Quantcast
 
 
Download the Merrimack Valley Walking Tour App! Click here to learn more.

Cape Cod & the Islands have woods and beach places to walk

long point wildlife refuge
Long Point Wildlife Refuge

Off Long Point Road West Tisbury (on the island of Martha's Vineyard), MA Phone: 508-693-7662

Long Point covers 600 acres of beaches, dune, and woodland. Outside the summer season, birders and other nature-watchers also enjoy exploring the property and its easy-walking trails. A two-mile trail that leads through oak forest and grasslands.
See full description of property , including hours and admission, at our Science & Nature page.
mashpee river reservation
Mashpee River Reservation

Quinaquisset Avenue and Meetinghouse Road Mashpee, MA Phone: 508-679-2115

Two miles of trails wind through Mashpee River Reservation to a pristine shoreline. The reservation's trails link with the Cape Cod Pathways trail system.
Beach Hiking - Felix Head Wildlife Sanctuary - Edgartown, MA
Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary

100 Felix Neck Drive Edgartown, MA, 02539 Phone: 508-627-4850

Vistors to this nature center will find plenty of self-guided trails, as well as live native birds. Of particular interest are ospreys nesting in their natural environment. There is an admission fee. - Trail Info
Trail - Lowell Holly Reservation - Mashpee, MA - Photo Credit Trustees of Reservations
Lowell Holly

South Sandwich Road Mashpee, MA, 02649 Phone: 508-636-4693

Four miles of foot trails and old carriage roads offer walking of moderate difficulty among groves of holly and rhododendron. Views of freshwater ponds.
Beach Trail - Cedar Tree Neck Sanctuary - Vineyard Haven, MA
Cedar Tree Neck Wildlife Sanctuary

Indian Hill Road Vineyard Haven, MA, 02568 Phone: 508-693-5207

This preserve along the Martha's Vineyard north shore features several trails with numerous scenic views.
Biking Trail - Manuel Correllus State Forest - Edgartown, MA - Photo Credit Gideon Glass
Manuel Correllus State Forest

Barnes Road Edgartown, MA, 02539 Phone: 508-693-2540

Fifteen miles of trails through this interesting preserve of many island ecosystems. - Trail Map (PDF)
Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge

Wauwinet Road Wauwinet (on the island of Nantucket), MA, 02554 Phone: 508-228-5646

Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge is known for its historic lighthouse, white sand beaches, and world-class fishing. Rolling maritime dunes cover more than 200 acres. Refuge includes 16 miles of over-sand vehicle and walking trails and beach front. Gray and harbor seals feed in the Great Point riptide. Facilities include public restrooms between the Wauwinet Gatehouse and Great Point Lighthouse and at the lighthouse. Both are open May 1 to October 31. Bike rack at the Wauwinet Gatehouse. Seasonal tours of the Great Point Lighthouse and the natural wonders of the refuge. Hours: Year-round, daily, 24 hours (10 p.m.-5 a.m. - fishing access only). Cost: Free to all pedestrians and boaters.
Menemsha Hills

North Road, Chilmark Martha’s Vineyard, MA Phone: 508-693-3678

Prospect Hill is the second-highest elevation on Martha’s Vineyard. It has three miles of trails through wetlands, woodlands, coastal plain, and a rocky seashore. Views from the heights are magnificent. Open year-round, daily, sunrise to sunset. Allow a minimum of 90 minutes to walk.
Directions: Starting from State Road in West Tisbury, turn right onto North Road heading westerly toward Chilmark and follow for five miles. Entrance, with parking spaces, is just past Tabor House Road, at right.
Norton Point

end of Katama Road Edgartown (on Martha's Vineyard), MA Phone: 508-627-7689

This 2.5-mile-long strip of sand and dunes linked Martha's Vineyard and the island of Chappaquiddick until 2007, when a storm breached in the barrier beach. There are 2 miles of over sand-vehicle trails and 4.5 miles of walking trails and sandy roads in the upland area.
Open year-round, daily. Dogs must be kept on a leash. Free for pedestrians. Oversand vehicle (OSV) permits are required.
Wildflower Garden - Green Briar Nature Center - East Sandwich, MA
Green Briar Nature Center and Thornton W. Burgess Society

