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Upper Cape · Town guide
Bourne is the town everyone drives through and too few actually see. Both bridges land here — the Bourne and the Sagamore — and the Cape Cod Canal cuts straight through the middle of town, which makes Bourne the Cape's front door and its most misunderstood address.
Every place below is listed and verified by Cape Cod Certified.
Right now
52° · Sunny
Low tide · Monument Beach
2:43 PM
Sunset
5:45 PM
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Bournedale Herring Run (Herring Run Recreation Area)CCC Visited
Cataumet Light Mini Golf
Graziella's Artisan Pizza Co. — Pocasset
Lazy Sundaes Ice Cream
Local Grounds Coffee House & Cafe
Parrot Bar & Grill
The Chart RoomOutdoors
A long stretch of Cape Cod Bay shoreline on the north side of the Cape Cod Canal, split into First Beach and Second Beach. Open water and sweeping sand make it a favorite for residents who want a quieter beach day; parking is limited to Bourne sticker holders.
A 380-acre DCR state reservation at the eastern end of the Cape Cod Canal on Cape Cod Bay. Open to the public for a daily fee, with a bathhouse, restrooms, rinse showers, seasonal lifeguards, a fishing pier, a 100-site campground, and trails along the canal. Leashed dogs permitted April 1-Sept 30 in designated areas.
A sheltered cove beach in Pocasset on Hen Cove, with very calm, shallow water that is good for young families. Has restrooms and a boat ramp for kayaks and small craft.
A Buzzards Bay beach and boat ramp in Pocasset with calm, protected water. A neighborhood favorite for swimming and launching small boats and kayaks.
A small, tucked-away harbor beach in the Cataumet section on Squeteague Harbor. No facilities and limited parking, but calm protected water and a quiet setting for paddling, shellfishing and shoreline walks.
A town-owned freshwater pond (also called Flax Pond) in Pocasset with a long sandy shoreline and warm, shallow water that is great for swimming and wading. Rarely crowded - a quiet alternative to the saltwater beaches.
EasyHerring Run Recreation Area sits near the midpoint of the Cape Cod Canal in Bourne, where a concrete fish ladder helps river herring swim upstream to spawn. Come in spring to watch the fish work their way up the rushing ladder, on their way to Great Herring Pond. The paved Cape Cod Canal Bikeway runs right past, and the 1.4-mile Bournedale Hills Trail starts here, with a 0.8-mile interpretive loop about the canal's history and nature. The Buzzards Bay Coalition lists it as open dawn to dusk, with free parking, seasonal restrooms, picnic tables and leashed dogs welcome.
Buzzards Bay Coalition for Bournedale Herring Run (Herring Run Recreation Area) (opens in a new tab)A network of footpaths through conservation land along the Pocasset River corridor in Bourne. The trail winds through mixed hardwood forest and past freshwater wetlands. Good birding in spring and fall migration periods.
Town of Bourne Conservation Commission for Pocasset River Conservation Area Trail (opens in a new tab)A 125-acre town forest in Pocasset with four man-made ponds set in an oak-pine forest. The Eagle, Lions, Pine, and Town Forest trails leave from the Barlows Landing Road lot; short Basin and Freeman Pond loops suit casual walkers, while the Pine and Town Forest trails run over three miles past Upper Pond. Popular for hiking, easy mountain biking, birding, and freshwater fishing.
Town of Bourne / Buzzards Bay Coalition for Four Ponds Conservation Area & Bourne Town Forest (opens in a new tab)A Bourne Conservation Trust property in Pocasset with about a mile of well-marked, sandy looping trails through woods, past working cranberry bogs, and along Red Brook Pond. The full loop takes roughly an hour; a short loop near the lot leads straight to the shoreline, where benches sit along the water. Great for an easy family walk and birding.
Bourne Conservation Trust / Buzzards Bay Coalition for Red Brook Pond Conservation Area (opens in a new tab)A 22-acre Bourne Conservation Trust woodland between Route 28 and Buzzards Bay near Monument Beach. The 0.6-mile Loop Trail climbs steep, hilly woods to scenic vistas and drops to a stream, mill pond, and working cranberry bog. Home to barred and great horned owls. Expect 30 minutes to an hour to complete.
Bourne Conservation Trust / Buzzards Bay Coalition for Bourne Sisters Woodland (opens in a new tab)A 21-acre Bourne Conservation Trust area with a half-mile Loop Trail through rolling pine forest plus sandy paths out to a scenic peninsula on upper Buzzards Bay. Views of wooded Tobey Island; a kayak launch and picnic tables on site. Good for an easy woodland hike, beach walk, shellfishing, and birding.
Bourne Conservation Trust / Buzzards Bay Coalition for Little Bay Conservation Area (opens in a new tab)A 210-acre Trustees of Reservations nature reserve spanning Bourne, Plymouth, and Wareham at the mouth of Red Brook on Buttermilk Bay. About 1.5 miles of trails wind through pine woods and salt marsh to a quiet beach. Red Brook is one of the last strongholds of sea-run brook trout (salters) in the eastern U.S. Connects to the broader Red Brook Trail Network.
