grown in the state.

State grants allow farmers to strip old vines from bogs, laser level the bog, install efficient irrigation systems, redesign the bogs in some cases, and plant new cultivars. This year the state gave out 22 grants ranging from $35,750 to $125,000 on bogs ranging from 1.43 to 11 acres.  

Ross is planting Mullica Queens in Sandwich. The variety was developed at Rutgers University. He's already planted some Queens at the bog and wants to continue with the same cultivar. 

His son is replacing Early Blacks with Crimson Kings in West Barnstable. The Kings were developed by Wisconsin breeder Edward Grygleski. Both varieties promise bigger fruit, higher yield, and are more pest and disease resistant.  

“Farmers are yield obsessed,” Ross said. “If we can grow twice as many (cranberries) on the same ground with the same inputs, that’s more profitable for us. It’s important to increase yield to stay profitable and sustainable for the long run.” 

Not just a benefit to farmers

Tom Anderson, program manager of the state’s Cranberry Bog Renovation Tax Credit Program , said there is a larger purpose beyond helping cranberry farmers. Programs aimed at helping farmers help the state economically and environmentally, he said. 

The industry’s control of significant acreage in southeastern Massachusetts, including bogs and surrounding habitats, is home to birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish who benefit from bog conservation and renovation. And renovations would result in millions of gallons of water conservation annually.

Economically speaking, planting high yield, disease resistant cultivars improves the quality and quantity of cranberries. Farmers’ incomes and the economic benefits to the state improve as a result, Anderson said. 

By laser-leveling bogs, less water is needed to cover cranberries for harvesting. More efficient irrigation systems allow for less water usage overall, which is especially important for southeastern Massachusetts, Anderson said. And monitoring systems can target specific bog areas that need frost protection when temperatures dip.  

Renovated bogs require less energy to pump water, and less fuel to power the equipment that harvests the berries. 

At David Ross’s bogs in Barnstable, the contrast between new and old is obvious. In the older bog small trees, shrubs and grasses have established themselves. The land and its contours are uneven. Not so the newly renovated bog: it is neat, laid out evenly, with short, newly planted vines rising up out of a fresh layer of sand.

It will take a year for the new vines to establish themselves, Ross said. They’ll grow out in the second year and start fruiting in three to four years. He calls the work of farming appealing. He enjoys working the heavy equipment and growing things. He likened it to gardening on a big scale.

“It’s very satisfying when you grow a crop,” he said. “It’s a big sense of accomplishment. You see, literally, the fruits of your labor.”

Denise Coffey writes about business, tourism and issues impacting the Cape’s residents and visitors. Contact her at [email protected] .    

