The Many Faces of Cape Cod National Seashore

Sandy dunes and cool peat bogs, vernal pools, kettle ponds and tidal flats all make up the many faces of Cape Cod National Seashore. Tall stands of yellowed sand plain grasslands, thick clusters of scrub oak and pitch pine as well as rare heathlands and cranberry bogs also contribute to the remarkable beauty of the area.

President John F. Kennedy grew up on Cape Cod and was all ready aware of what a national treasure the region was when he designated it the Cape Cod National Seashore in 1961. Since that time the region has been under the care and supervision of the National Parks Service, and they offer guided tours and educational programs about the entire forty three thousand acre site.

The area also has six lighthouses giving it another unusual face, especially considering that erosion along the shore has caused two of the lighthouses to require relocation. In 1996 the Cape Cod Light Station in North Truro was moved approximately four hundred and fifty feet from its original location, and in that same year the Nauset Light House in North Eastham was taken three hundred and thirty six feet from its original site. Many visitors make sure to visit a few of these remarkable structures on a trip to the Cape Cod National Seashore.