Anne's Cape Cod Favorites

Intro | Tours | Maps | Restaurants
Walking | Bicycling | Boating | Sightseeing | Beaches
Brewster | Chatham | Orleans | Eastham | Wellfleet | Truro | Provincetown

Brewster

Things to do in Brewster are clustered around Rte 6A and roads that connect to it. Nickerson State Park offers enough activities for a full day of fun. The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History and its walking trails provide hours of entertainment. Explore the other attractions and have lunch at the Brewster Fish House on Rte 6A, close to everything.

See the Brewster overview and Chamber of Commerce sites, and check out Brewster restaurants.

Stoney Brook Grist Mill


Things to Do

sightseeing walking Cape Cod Museum of Natural History

The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History offers special events including educational programs, films and guided walks at the museum, as well as tours to other locations. See the Tours page for additional information, or go directly to the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History web site. The museum is located on Rte 6A, 1.6 miles west of Rte 137 and 6A. 896-3867.

Starting at the museum, the John Wing walking trail takes you through 140 acres of upland woods, saltmarsh, and coastal beach on Cape Cod Bay. The South trail crosses Paine Creek and a beech forest. On a rainy day, skip the walks and explore inside the museum. The Short Nature Walks book describes the trails.

sightseeingwalkingStoney Brook Grist Mill

This is such a lovely place you may want to stay all day, although the walk around the mill pond is only a quarter mile. The sights include blooming flowers, fish and wildlife, and the turning waterwheel. See the exhibits in the upstairs museum and grind some corn on Fri. afternoons. Go across the road to see the herring run in Stoney Brook. From Rte 6A, take Sawtucket Rd .7 mi. The Short Nature Walks book describes the trails.

sightseeing Brewster General Store

Browse through the amazing collection of unusual things, and get some snacks too. 1935 Rte 6A, 896-3744

beaches Breakwater Beach

This is one of several beaches on Cape Cod Bay in Brewster. The beach is very flat and you can walk a long way out when the tide is low. It provides a dramatic view of the sunset when it's timed with low tide. The beach is a half mile walk (or bike ride or drive) down Breakwater Rd. from the Brewster General Store.

sightseeing Basset Wild Animal Farm

It's really for kids but if you're a kid at heart, it's worth a visit. The animal farm takes in and cares for distressed animals like the hawk that was too badly injured to release back to the wild. Highlights were the lion and tiger (raised by the owner) and baby goats just a few hours old. Located at 620 Tubman Rd, 896-3224.

beaches boating bicycling walking Nickerson State Park

Nickerson State Park covers about 2000 acres in Brewster. It has eight miles of bicycling trails that weave up and down hills through the woods. The rail trail connects with the park and bicycle rentals are nearby. You can swim or boat at Cliff Pond, Flax Pond and Little Cliff Pond, and rent a small boat at Flax Pond. Walking trails go around all three ponds. This is a wonderful park to explore, and parking is free.

Nickerson State Park, 3488 Rte 6A, 896-3491. Good maps are available at the entrance. Jack's Boat Rentals at Flax Pond (896-8556) rents canoes, kayaks, pedalboats, small sailboats, and sailboards, and offers sailing and windsurfing lessons.

bicyclingThe Rail Trail

The Rail Trail crosses Rte 6A at Nickerson State Park, toward Orleans, and veers southwest across Brewster. This section is cool and shady, but has old pavement with potholes. Underpass Rd or Nickerson Park is a good place to park and get on the trail. Leaving the trail, it would be easy to visit all these other attractions in Brewster on your bike. Just check the map.