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Cycling visitors come to Cape Cod to enjoy the dramatic landscapes, the contrasts between bay, pond and ocean and numerous bicycle paths—114 miles of paths in all, and more are planned or in progress. Picture-perfect towns, sea coasts and lighthouses are plentiful along the routes. Nickerson State Forest in Brewster offers beautiful campsites adjacent to the 22-mile long Cape Cod Rail Trail. In season, Bostonians can take their bicycles onto a ferry which will place them in Provincetown, a cycler’s dream. Or, they can take their bikes for free aboard the CapeFLYER Opens a New Window. seasonal train service from Boston to Cape Cod. Cape Cod Rail Trail (25-mile off-road paved path) Download a Trail Map . PDF File Opens a New Window. Cyclists can follow the route of the old Cape Cod Railroad through six mid- to lower-Cape towns. The trail runs from South Yarmouth into Dennis, then winds through Harwich, Brewster (with a detour through Nickerson State Park), Orleans (through the beautiful Rock Harbor area), along a salt marsh to the Cape Cod National Seashore Center in Eastham and then to Le Count Hollow in Wellfleet. Several hotels, restaurants and attractions have Trail access. The name stems from the old railroad right of way it follows, which used to transport passengers and freight to Cape Cod in the early 1800s until around 1960. The route passes by many local points of interest and several lakes suitable for swimming and picnics, including Nickerson State Park in Brewster.  Continuously monitored by local police bike patrols, the Cape Cod Rail Trail is a safe and enjoyable way to spend a Cape Cod summer day. Bicycle and rollerblade rentals are also available at various bike shops conveniently located right along the trail in Dennis, Brewster, Orleans and Wellfleet. There are parking areas at different starting points, with the main trailhead in South Dennis, just minutes from Route 6 on Route 134. Cape Cod Canal Bike Paths Download a Trail Map . PDF File Opens a New Window. (14.2 miles paved, off-road trail; access the paths in Sagamore): These paths run along both sides of the man-made Cape Cod Canal. Featuring a wide road with minimal grades, it is ideal for beginner to casual cyclists, especially families with younger children. Following the length of the Canal roughly 7½ miles between the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges, the bikeway itself is smooth concrete, with a well-defined single yellow line painted down the center designating two-way traffic. Enjoy beautiful sea breezes and watch the never-ending ship and boat traffic through the Canal. There are ample spots to stop and take in the beautiful scenery. On the off-Cape side, pedal from Buzzards Bay to Scusset Beach (about seven miles). Or, start at the Herring Run on Route 6 or at any parking lot from the Sagamore Rotary. Cape-side, pedal from Sandwich to Bourne, about 6.8 miles, or start at the U.S. Engineering Observation Station, Sandwich or from Pleasant Street, Sagamore. Shining Sea Bikeway Download a Trail Map . PDF File Opens a New Window. (10.7 miles of paved, off-road trails; access the Trail from various points in Falmouth): This beautiful path runs along some of the most beautiful scenery on Cape Cod, from North Falmouth village all the way to the avant-garde village of Woods Hole, home to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Marine Biological Laboratory and many other institutions. It follows the original route of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad that used to run from Buzzards Bay, through North and West Falmouth, around Woods Hole and into Falmouth Station. The spectacular views offered from the freshly minted section of Shining Sea Bikeway are right out of the Katherine Lee Bates song "America the Beautiful," from which the path gets its name. The route avoids much of Falmouth’s notorious summer traffic by winding down along the beach, past cranberry bogs and harbors, and through marshes and the Salt Pond Bird Sanctuary. This is a frequently used area in-season, so be sure to respect the rights of others, especially inline skaters and runners. The Chatham Loop Follow the signs in a five-mile ‘loop’ from Chatham Fish Pier or any town parking lot to see Chatham Light, boatyards and harbors. Nauset Marsh Trail (1.6 miles) Begins at the Salt Pond Visitors Center (Route 6) or Doane Rock Picnic area, both in Eastham, and runs to Coast Guard Beach in Eastham, intersecting with the Cape Cod Rail Trail. The trail provides a panoramic vista of the Atlantic Ocean. A three-mile roundtrip, this route first wanders through a large grove of cedar, pine and oak. Beyond, rolling countryside awaits along with a trailside bench to stop, rest and enjoy the scenery at. Be sure to take a detour at the second stop sign to the Doane Memorial, a monument to Deacon John Doane.  Right on the marsh, this site marks where he built his home in 1644. Back on the paved path, prepare to cross a wooden bridge spanning the marsh overlooking Salt Pond. A short distance further is the old Coast Guard Station, overlooking Coast Guard Beach. The beach itself is a sprawling and beautiful site, with waves lapping the shore as far as the eye can see in either direction. Also, scope the shoreline for surfers who commonly share the water with curious harbor seals. Head of the Meadow Trail (2 miles) Cyclists can access this trail in Truro at Head of the Meadow Beach parking area; its runs to the peaceful Head of the Meadow Beach. Province Lands Trail (7¼ miles) This is a challenging paved loop through the majestic dunes leading to Herring Cove and Race Point Beaches in Provincetown. This hilly loop starts from the Province Lands Visitor Center in Provincetown. The route is 7-¼ miles long. But with the trail extensions to Herring Cove Beach, Race Point Beach and Bennet Pond, two more miles can be added to your distance. Riding the trail is a great way to tour the vast dune system in the Province Lands area, as well as its shady Beech Forest, one of the few places within the tract with extensive tree cover. There are several entry areas. This trail is certain to become a favorite for bicyclists, although the route can turn difficult due to the undulating hilly terrain it follows. The paved network traverses much of Province Lands’ 4,000 wild acres, winding through and over the dunes of Provincetown and other local sand formations. In your travels you’ll explore cranberry bogs, marshes and skirt several saltwater kettle ponds, as well. From breathtaking marshland to magnificent exposed dunes to expansive shore views, these trails feature much spectacular scenery. An added convenience is that they also offer direct access to both Race Point and Herring Cove beaches. Wellfleet Town The casual cyclist will find a lot of beauty and enjoyment in this Outer Cape town. Aside from more than two dozen art galleries, there are winding roads through a quaint village, or a bustling Main Street. Everything is just a short bike ride from Bay to Ocean .