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Atlantic White Cedar Swamp

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Address: Marconi Station Road, Wellfleet, MA 02667

Latitude/Longitude: 41.912881, -69.972868

Web site: click here

Phone: (508) 771-2144

Pricing: Free

Description:

This is the most unnatural, natural habitat on Cape Cod. White cedar trees are not indigenous to the Cape, nor to New England for that matter. The occurrence of these trees in Wellfleet is an anomaly and a really beautiful one. They are in an area called the White Cedar Swamp.

This swamp is located inside the Cape Cod National Seashore. The Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail can be accessed from the Marconi Site parking lot. The swamp is located behind the dunes, which protect the area from the punishing winds and salt air that blow in from the ocean. The trail is only about a mile and a half long and, though uneven in places, is easy to navigate.

The most common vegetation in this area is the pitch pine that is a common tree on Cape Cod. This is a difficult area for most everything else to flourish but you do see crowberry, bear oak, and golden beach heather. That you will find white cedar trees here is rather astonishing.
Once you arrive at the swamp, you will begin to see checkerberry, wild sarsaparilla, and you may even see mayflower at the right time of the year. These plants survive here because of the moisture and the acidic soil that results from the decaying organic matter.

White cedars typically grow is pools of water, as they do here. In this area, a walkway has been constructed that winds throughout the swamp and around the patches of cedars. It is really beautiful whether you visit during the spring, summer, or fall months. During the summer, it would be wise to wear a hat, long sleeves and pants, and to use bug spray. Other things thrive here besides the plant life. The air is rife with mosquitoes and there are tics in the area.

It is really amazing to find an area such as this just behind the dunes that overlook beautiful Marconi Beach and the Atlantic Ocean. To get there, from Route 6 in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, take Marconi Beach Road to Marconi Station Road and turn left. Follow the road into the parking lot where you will find the sign and the entrance for the trail on the left side of the parking area.

From the Author: This is such a beautiful spot and so unlike anything else you may see when visiting Cape Cod. Having grown up in the south, cedar trees are quite common. For me, visiting this site brings back memories of home. The trail to reach the swamp is not long and is easy to hike. It is a bit rough in places but well worth the effort. When you return to the trail entrance, it is just a short walk over to the observation deck and a stunning view of Marconi Beach. The video was made on our last visit to this beautiful spot.


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