by rowerwet » Tue Oct 25, 2016 8:38 pm
We've camped at Sweetwater Forrest and Atlantic oaks.
Sweetwater is on a small pond, it has a beach but no swimming is allowed. We kayaked on it for a lazy afternoon paddle. There are much larger lakes near it but you must buy a pass to use the beaches or launch a boat there. It is too far from the ocean to walk, or even ride a bike to easily, the nearest beach is on cape cod bay. At low tide the water goes out about a mile, and comes back in again steadily. It is great for shell picking and observing crabs and snails. At high tide there can be times with the water as flat as a mill pond depending on the wind, rather boring to me.
Atlantic oaks and sweetwater are both just off the big rail trail on the cape.
Atlantic oaks is on the upper cape, which has much more of a vacation feel, the mid and lower cape are about like being on the mainland unless you are right on the water.
You can easily ride a bicycle on the rail trail over to the Cape cod national seashore beach from Atlantic oaks. Which is the biggest reason I would go back there again.
We also rode over to Nauset Head lighthouse, the one everybody knows, because it is on cape cod potato chips label, volunteers lead tours of it certain hours each week in the summer, it is worth the trip.
Sweetwater Forrest has more dispersed sites, separated by rail fences, brush and trees, and elevation. Atlantic oaks is more like an unpaved RV lot, with each slot separated by a row of trees or just a rail fence. I would ask to have a tent site as they actually have some minor privacy instead of depending on the bulk of the camper to not be staring at your neighbors when using the faucet or getting in and out of the tear doors.