Free Summer Activities on Cape Cod

Cape Cod is an arm like peninsular that juts out from the state of Massachusetts. When summer time arrives this bit of land is filled to capacity with vacationers who are willing to pay top dollar for a chance to relax and enjoy themselves. Simple cottages rent for a week for the price of your monthly mortgage and restaurant tabs can cause a double take and a double dip into your wallet. That's why it's great when you can discover a few free summer activities on Cape Cod to keep you and your family entertained without breaking the bank.

Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory. If you tell your family that while you are on Cape Cod you have planned for them to spend some time at a factory, they may think you have taken leave of your senses. But before they begin to complain, make sure to tell them that it is the Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory and you will see the frowns turn around quickly.

For no admission charge, you and your family can take a walk through the Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory, in business since 1980. The tour is totally self guided and really is an opportunity for you to see how a potato becomes a chip. Along the walk way there are posted explanation signs so that you can read and then view the factory floor at your own pace. The Factory tours are available Monday-Friday from 9a.m-5 p.m. If it's less than a perfect beach day or if you need to keep your kids out of the sun for a bit you may want to try this free summer activity on Cape Cod.

For the kids, well actually for everyone, there is a bonus to the tour. When you finish each visitor gets a free package of Cape Cod Potato Chips. Of course this is a commercial enterprise so you will also be invited to visit their factory story where you can marvel at the variety of chip products and perhaps make a purchase.

Cape Cod Rail Trail If your family enjoys outdoor exercise, bring along your bikes ( you can always rent some, but that's an expense you can avoid ) when you go to the Cape. One of the most exhilarating free summer activities on Cape Cod is hopping aboard your bike and with your family setting off to see a long stretch of the cape by bike. The Cape Cod Rail Trail runs for a full 25 miles and gives you both great exercise, mostly on fairly flat paved paths, and a wonderful chance to see scenic Cape Cod.

The Cape Cod Rail Trail stretches from Route 134 in the town of Dennis to the far reaches of the Cape at Wellfleet near the Marconi Station. Access to the bike trail is free as are all the parking locations along the way. You can plan to bike all or any part of the trail if you have a family member to provide for pickup at your furthest destination.

Even if you don't have your bikes with you, not a problem. The paths are also meant for pedestrian use and you'll find plenty of folks taking the hiking alternative. After all its a free summer activity on Cape Cod.

Thornton Burgess Museum If you have small children you may want to investigate the Thornton Burgess Museum in Sandwich on Cape Cod. You are bound to have a day when you just don't feel like packing up to go to the beach - again. When that day inevitably rolls around you can rely on this roadside museum to provide you with a destination for fun and a free summer activity on Cape Cod.

The Thornton Burgess Museum is opened from 10a.m. - 4 p.m on Monday - Saturday and from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday. It is the one time home of the popular and well known children's author and creator of many child friendly characters. But the museum is more that just a home, it is a place where replicas and copies of Burgess' characters are found in abundance . Your children will enjoy this side trip to the land of imagination and stories.

While there is no formal admission charged, donations for the upkeep of the property are well received. It's nice not to have to consider ticket prices for a change.

Cape Cod National Seashore In 1961 more than 40miles of Cape Cod seacoast were set aside as a National Seashore to be protected and maintained by the United States government and made available to all. For fans of the sea Cape Cod National Seashore is a true gift. From Chatham to Provincetown the National Seashore is home to the best surf on Cape Cod.

Because the Cape Cod National Seashore is part of the National Park System, visitors can enjoy free ranger guided tours of the coastal area. Bathers also have free access to the miles of seacoast if they enter by foot. For those who must use parking space, there is a minimal parking fee. The Cape Cod National Seashore is a wonderful recreational spot for families, it is well tended and well supervised. The National Seashore will require a bit of a drive from the main residential areas of the Cape but it will be worth your while, especially because it is one one of the best free summer activities on Cape Cod.