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Hiking TrailsUpper CapeThere are a variety of stunning walking trails in the Upper Cape area, such as the trail along the Cape Cod Canal between Bourne and Sandwich. The 7-mile paved path runs along both sides of the canal and is relatively level. You'll see cormorants diving for fish while elegant sailboats and tugs towing gigantic tankers pass by within a few hundred yards. Or for something completely different, journey into the woodlands of Beebe Woods in Falmouth in search of glacier boulders and kettle ponds that dot the grounds. Four Ponds Park and Town Forest Trails around Freeman Pond, Upper Pond, the Basin and Shop Pond, and then through the Town Forest comprise this roughly 300-acre conservation area maintained by the Bourne Conservation Dept. Laced with marked hiking trails, the area also has marked points for pickerel and trout fishing. Although no prominent structure remains, the area used to be part of the Pocasset Iron Works. You can park in the lot on the right of Barlows Landing Road about a mile from MacArthur Boulevard. This is a nice area for bird watching, and you might see deer, too. Nivling-Alexander Reserve Also known as the Red Brook Pond Conservation Area, the Nivling-Alexander trail is a half-mile circular wooded trail through pitch pine and hardwoods (vibrant in the fall), passing through 40 acres of land along Red Brook Pond and working cranberry bogs. There are birds aplenty and you may see animal tracks along the trail. The entrance is at Shore Road and Thaxter Road. DeNormandie Woods Conservation
Area and Broyer and Robinson Conservation Area The DeNormandie Woods Conservation Area comprises 9 acres of wooded upland with a connecting two-thirds of a mile trail to the 30-acre Broyer and Robinson Conservation Area. This is one of our favorite walks because you rarely see anyone here. Watch out for lady slipper orchids and rhododendrons, which bloom spectacularly in the late spring and early summer. Enter either by Shore Road between Red Brook Harbor Road and County Road or along Red Brook Road between Scraggy Neck Road and Parker's Boat Yard. Boyden Farm Conservation Lands Boyden Farm is a 48-acre conservation area that fronts Peter's Pond and features walking trails and a wildlife management area. Bring your binoculars to the wildlife field where you may spot deer, eagles, and wild turkeys, which have been successfully released through the management program of the Sandwich Conservation Commission. Parking is west of Cotuit Road and just south of Farmersville Road. Maple Swamp Conservation Area Maple Swamp Conservation Area is a network of dirt roads and paths spreading out over 500-acres along a service road parallel to U.S. Rt. 6 between exits 3 and 4. It is closed to vehicles and has numerous trails and roads for walking (no biking). Parking is limited along the road. Here you can find all types of wildlife, including white-tailed deer. The kettle-hole ponds and irregular terrain are typical of the topography that glaciers created thousands of years ago. The elevation at Maple Swamp ranges from 40 feet above sea level to 250 feet at one of the highest points of land on the Cape. Ryder Conservation Area The lovely 243-acre Ryder Conservation Area is accessible from Cotuit and South Sandwich Roads and offers about 5 miles of walking trails. Wakeby Lake has fishing areas and a boat ramp and is an excellent area for canoeing and swimming. Nature lovers will appreciate the large holly trees (some over 100 years old), the beech/pine tree groves, and the old abandoned cranberry bogs. Lifeguards are on-site during the summer months (Ryder Conservation Area is open May to October). A local beach sticker is required during the summer months between 9 AM and 4 PM and may be purchased for $20 at the Sandwich Town Hall, (508) 888-4910. There are several parking areas and entrances off the west side of Cotuit Road between Harlow Road and Boardly Road. Spring Hill Conservation Area At the Spring Hill Conservation Area at the end of Salt Marsh Road off Foster Road, you'll discover a little-known but lovely spot. An open barrier beach community with piping plover and least terns, this area is accessible for saltwater fishing in Cape Cod Bay and a perfect way to spend a day on what may seem like your own private beach. Scusset Beach State Reservation Scusset Beach Reservation, on the north side of the canal (see our Campgrounds and State Parks chapter) is a large state-run park that is mostly used for camping, but hiking and fishing are permitted. A 1-mile trail through Scusset leads to Sagamore Hill, which offers a panoramic overlook of Cape Cod Bay. Take Meetinghouse Road east off the Sagamore Rotary to Scusset Beach Road to the trail entrance opposite the pier.
