Griffin and Bound Brook Islands - Long Walks on Cape Cod

README before using our guides to Long Walks on Cape Cod

Long Walks on Cape Cod

Griffin and Bound Brook Islands

USGS Map: Wellfleet

Trailheads:          1. Cape Cod National Seashore parking lot to
                              the left of the end of Chequesset Neck
                              Road in Wellfleet.

                          2. Duck Harbor parking lot in Wellfleet, one
                              mile north of Trailhead 1 at the end of
                              Griffin Island Road.

Note: This guide has been rewritten as the composite of two
short walks. Each half has its own topographical map.

Griffin Island

Topo Map

Park at the National Seashore lot for Great Island at the end of
Chequesset Neck road (001). Follow the signs to Great Island from
the east side of the parking lot. At the bottom of the hill, about 200
yards (002), walk left on the sandy track to Chequesset Neck Road
(003).

Cross the road and walk northeast on the dirt road. You will
quickly lose sight of the sand flat to your right because of the
heavy vegetation. Continue on this road for about 1.0 miles until
it bends to the west (005), running along the edge of Duck Harbor
marsh.

You passed (004) which leads to Bound Brook Island Road. That road
can also be used to tie the two walks together, by proceeding north on
Bound Brook Island Road for about a mile to where it turns left to
the Atwood-Higgins property.

In about 0.7 mile, you will come to the paved Duck Harbor Road (010)
leading west to a parking lot for the beach. At the west end of the
parking lot (006), a foot path goes south up to the top of the cliff (007).
Stop for a spectacular view of Provincetown and Cape Cod Bay.

Walk south on the foot path for 0.3 mile until you reach another
leading east (008). Follow it for about 0.2 mile to Griffin Island Road
(009). Walk south on the road to the start. You have circled Griffin
Island, which is no longer a genuine island. The walk is a little less than
four miles.

Bound Brook Island

Topo Map

At the rotary at the end of Chequesset Neck Road, turn right and
follow Griffin Island Road to the parking lot for Duck Harbor beach.
Walk west to (002), then follow a path northeast through the dune
grass to (003). Continue on the dirt road to (004), where you may
visit the marker for the Brook Island School, about 100 yards south
in the woods.

Note: Also at (004), a dirt road proceeds north. A foot path leads
north from that road out to a spectacular lookout, and then circles
around to rejoin Bound Brook Island Road just west of (005). This
route is described more fully in Truro Short Walks under Ryder Beach.

Continue on the dirt road to (005); stop to visit the Atwood-Higgins
homestead. Then walk down to the triangle at (006), where a remnant
of the railroad bed goes off to the northwest. Follow that to a sand
road (007), turning west to walk past the houses to a foot path at
the end of Ryder Beach Road (008). Note the sign that welcomes
pedestrians along the way!

Note: The path south from the end of Ryder Beach Road is prone
to flooding. We now recommend walking out to the beach at (008)
and thence south to return to (002) and the parking lot. 4.6 miles.

Walk south on the path past the houses to a sand road which heads
south. At (009), where the road heads east, walk west on the foot
path out to the beach (010). Walk south on the beach to return to
(002) and the parking lot. 4.6 miles.