The Trustees of Reservations / Buzzards Bay Coalition for Lyman Reserve (Red Brook) (opens in a new tab)The north-side paved service road of the Cape Cod Canal runs about 7 miles from the railroad bridge area toward Sandwich, maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers and open to the public. Flat and fully accessible, with canal views, the Herring Run, and frequent ship traffic. Connects recreation areas for biking, walking, and fishing.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Buzzards Bay Coalition for Cape Cod Canal Bikeway (North Side / Service Road) (opens in a new tab)A Bourne Conservation Trust property with quiet walking trails through woodland, part of the Trust's network of over 350 acres of open space in Bourne. Good for a short forest walk and birding. Trail map available from the Bourne Conservation Trust.
Bourne Conservation Trust for Nickerson Conservation Area (opens in a new tab)
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Most town beaches (Monument, Sagamore, Electric Ave, Gray Gables, Hen Cove, Barlow's Landing, Picture Lake, etc.) require a Bourne resident beach parking sticker ($25/year; $15 for seniors 65+), available from the Dept. of Natural Resources (508-759-0600 ext. 1504). Scusset Beach State Reservation (DCR) charges a separate daily parking fee.
Resident sticker required; disposal fees charged by volume. No cash accepted. See the town's annual Residential Recycling Center Policy & Sticker Information.
Town Hall
Bourne Town Hall (opens in a new tab)Senior Center
Bourne Council on Aging (Bourne Veterans' Memorial Community Center) (opens in a new tab)Transfer Station
Bourne ISWM Facility (Integrated Solid Waste Management) (opens in a new tab)201 MacArthur Blvd, Bourne, MA 02532
On-season (Memorial Day-Labor Day): 7 days/week, 7 AM - 3 PM. Off-season: Mon-Fri 7 AM - 4 PM, Sat 7 AM - 12 PM, closed Sun & holidays.
Schools
Bourne Public Schools (opens in a new tab)Beaches
Bourne Town Beaches (opens in a new tab)Trails
Cape Cod Canal Service Road & Bourne Conservation Trails (opens in a new tab)Plan your visit
Stays
No Bourne stays listed yet
We only list places we've checked. Browse lodging across the Cape in the meantime.
Browse all lodging →Hand-tossed in the brick oven and built the way real neighborhood pizza should be, Graziella's Artisan Pizza Co. brings New York-style pies to Falmouth with house-made mozzarella, roasted tomatoes, garlic and basil crowning the Margherita. Beyond the pizza counter you'll find calzones, char-broiled Angus burgers, specialty wraps, fish and chips, and New England clam chowder. A Falmouth pizza spot where the dough is fresh, the toppings are honest, and done right is the whole point.
Scooping award-winning Richardson's Dairy ice cream, Best of Boston since the 1950s, Lazy Sundaes at Cataumet Crossing in Bourne stacks 55-plus flavors high: Maine Black Bear, Cape Cod Cranberry, Death by Chocolate, Coffee Heath. Add homemade waffle cones, thick shakes, sundaes, floats, and smoothies, plus vegan, sugar-free, sorbet, and Italian ice. A genuine Cape Cod ice cream destination near North Falmouth, built for warm-weather family fun.
A tropical-themed neighborhood bar and grill on Route 28A in Cataumet, the Parrot pours from a full bar and turns out hearty pub plates: burgers, steak tips, sandwiches and garlic-parmesan chicken fingers. Between rounds there's musical bingo, trivia, karaoke and live bands that keep the room buzzing. Where Upper Cape locals land for an easygoing pint, comfort food and a little weeknight entertainment.
Tucked into Kingman Yacht Center on Red Brook Harbor in Cataumet, this seasonal waterfront landmark serves fresh seafood from a converted barge with original timber beams and a lawn of Adirondack chairs facing the boats. The Mudslide built on Baileys, Kahlua and vodka is the stuff of legend, the lobster roll is off-menu so you have to ask, and the piano bar keeps things lively after sunset. For the summer crowd that comes for harbor views and famous drinks.
Explore hidden coves, tidal rivers and moonlit harbors on guided paddles for every skill level. Gear and instruction included on the calm upper Cape.
$55–$125
Check availability
Private Sunset Tour with Island View Stable in Bourne. Book on Cape Cod Certified.
from $140
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Rent a bike and explore the Cape Cod Canal Bike Path with a bike rental. Choose from a variety of bikes to suit your needs and preferences.
$28 per person
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Bike Rentals — Bourne with Buzzards Bay Bikes in Bourne. Book on Cape Cod Certified.
from $14
Check availabilitySet in a white farmhouse on Route 28A in Cataumet, this Bourne coffee house pours espresso and drip alongside bagels, breakfast sandwiches, acai bowls, smoothies, and lunch, with a dog-friendly patio and a carved wooden coffee-mug sculpture out front. The kitchen flags gluten-free options and leans toward fresh, made-to-order plates. For Upper Cape locals and cyclists who want a relaxed morning stop off the beaten path.
Buzzards Bay and Sandwich are the closest, about 1 and 6 miles away as the crow flies.
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See placementsYes. Bourne is on the Upper Cape, along with Sandwich, Falmouth and Mashpee.
Dogs are allowed off-season only at Sagamore Beach, Hen Cove (Pocasset Beach), Barlow's Landing, Squeteague Harbor and Picture Lake (Flax Pond). Dogs are not allowed at Scusset Beach State Reservation.
Resident sticker required; disposal fees charged by volume. No cash accepted. See the town's annual Residential Recycling Center Policy & Sticker Information.