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Shawme-Crowell State Forest This large 742-acre state-run park is used mostly for camping and offers an abundance of wildlife, flora, and fauna. This quiet campground at the beginning of Cape Cod has 285 campsites, and toilets and hot water are available for a nightly fee of $10 (see our Campgrounds and State Parks chapter). The park also has 15 miles of roads and trails which provides excellent hiking and biking access to the pitch pine and scrub oak forests. A hike to Mt. Perry, within the park, is well worth the trip--you can view all of Cape Cod Bay from the summit. A camping permit allows campers to use Scusset Beach. Talbot's Point Conservation Lands Talbot's Point Conservation Lands on Old County Road has a relatively level trail system through a red pine forest planted for soil control by the Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. Its 112 acres abut a saltwater and freshwater marsh, and walkers may see shore and upland game birds as well as osprey. The area features a freshwater bubbling spring. Park on the wide sandy road north from Old County Road, about 1mile east of Hoxie Pond. The Briar Patch The Briar Patch is a 57-acre conservation area off Mass. Rt. 6A in East Sandwich. This pleasant area of white pine, black locust trees, and meandering trails was a source of inspiration to Thornton W. Burgess, who wrote Old Mother West Wind and many other popular children's books in the early 20th century. Two trails loop through abandoned pastures and groves of black locust and white pine. Enter the trailheads on Discovery Hill Road off Mass. Rt. 6A behind the Green Briar Nature Center. Murkwood Conservation Area To explore the 79-acre Murkwood Conservation Area, park at the East Sandwich Fire Station on Mass. 6A and walk across the street. A peninsula, this former farmland abuts Scorton Creek, and you might be fortunate enough to see eagles, osprey, shorebirds, and white-tailed deer. The area's several miles of trails pass through swampy areas and pinewoods and the view of Scorton Marsh, especially at sunset, is breathtaking. Ashumet Holly Wildlife Sanctuary Owned by the Massachusetts Audubon Society, the Ashumet Holly Reservation and Wildlife Sanctuary, off Mass. Rt. 151 (signs are posted) on Currier Road and Ashumet Road, is a popular 45-acre preserve that is open from sunrise to sunset all year. Along the trails you can see flowering magnolias, dogwood, rhododendron, and rare wildflowers such as the Plymouth gentian. The grounds include 65 varieties of holly trees, as well as Franklinia trees, which are actually a type of tea plant named in honor of Benjamin Franklin. In the spring, swallows nest in the Ashumet barn. The sanctuary offers workshops, bird walks, and field trips throughout the year. Trips to the Elizabeth Islands near Falmouth (see our Tours and Excursions chapter) are also available Sundays, June through October, and cost $45 for adults, $40 for seniors, and $35 for youth 16 and under. Admission to the Ashumet Holly Reserve is $3 for adults and $2 for seniors and those 16 and under. Maps are available at the visitor center at the Sanctuary. Frances A. Crane Wildlife
Management Area The Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area is a 1,700-acre reserve regulated by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Game. The land is an extensive sand plain with mostly pitch pine and little deciduous growth. It is stocked with game during the fall hunting season and should not be considered safe for recreational activities at that time. At other times of the year, it is a popular place for walking and horseback riding. Hobbyists take note: The area has a model-airplane flying strip. Beebe Woods Beebe Woods was a generous gift to the town of Falmouth from benefactor Josiah K. Lilly in 1976. Located past Highfield Theater at the end of Depot Avenue, the wooded grounds of the 334-acre estate have extensive trails and are open to the public for walking, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, and bird watching. Four large kettle ponds dot the woodlands, as do glacier boulders and wetlands. If you are looking for a serene outing, a 1.6-mile walk to Ice House Pond at the end of the trail is as peaceful as it gets on Cape Cod.
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Goodwill Park The 85-acre Goodwill Park is a spacious wooded area
with a lovely pond. The park is open daily from 8 AM to 4 PM for hiking,
swimming, Frisbee-playing, and canoeing. With a lovely freshwater beach,
restrooms, barbecue grills, and play equipment, this is a good place for
families and picnickers. To bring a large group, call the parks department
at the above number to reserve the pavilion area. Bourne Farm The 49-acre Bourne Farm is owned and operated by
Salt Pond Area Bird Sanctuary, Inc. In July and August you can take an
afternoon tour (by appointment--call the number above) of the 1775
farmhouse and a barn with an old cattle tunnel. This former working farm
has hiking paths and a parking area. A free nature program is given every
Tuesday evening during July and August at 6 PM. The trails are open
year-round, though a donation is requested at the trailhead. Washburn Island Washburn Island is a 334-acre wooded island in
Waquoit Bay managed by the state Division of Forests and Parks within the
Department of Environmental Management. It is only accessible by boat and
has no fresh water. If you wish to camp on the island you must purchase a
permit (see our Campgrounds and State Parks chapter). Call the Waquoit Bay
National Estuarine Research Reserve at the number above for more
information. Lowell Holly Reservation At the Lowell Holly Reservation, marked by a small
sign on Sandwich Road (the entrance is opposite a sign that says
"Carpe Diem"), you'll find a delightful 1½-mile trail among
American beech, huge holly, white pine trees, and rhododendron. There's a
perfect little swimming beach with a picnic table on the Cape's largest
(and arguably most beautiful) lake. Birders have spotted eagles, ospreys,
and hawks here. Once owned by James Lowell, former president of Harvard
University, this 135-acre property is maintained by the Trustees of
Reservations. The parking fee on summer weekends is $6; on weekdays
parking is free. John's Pond Park John's Pond Park is a 258-acre park with a trail
system and a 1,200-foot sandy beach. Nature lovers can watch herring swim
up the Quashnet River in the spring and fall and explore an extensive area
of cranberry bogs. As you head toward North Falmouth, you'll find the park
off Mass. Rt.151 past the Barnstable County Fairgrounds; turn right onto
Currier Road, then right on Hooppole Road and right again onto Back Road.
John's Pond Park is just beyond the trailer park. Mashpee River Woodlands The 400-acre Mashpee River Woodlands has 8 miles of
hiking trails along the Mashpee River, a protected waterway that is
perfect for canoeing, birdwatching, and walking. This location is a good
place to see the natural transition between freshwater and saltwater
habitats. Coming from the Mashpee Rotary, follow Mass. Rt. 28 toward
Hyannis to the first right, Quinaquisset Road. South Cape Beach At the end of Great Neck Road is South Cape Beach,
where the state maintains a public beach, parking lot, and conservation
land with 3 miles of sandy roadways suitable for hiking. Here you can
explore both freshwater and saltwater wetlands. There is a fee for
parking. For more information about South Cape, contact the Waquoit Bay
National Estuarine Research Reserve at the above number. Pine Barrens The Pine Barrens is a 300-acre reserve that has
about 4miles of marked walking trails. For more information about this and
other smaller conservation areas and guided walking tours, contact
conservation agent Bob Sherman at the number above.
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