Cape Cod National Seashore protects 43,607 acres of outer Cape Cod, preserving nearly 40 miles of Atlantic shoreline, dunes, ponds, woods, and coastal pine barrens across several Massachusetts towns. Established on August 7, 1961, through legislation signed by President John F. Kennedy, it safeguarded one of New England’s most distinctive coastal landscapes. The seashore also contains sites tied to broader American history, including Marconi Station, the former North Truro Air Force Station, the Dune Shacks of Peaked Hill Bars Historic District, and Doane Rock. Ongoing restoration and land protection efforts continue to conserve its ecological and historical character.