New stairs at Marconi Beach: Cape Cod National Seashore updates happening this spring

Spring arrives on Cape Cod with all the speed and vigor of an arthritic turtle. But eventually the cold rain stops, temperatures rise, and we can start addressing the list of outdoor projects that built up during our winter hibernation.

The Cape Cod National Seashore is also jumping into the spring thing with a series of seasonal construction projects "aimed at improving visitor safety and park infrastructure," according to a Seashore release. Some of the projects may cause closures or delays, so the Seashore suggests visiting the park website (nps.gov/caco) for the latest information.

The projects include beach stair replacement, tree work and more. Here's a list of the planned spring work in the popular park, which saw about 3.8 million recreation visits in 2023.

Marconi Beach stair replacement

Beach stairs along the sometimes angry Atlantic Ocean tend to have a short lifespan. The stairs at Marconi Beach in Wellfleet have been damaged or destroyed by storms several times over the years, leading to their replacement.

This spring, "the aging beach access staircase at Marconi Beach will be removed and replaced with a new, in-kind staircase to improve safe beach access," according to the release, with the work slated to be completed before Memorial Day.

Captain Penniman barn structural stabilization

The historic Penniman House, located in the Fort Hill area of Eastham, "was built by Captain and Mrs. Edward Penniman in 1868," according to the Seashore. The property is now owned by the National Park Service and includes a mansard-roofed barn. In the months ahead, the barn "will undergo structural stabilization to make the building safe for future visitor access," according to the Seashore.

Hazard tree stabilization at historic properties

Tree stabilization work was slated to be finished by April 14 at park properties, including the Atwood-Higgins House on Bound Brook Island in Wellfleet, the Penniman House in Eastham and Nauset Light in Eastham.

Race Point Beach and Head of the Meadow Beach fee booth replacement

Daily entrance fees are required at Cape Cod National Seashore beaches during the summer from late June through Labor Day, and on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day to mid-September at select beaches.

Before Memorial Day, the Seashore plans to replace the fee booths at Race Point Beach in Provincetown and at Head of the Meadow Beach in Truro.

Vault toilet replacement

As many Cape Cod visitors know, it can be tricky to find public restrooms. The Seashore plans to spruce up their loo situation in the coming months by installing new double-wide vault toilets at the Great Island Trail in Wellfleet and the Beech Forest Trail and Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown.

According to the National Park Service, vault toilets "don’t use water or flushing, and they store waste in a large vault container located underground. A typical vault toilet will consist of two parts, namely the underground vault and the upper part which looks like a booth."

Road and parking area paving

Several areas in the park in Truro are slated to be repaved this spring, including Old Dewline Road, the Head of the Meadow Beach parking lot and the Pilgrim Heights parking area. The Pilgrim Heights repaving is already underway and is expected to be completed by April 20.

Parkwide sign installation

In the coming months, more than 1,000 park signs are slated to be replaced "with new signage that reflects National Park Service sign standards," according to the Seashore. Signs along Route 6 are scheduled to be installed during April, with additional work scheduled for May and June. Sign replacement work will continue after the summer.

Eric Williams, when not solving Curious Cape Cod mysteries, writes about a variety of ways to enjoy the Cape, the weather, wildlife and other subjects. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on X: @capecast.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Marconi Beach stairs, more. What's new at Cape Cod National Seashore?