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Top 10 Unbelievable Facts about Cape Cod

Jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean, Cape Cod offers much more than beautiful weather and sunny beaches!

Cape Cod was formed at the end of the Ice Age due to the melting of glacial sheets and the subsequent lowering of the sea level and is an important part of American history.

Cape Cod lies near southeastern Massachusetts and was considered a peninsula before the building of the Cape Cod Canal in 1940.

This sandy region is famous for being the first place in America where the pilgrims ever set foot.

In fact, Cape Cod was also the first place wherein the pilgrims and Native Americans clashed. The island, therefore, has rich historical significance.

One of the lesser-known facts is that there are speculations of Vikings taking a liking to Cape Cod around 1000 CE. However, such speculations are often neglected by historians due to the lack of evidence.

Here鈥檚 to 10 unbelievable facts about Cape Cod.

1. Cape Cod was John F Kennedy鈥檚 Favourite  Vacay Spot

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JFK co-sponsored the legislation that established the Cape Cod National Seashore.

Thanks to him, 43,500 acres of fragile coastline between Chatham and Provincetown are now protected and maintained by the U.S. National Park Service.

The Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts is well known. JFK grew up at this idyllic Cape Cod property (consisting of three houses over six acres.)

Before and after JFK became president in 1960, Jackie spent her summers in Hyannis Port, MA, at her in-laws’ compound.

Although she wasn鈥檛 one to be spotted around town, the mother of two spent her time painting, reading, water skiing, and cruising on their boat, The Marlin. 

Every Friday during the summer the president would fly up from Washington D.C. to Otis Air Force Base and then by helicopter or be driven to the compound where Jackie would be waiting.

John and Jackie Kennedy loved Hyannis Port. And JFK once said of the destination, 鈥淚 always go to Hyannis Port to be revived, to know again the power of the sea, and the Master who rules over it and all of us.鈥�

2.  Cape Cod Group Dynamics

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In Eastham, folks like to do things in groups. For starters, the Eastham Hiking Club organizes weekly hikes around the Outer Cape often including 50 or more people.

Next, the Eastham Painters鈥� Guild is a group of 20-plus artists who can often be found painting together or exhibiting their work at the Schoolhouse Museum.

Lastly, even the town鈥檚 lighthouse history involves a group effort.

Long before today鈥檚 red and white Nauset Light, in 1837 three small wooden towers a.ka.

The Three Sisters were built on the coast to differentiate the area from Truro, which had one light, and Chatham, which shone two.

3. Chatham and Monomoy Stormy Split

Dating back to 1958, one long barrier beach stretched southward from Nauset Beach in Orleans to the southern tip of Chatham鈥檚 Monomoy Point.

That year, however, a storm separated Monomoy from the mainland; two decades later, the Blizzard of 1978 split that island in two, creating North and South Monomoy.

Meanwhile, for much of the 20th century, erosion has nipped away at the barrier beach, sometimes claiming three feet in a year, sometimes as much as 19 feet

Learn more about the area and view the historic Monomoy Lighthouse on a local fishing charter or boating tour.

4.  Cape Cod  Hosts the Largest Historic Districts in the US

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The Old King鈥檚 Highway (also known as Route 6A) winds through 7 towns and hundreds of historic sites and is highly regarded as one of America鈥檚 most scenic highways.

Along the highway, you鈥檒l find America鈥檚 oldest library, buildings that date back to the 1600s, and tons of boutique shops, galleries, and restaurants along the way.

The Old King’s Highway Regional Historic District was established in 1973; it is the largest historic district in the nation.

The district is designated as the area north of Route 6 (the Mid Cape Highway) from Sandwich to Orleans.

Throughout the span of Route 6A, you will encounter architecture from four different centuries.

A two-mile stretch through Yarmouth Port does not feature a single building that was built in the last 100 years.

Among the eclectic buildings, you will find bed and breakfasts, shops, galleries, dining, and much more.

5. Cape Cod Houses that once Took a Swim

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If you were a resident of Long Point in the 1850s you would have faced that exact dilemma.

Long Point, on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, was settled in 1818 because of its proximity to abundant fishing grounds, and by 1846 it had more than 200 residents, a school, a post office, a bakery and a lighthouse.

Shore fishing became more difficult, however, and people鈥檚 livelihoods declined.

Residents, presumably practical and somewhat frugal, decided to move house, literally.

Beginning in 1850, between thirty and forty of the houses were placed on rafts and floated across the harbour to Provincetown.

Today these Long Point Floaters, as they鈥檙e known, are marked with a white-on-blue plaque showing a house in the water.

6. No County in the Country Has More Lighthouses than Cape Cod

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Cape Cod offers an incredible amount of shoreline that features many of the oldest and most beautiful lighthouses in the country.

Travelling the endless trails that crisscross the island, you can visit many of these amazing structures while enjoying a beautiful day on the Cape.

With its rich maritime history, it鈥檚 no surprise the county of Cape Cod is home to more lighthouses than any other county in the United States.

There are 14 historical lighthouses on Cape Cod. Some are still active, but some are available for tours鈥攖he perfect way to get some local history and excellent views of the coast.

7.      Dinner Train Ride

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Cape Cod Central Railroad operates a variety of unique rail excursions, most of which depart from the Hyannis depot at 252 Main Street.

Aboard the 鈥淐ape Cod Dinner Train,鈥� guests enjoy a gourmet meal by candlelight while travelling through scenic villages.

The dinner train operates out of Hyannis on select days from May to October, with additional dining excursions embarking from Buzzards Bay and Falmouth in July and August.

The railroad also operates a train trip along the shoreline as well as special brunch and lunch journeys.

Learn more at capetrain.com.

8. Cape Cod鈥檚 Potato Chips are the Best in the US

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If you love potato chips, you will find yourself in paradise on the Cape. In Hyannis, the Cape Cod Potato Chip factory makes the most delicious chips you have ever had.

In an age where everything is automated and focused on production efficiency, this place is a breath of homemade, fresh air; everything is meticulously done by hand to ensure the most delicious potato chips ever!

About 40 years ago, a family-run operation started selling potato chips out of a small storefront in Hyannis.

The chips were so well-liked, that the business grew beyond the storefront and built a factory.

Today, about 250,000 visitors stop by each year for a self-guided tour and a few free snacks.

9. Cape Cod is the Home of A Master Ship Builder

Chilmark native George Claghorn (1748-1824) was the master shipbuilder of the U.S.S. Constitution, a.k.a. 鈥淥ld Ironsides.鈥�

After fighting and being wounded in the Revolutionary War, Colonel Claghorn, a shipwright of some renown, built the ship, a heavy frigate for the first American Navy, launching it in Boston in 1797.

During the War of 1812, the sturdy Constitution defeated HMS Guerriere, HMS Java, HMS Cyane and HMS Levant.

10. Explore One of Few Forests Unaltered by Man

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It is hard to find natural landscapes that have been untouched by the developments of our cities and communities.

That is why it is so amazing that you can find one in this very populated Cape.

The Lowell Holly Reservation in Mashpee is made up of 135-acres of forest that has not been altered within the last 200 years at least.

The reservation is named for its donor, Abbot Lawrence Lowell, and its stands of some 250 native American holly trees (Ilex opaca), which grow naturally only along the New England coast.

This is an amazing place to visit for all the lovers of nature out there.

Cape Cod is probably one of the most historically rich communities in all of the United States. It also features some of the most incredible natural beauty.

These are just a few reasons that people love visiting here. There is a little something for everyone on Cape Cod. That may be why it has been such a loved vacation destination for so long