Scusset Beach State Reservation is a state-operated, public recreation area located in the

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

Sandwich A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a po ...

Barnstable County Barnstable County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 census, the population was 228,996. Its shire town is Barnstable. The county consists of Cape Cod and associated islands (some adjacent islands are in Duk ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, at the east end of the

Cape Cod Canal The Cape Cod Canal is an artificial waterway in the U.S. state of Massachusetts connecting Cape Cod Bay in the north to Buzzards Bay in the south, and is part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The approximately canal traverses the neck o ...

on land formerly part of

Sagamore Hill Military Reservation Sagamore Hill Military Reservation was a coastal defense site located in Sagamore Beach, Massachusetts. Today, the site is the location of Scusset Beach State Reservation. History Sagamore Hill Military Reservation was built on state land in 194 ...

. In addition to its beach and campgrounds, prominent features of the park include Sagamore Hill, a one-time Native American meeting ground and site of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

coastal fortifications, and a stone

jetty A jetty is a structure that projects from land out into water. A jetty may serve as a breakwater, as a walkway, or both; or, in pairs, as a means of constricting a channel. The term derives from the French word ', "thrown", signifying somet ...

that separates the canal and beach. Unlike most of Sandwich, this section of the town is on the mainland side of the Cape Cod Canal. The

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

is managed by the

Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, situated in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It is best known for its parks and parkways. The DCR's mission is ...

under a lease agreement with the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

Activities and amenities

*Beach: The park fronts a half-mile of sandy beach and dunes on

Cape Cod Bay A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment which drapes the wearer's back, arms, and chest, and connects at the neck. History Capes were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood in the chaperon. Th ...

. The beach area is served by an

ADA Ada may refer to: Places Africa * Ada Foah, a town in Ghana * Ada (Ghana parliament constituency) * Ada, Osun, a town in Nigeria Asia * Ada, Urmia, a village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Ada, Karaman, a village in Karaman Province, Tur ...

-compliant boardwalk, wheelchair-accessible restrooms and showers, snack bars, and seasonal lifeguards. *Trails and roads: A trail to Sagamore Hill offers commanding views of the canal's east entrance and the bay. A paved service road along the north side of the canal is used for bicycling, walking, skating, and ship and wildlife watching. *Camping: The park offers 98 camping pitches for recreational vehicles and five for tents. Off-season camping is permitted on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, with facilities unavailable. Camping at Shawme-Crowell State Forest includes access to Scusset Beach. *Fishing is available from a pier that extends out from the side of the canal, a breakwater, and the canal frontage road. Surf casting is possible at dusk along designated sections of the beach. Other park offerings include interpretive programs and restricted hunting.

References

External links

Scusset Beach State Reservation
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Scusset Beach State Reservation Campground Map
Department of Conservation and Recreation {{authority control Sandwich, Massachusetts State parks of Massachusetts Parks in Barnstable County, Massachusetts Campgrounds in Massachusetts Protected areas established in 1957 1957 establishments in Massachusetts