6 Discovery Hill Road East Sandwich, MA, 02537 Phone: 508-888-6870

Located on the shores of Smiling Pool, this center celebrates with animal stories by Thornton Burgess, an enormously popular children’s writer of the early 20th century. Adjacent to Green Briar is the 57-acre Briar Patch Conservation Area, home of Peter Rabbit and many of the other Thornton Burgess animal characters.
Natural history programs for children and adults are offered year-round and include classes, field trips, guided walks, and workshops on the natural sciences. There are wonderful nature trails and a spectacular wildflower garden to explore. Walking trails are open to the public.
Cape Cod Rail Trail

The Cape Cod Rail Trail follows a former railroad bed for 22 miles through the towns of Dennis, Harwich, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham and Wellfleet. Its paved surface, few hills, and well-marked automobile crossings make it ideal for cyclists. The trail has a wide unpaved shoulder on one side to accommodate horseback riding, walkers, and runners.
There are many opportunities to get off the trail and visit a beach. Food and water are available and public restrooms can be found at Nickerson State Park, Salt Pond Visitors Center at Cape Cod National Seashore and the National Seashore Headquarters. Bike rentals are available at many points along the way.
See trail website for list of free parking lots. Trail Map
Dune Shacks Trail

Route 6 North near Snail Road Provincetown, MA Phone:

The trailhead is off Route 6 at Snail Road in Provincetown. There is a small parking area. You will be walking northward, away from the village of Provincetown, toward the ocean and away from Cape Cod Bay. You are walking through dune grass and parabolic sand dunes. Views of the dunes, ocean, and dune shacks are stunning. Bring water. Do not flip flops; the sand is very hot. Bring sunscreen. Walk to the shore takes about 45 minutes.
Parking: Trail head and parking on Route 6 North at Snail Road
Walking in Cape Cod National Seashore - Photo Credit Paul Scharff
Cape Cod National Seashore

Various Locations Chatham to Provincetown, MA Phone: 508-255-3421

Visitors to the Cape Cod National Seashore may walk on the many hiking trails in the park, and also may walk on the bike trails.
Popular Trails: Fort Hill Trail (Eastham) - Nauset Marsh Trail (Eastham) - Doane Trail (Eastham) - Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail (Wellfleet) - Great Island Trail (Wellfleet) - Beech Forest Trail (Provincetown)
Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary - South Wellfleet, MA - Photo Credit Mass Audubon
Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary

291 US Route 6 at West Road South Wellfleet, MA, 02663 Phone: 508-349-2615

This nature center offers a variety of educational programs for children and adults, including walks and workshops. Enjoy a naturalist-led bird walk on our property or listen to an evening lecture. This sanctuary has a nature center, walking trails, trail to Goose Pond, seasonal classroom, gardens, and a campground. Picnicking, birdwatching, restrooms, wheelchair accessible. Of particular interest is the boardwalk trail through the salt marsh. - Trail Info & Map
Cape Cod National Seashore Bike Trails

Cape Cod has very extensive biking trails, which also are used for walking. See a full description on our Biking page.
Trails of the Waquoit National Estuarine Reserve

131 Waquoit Highway Waquoit (East Falmouth), MA Phone: 508-457-0495

The reserve has marked walking trails at the Reserve Headquarters, the Quashnet River area, South Cape Beach State Park, Abigail’s Brook, and Washburn Island (see map ). Note that dogs are not permitted on any beaches from April 1 to September 1. When and where dogs are permitted, they must always remain on leash. Directions to the Reserve.
Visitor Center/Headquarters Map & Trail Map .
Quashnet River Trails .
South Cape Beach State Park Trails.
Washburn Island Trail.
Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge - Photo Credit Trustees of Reservations
Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge, Wasque Reservation, East Beach

Dike Road - on Chappaquiddick Island Edgartown, MA, 02539 Phone: 508-627-7689

Fourteen miles of trails for hikers and over sand vehicles through marsh meadows and on sandy barrier beaches. Wildlife and coastal scenery. Island can be reached only by boat or ferry out of Edgartown. - Trail Map (PDF)
Beebe Woods via Highfield Hall

56 Highfield Drive Falmouth, MA Phone: 508-495-1878

Named after the Beebe Family that created the Highfield estate, Beebe Woods consists of 383 acres of land given to the Town of Falmouth in 1972. The woods were once part of the 700-acre property owned in the 1870s by James Madison Beebe. Beebe Woods has an extensive network of walking trails over varied terrain, exploring wooded ridges and steep-sided hollows, and he picturesque pond known as the Punch Bowl.
The trails connect at the southern end of Beebe Woods to Peterson Farm. The Beebe Woods Trailhead can be reached via Highfield Hall. Park at Highfield Hall and enter the property at the Ice House.
Trail map.