Cape Cod National Seashore · Massachusetts

Great Island Trail

4.4 mi of trail, end to end · Hike the Great Island Trail: 3.9 mi loop in the Service's write-up · about 200 ft of climbing · 6 ft–73 ft · hiking

8 ft 12 ft · 1.6 mi high 57 ft

Hike the Great Island Trail 3.9 mi loop · the Park Service's write-up

3-4 Hours · dogs allowed

Start Upper Great Island Trail Parking Lot

Aerial view of the start of the Great Island Trail, beach surrounded by ocean and a cove.
Aerial view of the Great Island Trail from the bay. Photo: NPS Photo

Are you looking for a day of adventure? Look no further than Cape Cod National Seashore's longest hiking trail, Great Island! Make your own adventure to enjoy the shorter 3.9-mile loop or go for gold with the full 8.8 mile loop to Jeremy Point! The trail follows sandy stretches between the elevated heights of Great Island and Great Beach Hill. Its higher elevations punctuate spectacular vistas which emerge from an even-aged, pitch-pine forest. Part of this trail leads to a colonial-era tavern site (no remains are visible). Other sections skirt salt marsh embayments.

The Great Island Trail is the park’s most difficult trail; mainly soft sand; some log steps; portions are submerged at high tide; hats, sturdy footgear and drinking water advised. Leashed pets are allowed between the upper/lower parking areas along the trail to the first cut and out onto the beach.

USE CAUTION AND CHECK THE TIDES BEFORE ATTEMPTING THIS TRAIL! Many sections of the trail, including Jeremy Point, are submerged at high tide.

Accessibility The Great Island Trail is the park’s most difficult trail; mainly soft sand; some log steps; portions are submerged at high tide; hats, sturdy footgear and drinking water advised. The soft sand makes walking difficult. Please consider skill recomendations when determining if this activity is appropriate for younger family members. Contact the visitor center with any accessiblity questions, 508-255-3421.

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

All 12 trails in Cape Cod National SeashoreFind a trailOn the parks mapPark on nps.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.