Ranger station · Cape Cod National Seashore
Sort out your permit before taking Race Point's oversand drive.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Cape Cod Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Cape Cod National Seashore. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this place
Race Point Beach and Old Harbor Station“Up ahead is Race Point Beach, where a path over the dunes leads to a wide, exposed Atlantic shore.”
Plays as you drive up to Race Point Oversand Permit Station in the Parkwolf Cape Cod Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
If you need an in-person permit, bring the four-wheel-drive or self-contained vehicle for inspection, your driver's license and registration, and the required safety equipment; applicants also watch an orientation film. A vehicle registered to someone else needs an authorization letter. The office operates seasonally, so check the current permit instructions before making the drive.
Getting a permit doesn't guarantee the whole route will be open. Shorebird protection can narrow the corridor or prompt closures without warning, especially during nesting season. Check the current National Park Service beach-driving status before setting out.
Wildlife
459 sightingsGray SealMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
84 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
297 sightingsRed FoxMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
49 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
263 sightingsHorseshoe CrabMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
73 sightingsGreat Blue HeronMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Cape Cod. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateHatches Harbor Trail3.5 mi · 2.5 hr · 1.2 mi awayCross the marsh, climb the dunes, and find Race Point Light.
EasyBeech Forest Trail1 mi · 1 hr · 1.6 mi awayA quiet pond loop with spring birds and one steep dune climb.
ModerateProvince Lands Bike Trail5.5 mi · 2.5 hr · 1.6 mi awayA paved 5.45-mile loop through dunes, pines, and cranberry bogs.
ModerateWood End Lighthouse Trail3 mi · 2.5 hr · 3.1 mi awayA rough, tide-exposed dike leads through sand to Wood End Light.
ModerateLong Point Lighthouse Trail5.5 mi · 4 hr · 3.2 mi awayA rocky dike and soft sand lead to Long Point Light.
ChallengingProvincetown Causeway2.3 mi · 1.5 hr · 3.2 mi awayGranite blocks cross the harbor; the return is the same rough route.
Beach · 0.1 mi awayRace Point BeachDune-backed sand, seals offshore, and sunset over open Atlantic water.
Sight · 0.2 mi awayOld Harbor Life-Saving StationRooms, boats, and a tower put the rescue work in view.
Visitor center · 0.8 mi awayProvince Lands Visitor CenterA 360-degree view makes the northern dunes click into place.
Picnic area · 1.6 mi awayBeech Forest Picnic AreaA picnic-table poem makes this pondside trailhead worth a pause.
Sight · 1.6 mi awayRace Point LightA keeper's dune buggy once cut the school trip to 30 minutes.
Campground · 2.1 mi awayDunes’ Edge CampgroundA wooded base near Cape beaches, bike trails, and Provincetown.
Beach · 2.4 mi awayHerring Cove BeachA west-facing beach with gentler Cape Cod Bay water and sunsets.
Food · 2.4 mi awayHerring Cove Snack BarA beachside concession beside the bathhouse and picnic area.Parkwolf’s Cape Cod ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
