Cape Cod Travel
“I feel like fall is always our best-kept secret, but the secret is out.”
It’s the time of year on Cape Cod when the weather and activities are still top notch but the crowds are gone.
Welcome to “second summer,” the period between Labor Day and mid-October, said Kristen Mitchell Hughes, vice president of marketing and sales for the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce and a resident of Mashpee. It is also sometimes called “locals’ summer.”
“I feel like fall is always our best-kept secret, but the secret is out,” Hughes said. “There’s a lot more to Cape Cod than the beach, and second summer gives people an opportunity to discover some of those experiences.”
“It literally is our favorite time,” said Erik Bevans, co-owner of Quahog Republic restaurants and a resident of Bourne. “Traffic is gone, the restaurants are still open, the water is still warm, there’s still good fishing. There’s just so much going on. And the weather is spectacular.”
Say goodbye to the long lines summer visitors routinely face, he said.
“You don’t have to be sitting in lines everywhere, and the quality of everything is still there,” Bevans said.
Bevans said he regularly hears the following three words from visitors during this time of year: “I never knew!”
Ahead, the Cape residents recommend the best ways of enjoying the Cape during second summer.
Enjoy less traffic
Cape Cod is notorious for its “miserable” summer traffic on the two bridges going over the Cape Cod Canal, the Sagamore Bridge and the Bourne Bridge. Traffic can be delayed for hours during the high season in July and August.
Bevans, who lives near the Bourne bridge, said traffic changes in a good way after summer.
“Fourth of July was insane this year,” he said. “But now, I go over that bridge three or four times a day and it’s no problem. So traffic has dropped off tremendously.”
Park with no problem at the beach
During the summer months, beaches are crowded, and parking can become difficult, Hughes said. But during second summer, parking is available and free, she said.
“It’s a great opportunity to maybe go to a beach that you couldn’t get into in the summer,” Hughes said. “Some beaches have a huge line, so people just stay away from them [during the summer].”
Come fall, Hughes loves going to Old Silver Beach in Falmouth, one of the most popular beaches on Buzzards Bay.
“During the summer I’d have to get there an hour early to get in line,” she said.
What’s more, the conditions are still great, she said.
“The ocean is actually as warm in September as it is in August, and it’s warmer than it is in July, which a lot of people don’t realize,” she said. “So it’s a great time for boating, kayaking, paddle boarding, sailing.”
Bevans agreed that visitors should experience Cape beaches in the fall.
“One of the best things you can do if you come visit down here in the off season is what locals do on a regular basis,” he said. “At the end of my day or in the middle of my day or when things just aren’t right, I drive down to the beach and I sit there and I let the ocean kind of give me the answers and just work through my problems. It’s so magical. In the summertime, that’s not an option. Half the time you can’t even get into the beach parking lots. In the off season they are wide open and there isn’t anybody there.”
Bevans suggested bringing food to the beach for an impromptu waterside dinner.
For those interested in swimming during the fall, it’s worth noting that lifeguards are no longer working, Hughes said.
Cape locals share their favorite beaches on the Cape.
Save money with lower rates
Travelers can find lodging deals during second summer, Hughes said. What’s more, some properties drop the three-night stay minimum required during the high season.
“We always say, when the leaves fall, prices drop,” Hughes said. “It’s definitely a more affordable time to come.”
Many properties offer fall vacation packages and discounts this time of year, Hughes said.
For example, guests at glamping spot AutoCamp Cape Cod in Falmouth can currently save up to 40% on Sunday to Thursday stays through March, 2027.
“It’s such a great time to stay there,” Hughes said. “You can have your luxury airstream and make your bonfire outside and make s’mores.”
Discover more places to stay on Cape Cod.
Dine outside without lines
During the summer months, restaurants often have long waits, and some are booked solid. Not so during second summer, Hughes said.
“One of my favorite things about second summer is you can really enjoy the Cape’s food scene,” Hughes said. “You can still have outdoor dining experiences without necessarily having to plan your entire day around a reservation.”
Popular restaurants are definitely more accessible, Bevans said.
“In the off season, you can slide into those places no problem,” he said.
Reservations may not even be necessary, he said.
He finds that his workers can spend more time with patrons during this time of year, Bevans said.
“The downturn in the amount of visitors we’re having in our restaurants because of the seasonality of it really gives our team a chance to take a deep breath and give better service,” Bevans said. “[Restaurant workers can] start to get back to being able to communicate and have a fun time with your guests as opposed to just holding on for the ride when everyone’s in town for that eight-week span.”
Revel in the slower pace
During second summer, guests can enjoy the Cape at a slower pace, Hughes said.
“Just pick a town and spend your day really without an agenda,” she said.
Choose from one of the Cape’s many museums, galleries, theaters, live music venues, and cultural events that you may not have had time to visit during the summer, she said.
“That’s one of the luxuries of second summer is you can be a little more spontaneous,” Hughes said. “It’s a great time to wander and discover a second side of Cape Cod than you would during a summer visit.”
Hughes also suggested taking a drive down Route 6A, or Old King’s Highway.
“It’s a beautiful time of year to do that,” she said. “There’s so many great stops along the way, whether it be restaurants or antiquing. It’s just a beautiful drive.”
Check out one of the many quaint main streets across the region, she said.
“I know Falmouth Main Street goes all out during the fall,” she said. “They have scarecrows in the village. It’s just so charming and beautifully adorned. Same with Chatham. They do Pumpkins in the Park. You can maybe find a new shop or gallery.”
Enjoy the fall weather and scenery on the trails
Bikers can tackle the Cape Cod Rail Trail and Shining Sea Bikeway, Hughes said.
The Cape Cod Rail Trail is a 25-mile paved pathway stretching from Yarmouth to Wellfleet, and the Shining Sea Bikeway is a 10-mile path through Falmouth that stretches, in parts, along the sea.
“It’s so gorgeous,” Hughes said about spending time on the trails during the fall, especially when the cranberry bogs are at their most colorful during the fall harvest season.
Bevans enjoys hiking during second summer.
“We love hiking,” he said. “There’s tons of hikes all over Cape Cod.”
The Cape Cod National Seashore offers several trails, or explore one of the many trails tucked off the side of the local roads, which typically have small parking lots, he said. The trails, like everything else, are less crowded this time of year, Bevans said.
“I live down by the [Cape Cod] canal, so I walk the canal,” he said. “But I don’t walk it during the summer because it’s too busy. So I’m seeing all of my old friends again and they’re like, ‘Oh welcome back!’”
Attend a fall festival
The Cape is full of fall festivals this time of year, Hughes said.
“We have a ton of fall festivals happening pretty much every weekend in September and October,” she said,
Visitors can check out the 50th Annual Harwich Cranberry Arts & Music Festival Sept. 19-20, which features 150 juried crafters, food trucks, rides, and a drone show.
Visitors can also attend Oktoberfests in several towns, Hughes said. For example, Mashpee Oktoberfest, on Oct. 3, features more than 50 arts and crafts booths, food trucks, live entertainment, and a beer garden. And Chatham Oktoberfest, on Oct. 17, will bring entertainment, food and beverage vendors, crafts, a kid’s zone, and more.
The 26th Annual Wellfleet Oysterfest, taking place Oct. 17-18, will bring live music, crafts, vendors, beer and wine gardens, and plenty of oysters.
Discover more festivals on the Cape.
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