Shining Sea Bikeway
Photo: John Phelan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Shining Sea Bikeway

A paved 10.7-mile path on an old rail line from Woods Hole to North Falmouth. People ride and walk it for the ocean, marsh and pond views, and to reach the ferry, beaches and downtown Falmouth.

Length
10.7 mi
rail trail
Surface
Paved
the whole way
Get on at
6 places
on the map

From Woods Hole to North Falmouth

Parking at every place to get on · See where

Plowed in winter · Who clears it

Open. No closures as of Oct 19, 2026.

Ride it as a roam Directions to Woods Hole

Where to get on

Numbers match the list; P has parking.

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For Ride with GPS, Strava, Komoot or a bike computer.

  1. Woods Hole, Steamship Authority ferry terminal

    South end of the trail. Seasonal portable toilet at the Steamship Authority lot.

    CCRTA Sealine bus (Woods Hole stop); Peter Pan buses also stop in Woods Hole; ferries to Martha's Vineyard
    Very little. Metered spots on Main Street and a small lot, 3 hours max. The ferry lot gets very full in summer.
    Directions

  2. Trunk River lot, Oyster Pond Road near Surf Drive

    Near the water along Vineyard Sound. Seasonal portable toilet.

    Small dirt lot. Hard to find a spot in summer because beachgoers use it too.
    Directions

  3. Locust Street crossing, Falmouth

    Seasonal portable toilet just north of the crossing.

    Small lot at the Locust Street crossing, across from Mill Road.
    Directions

  4. Falmouth Bus Depot and Depot Avenue lot (Bud's Stop)

    About mile 3.5. Restroom inside the bus station when it is open. Shops and food in downtown Falmouth a short walk away.

    Falmouth Bus Depot: CCRTA Sealine bus and Peter Pan buses
    Main lot off Depot Avenue. It usually has room.
    Directions

  5. Old Dock Road, West Falmouth

    Seasonal portable toilet.

    Large unpaved lot on Old Dock Road.
    Directions

  6. North Falmouth, County Road

    North end of the trail, just west of where Route 151 meets Route 28A.

    Large lot on County Road, just past the railroad tracks, on the north side.
    Directions

Getting there

By transit
The CCRTA Sealine bus runs Monday to Saturday between Hyannis and Woods Hole, with stops at the Falmouth Bus Depot and Woods Hole, both on the trail.
More

Peter Pan buses from Boston and Logan Airport also stop at both. Ferries from Martha's Vineyard land at the trail's south end.

Parking
Free lots at North Falmouth (County Road), Old Dock Road, Depot Avenue, Locust Street and Trunk River.
More

Most fill up fast on summer weekends. The Depot Avenue lot usually has room. Woods Hole has very little parking.

A roam on this trail

A roam is a self-guided route with stops along the way. The free Shift app checks you in at each stop, and you unlock a badge at the end.

The whole trail

Shining Sea Bikeway

Cape Cod's original rail trail, from cranberry bogs to ocean views

8.8 mi 57 minIn the Shift app

Get Shift, free. Follow a roam with turn-by-turn directions to each stop, and see closures on your trails before you go.

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About the Shining Sea Bikeway

Surface
Paved the whole way.
Rules
The Friends of Falmouth Bikeways say the path is always open. The town's Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee asks riders to keep to 15 mph and to call out or ring a bell before passing. Walk your bike across Route 28 near downtown.
In winter
Falmouth plows the bikeway from Woods Hole to North Falmouth after the roads are done. Source, 2025
Conditions on every path
Restrooms
Seasonal portable toilets at the main lots (Woods Hole, Trunk River, Locust Street, Old Dock Road). A real restroom inside the Falmouth Bus Depot during open hours, and at the Falmouth library during open hours.
Food
Woods Hole village at the south end, and downtown Falmouth near the Depot Avenue lot.
Who looks after it
Town of Falmouth
Also called
Shining Sea Bike Path, Shining Sea Bikepath, Falmouth bike path

More about the trail

Where these facts come fromChecked Oct 19, 2026