Crowe's Pasture - Cape Cod's Most Beautiful Beach

Nothing can compare to the beauty of a late summer sunset off one of the beaches of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. In the small town of Dennis, there is one beach which is a hidden gem. Often talked about, but visited far less. Most tourists don't even know of its existence. It is Crowe's Pasture, a bit of conservation land bought by the town for public beach use. Its remote location, and the requirement of an off-road beach pass, makes it difficult to access for many, but it's well worth the extra work.

If you go at high tide, or ebb tide (mid-tide) you're likely to find the beach almost empty, filled with the surreal beauty of an unnoticed miracle.

If you go at high tide, instead, you'll drive out of the tunnel of trees into a wide open expanse of nothing but sand and a few clusters of rocks. In a few places you'll see exposed oyster beds. It is said that at low tide, you can walk or drive out over a mile on the beach. This is the time when the beach is most populated. Off in the distance you'll see clusters of specs, which when you drive closer to, you'll see are mostly SUV's parked on the hard-packed sand at the water's edge: a perfect location for swimming and fishing. Because it's on the 'bay side' of the Cape you'll find that the waters are warm, and the waves are not too strong for children to play in. There's a sense of community out there on the far edges of Crowe's Pasture.

The tide comes in fast. If you've driven out there, you should leave, or at least move back, as soon as the water turns. Every year someone finds it hard to tear themselves from the beautiful beach, and lingers just a few minutes too long. Every year there are new pictures posted in the town hall of someone's car stuck in the water at Crowe's Pasture. One of the old pictures is mine. Even that didn't turn me off from this beach, though. It's one of the Cape's best kept secrets.