Features

Buzzards Bay Recreation Area is a canal-side park owned and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Here, you can gaze up at the Cape Cod Railroad Bridge: a vertical lift bridge that was the longest in the world when it was completed in 1935.

The Cape Cod Canal is a bustling waterway with a constant parade of boats passing by: from tugs and barges to sailboats and powerboats. Fishermen crowd the canal’s rocky shores, hoping to lure a fabled striper to their hooks. Watch them while you picnic and play at the recreation area, or cast a line yourself to see what you can catch!

Anglers find some of the best shore fishing around on Cape Cod Canal. Buzzards Bay Recreation Area offers an excellent access point for fishermen to try and hook their next striper!

Trails

Buzzards Bay Recreation Area is the westernmost access point to the Cape Cod Canal Bikeway, a paved service road that runs for 7 miles from here to Scusset Beach. This wide, flat trail is perfect for all ages to bike, walk, and run along the canal’s northern shore.

For an easy, interesting bike ride with your family, try riding from here to Herring Run Recreation Area, about two miles away. There, you can check out a herring run and take a walk on a nature trail.

Habitats & Wildlife

The Cape Cod Canal is home to a range of wildlife that’s as diverse as it is unique. Seals sometimes swim through here, as do sportfish like stripers, bluefish, and sea bass.

A variety of birds flock to the canal to feed on these rich populations of migratory fish. Look for ospreys and cormorants in summer and ducks in winter. Peregrine falcons have tried to nest under the Bourne Bridge in recent years, so keep an eye on the skies!

Property Owned By

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers works to strengthen our nation’s security by building and maintaining America’s infrastructure.