Race Point Beach, one of the Cape Cod National Seashore beaches in Provincetown, has a wide swath of sand stretching far off into the distance around the point and Coast Guard station. Behind the beach are dunes. Bike trails lead off the parking lot. Some boats in view. Surfing allowed past protected area. Bugs were exceptionally annoying. Not raked. Nice big beach.

Race Point Beach is known for its rougher waters and beautiful landscape. A strong undertow makes it more difficult for swimmers, so it’s best for inexperienced swimmers to stay in the shallow areas. This is also a spectacular beach for sunbathers due to its northern location – the sun shines directly on the sand all day. If feeling athletic after lounging on the beach all morning, Province Lands Bike Trail nearby leads to fellow Seashore beach, Herring Cove.

Cape Cod is a large peninsula extending 60 miles into the Atlantic Ocean from the coast of Massachusetts. Located on the outer portion of the Cape, Cape Cod National Seashore’s 44,600 acres encompass a rich mosaic of marine, estuarine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems. These systems and their associated habitats reflect the Cape’s glacial origin, dynamic natural processes, and at least 9,000 years of human activity. Geomorphic shoreline change, groundwater fluctuations, tidal dynamics including rising sea level, and atmospheric deposition are among the many physical processes that continue to shape the Seashore’s ecosystems. Marine and estuarine systems include beaches, sand spits, tidal flats, salt marshes, and soft-bottom benthos. Freshwater ecosystems include kettle ponds, vernal pools, sphagnum bogs, and swamps. Terrestrial systems include pitch pine and scrub oak forests, heathlands, dunes, and sandplain grasslands. Many of these habitats are globally uncommon and the species that occupy them are correspondingly rare.

The AllTrails website has a description and map of a hike at Race Point.