Orleans

Orleans lies between Nauset Beach and Skaket Beach; Nauset Beach is on the Atlantic Ocean, while Skaket Beach is on Cape Cod Bay. Cape Cod National Seashore also stretches across Orleans’ outer beaches. Nauset Barrier Beach extends across Orleans and Chatham. This means you’ll encounter different coastal features here: a protected landscape and a barrier formation that extends across two towns.

Beaches and Coastal Landscape

Surfing takes place at Nauset Beach in Orleans. At Skaket Beach, you can explore tide pools at low tide. The beach experiences differ in a specific way: surfing is the main draw on the Atlantic side, while exploring the tide pools—accessible at low tide—is the focus on Cape Cod Bay. If you’d like to plan your stay around a particular interest, these two beach names offer a useful guide.

Natural Areas and Special Species

Kent’s Point includes wooded, elevated terrain, coastal slopes, salt marsh and a small sandy beach. The landscape therefore combines several distinct features in one area. At Henson’s Cove Conservation Area, nesting gardens for the threatened Northern diamondback terrapin are part of habitat management. The focus on protecting a specific animal species sets this natural area apart from the landscape features of Kent’s Point.

Baker’s Pond Conservation Area has loop trails up to three miles long. The maximum length gives you an idea of the scale of the trails when planning your day. Bakers Pond is a coastal plain kettle pond. Its broad sandy shoreline supports a plant community that includes the rare spatulate-leaved sundew and Plymouth gentian. The natural areas therefore offer different points of interest: landscape and trails in one, a rare plant community in the other.

Maritime History and Culture

The French Cable Station was the American terminus of a telegraph cable that ran directly from France to Orleans. The CG36500 can be viewed by the public at its berths in Orleans almost year-round. The boat rescued 32 survivors from the tanker Pendleton. These two different places bring together the story of the direct cable connection to France and the history of maritime rescue.

The Universalist Society Meetinghouse is home to CHO, the Center for Culture and History in Orleans. It adds a place to the historical sites that today serves as the home of this cultural and historical center. For planning your trip, you can choose from a range of interests: coastal landscapes, nature and biodiversity, as well as maritime and local history.

Seasonal Experiences and Route Connections

The Artist Cottages at Orleans Market Square are a collection of colorful wooden cottages. Creatives display and sell their work there seasonally. If you’d like to include art and creative work in your trip, keep this seasonal character in mind when planning. The Cape Cod Rail Trail also passes through Orleans, giving cyclists a specific location to factor into their route planning.

Discover more destinations: Sandwich, Bourne, Chatham, Barnstable, Falmouth, Wellfleet, Brewster, Truro

Return to the main travel overview: Barnstable.