You are here

Home » Cape Cod National Seashore To Repair Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail

Cape Cod National Seashore To Repair Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail

Share
By NPT Staff - February 17th, 2020
Repairs to a section of the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Boardwalk at Cape Cod National Seashore will begin this spring/NPS

Repairs to a section of the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail at Cape Cod National Seashore will begin this spring/NPS

Cape Cod National Seashore’s Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail will be repaired this spring. A collaborative improvement project between Cape Cod National Seashore and Friends of the Cape Cod National Seashore is now underway. The Friends raised $75,000 for the work that is being matched by a National Park Service Centennial Challenge Grant.

The project will focus on replacing about 300 feet of wooden boardwalk and two seating platforms. This is the last remaining wooden section of the 2,500-foot-long boardwalk. The boardwalk was originally constructed by the Job Corps in the 1960s, and most of it was resurfaced with plastic lumber in the early 2000s. It was one of the first boardwalks to use a composite material for the walking surface.

Conservation principles will be put into practice as part of the project. Cedar tree trunks, recovered through the park’s fire management program, will be used to replace rotted boardwalk support pilings, where possible.  

The park will use the same materials as used in the reconstruction of the Red Maple Swamp trail in Eastham in 2018. Polyforce recycled material was selected not only for its structural integrity but also for its environmental compatibility and lack of PVCs.  Sawdust will be captured and removed from the project site, so it does not enter the wetlands. 

There will be no new holes dug for this project - all existing posts will be replaced in old post holes.

The Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail goes through one of the unique and beautiful areas on Cape Cod. The White Cedar Swamp is an isolated remnant of an ecosystem created after the last ice age which is now normally found in mid-Canada or further north.

“Through public advocacy and $75,000 in financial support from Friends, the profile of this project was raised to the national level, making a compelling case for it to be funded through the Centennial Challenge program.  Thank you to the Friends and everyone who donated to this important project,” said Cape Cod National Seashore Superintendent Brian Carlstrom.

“Our neighbors and visitors love this outstanding trail, and we want to keep it in excellent condition for everyone to enjoy.”

Comments

Submitted by Rick Heath on February 17, 2020 - 7:57am.

You said work will commence spring 2020. 1) IS THE BOARDWALK OPEN NOW? Feb/March 2) approximately when will the work start and will the entire boardwalk be closed at that pont? 3) Time period to finish?

 


Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.