Deer Horn Hill Conservation Area
Managed by Town of Bourne
245 acres10.3 mi of trail
Parallel Sandwich TrailRace to Sean ConneryDead end
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: T.S. Custadio aka ToddC4176 at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Bourne
Bourne has 188 miles of mapped trails, 4.6 for every square mile of land
46% of Bourne’s land is conserved, about 12,115 acres. 2,299 acres are parks and preserves, 113 per 1,000 residents. 96% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #31 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
46%
12,115 acres · of 40.7 sq mi of land
Trails
188 mi
4.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,299 ac
113 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
96%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
13 mi
0.2 mi lanes · 12 mi paths
Highest peak
305 ft
Pine Hill
Lakes & rivers
23
127 beaches · 14 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Bourne?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Bourne have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Bourne is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #31 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Bourne’s overall grade.
Conserved land46% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails4.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (188 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land113 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,299 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home96% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 89%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Bourne’s 46% is ahead of 97% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 94% of them.
Water is 23% of Bourne’s area (12 of 53 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 36%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Deer Horn Hill Conservation Area, with 10.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Town Forest
Nature preserve
146 acres6.4 mi of trail
Town Forest TrailPine TrailEast West Double TrackSunny Side+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Four Ponds Conservation Area
Nature preserve
131 acres3.9 mi of trail
Four Ponds LoopTown Forest TrailSoutheast ConnectorPryor Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Seawatch Open Space
Nature preserve
66 acres2.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Sacrifice Rock Woods
Nature preserve
82 acres1.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Red Brook Pond Conservation Area
Managed by Bourne Conservation Trust
44 acres1.7 mi of trail
South TrailMiddle TrailNorth TrailBog Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Cataumet Wellfield
Managed by Town of Bourne
46 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Cape Cod Canal Access
Park
135 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 75 parks & preserves
Deer Horn Hill Conservation Area245 acres · 10.3 mi of trail · Town of Bourne
Town Forest146 acres · 6.4 mi of trail
Four Ponds Conservation Area131 acres · 3.9 mi of trail
DirectionsSeawatch Open Space66 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
Sacrifice Rock Woods82 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
Red Brook Pond Conservation Area44 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Bourne Conservation Trust
DirectionsCataumet Wellfield46 acres · 1 mi of trail · Town of Bourne
DirectionsCape Cod Canal Access135 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsSoutheast District Hq26 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DeNormandie Woods14 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Bourne Conservation Trust
Nightingale Pond Conservation Land25 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Clifton Broyer Conservation Area13 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Bourne Conservation Trust
DirectionsBuzzards Bay Park9 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsCarter Beal Conservation Area76 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMashnee Island38 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMegansett Ridge26 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Sandy Pond / Ship Pond20 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Monument Beach Sand Pit5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
John Handy Conservation Area3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Bourne Conservation Trust
DirectionsBournedale Woodland9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game
Dimmick Field Conservation Restriction4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · David Dimmick
Red Brook Harbor Overlook3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Sagamore Highlands Indian Tr2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Old Field Pond Preserve81 acres
Barnstable County Hospital72 acres · Barnstable County
DirectionsPocasset River Marsh32 acres
Toby Island Cr28 acres
DirectionsPocasset Heights19 acres
Bassetts Island Landing17 acres
Marsh16 acres
North Sagamore Playground16 acres
DirectionsLabretto Property15 acres
Pocasset River14 acres
DirectionsLeary Property12 acres
Marsh On Pilgram Rd10 acres
DirectionsLawrence Island8 acres
Bourne Settlement Open Space8 acres
Ferguson Marsh7 acres
Scraggy Neck Shoreline Res7 acres
Bourne Scenic Park6 acres
DirectionsAgawam Point5 acres
Perry Marsh4 acres
Scusset Beach Rd Parcel4 acres
DirectionsFlax Pond Access4 acres
Picture Lake Park4 acres
Harbor Drive3 acres
Hunters Ridge Lots3 acres
Keith Field3 acres
DirectionsSagamore Highlands Ii3 acres
Hopwood Property2 acres
DirectionsClark Pond2 acres
Island Drive2 acres
Taylors Point Park2 acres
DirectionsSand Spit2 acres
Bourne Pond Fishway2 acres
DirectionsWhimbrel Land1 acres · Town of Bourne
Pocasset Heights Conservation Area1 acres
Monks Marine Park1 acres
Mashnee Rd Property1 acres
DirectionsChester Park1 acres
Keene St Parcel1 acres
DirectionsBurtonwood Conservation Area1 acres
Sagamore Beach Colony Club1 acres
DirectionsPost Office View1 acres · Bourne Conservation Trust
Back River1 acres
Pocasset River Marine Park1 acres
DirectionsQueen Sewell Park1 acres
Paulinda Rd Parcel1 acres
Old North Rd Parcel1 acres
Waterhouse Rd Parcel1 acres
Gray Gables Park1 acres
Little Buttermilk Bay1 acres
Lily Pond Access1 acres
Little Buttermilk Bay #21 acres
Who protects it
12,115 conserved acres
46% of Bourne’s land. Water is left out: Bourne has 40.7 square miles of land and 12.2 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Bourne’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city441 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits374 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)48 ac
State fish & wildlife25 ac
State parks17 ac
Other state land15 ac
Private owners2 ac
State Conservation Area · 9,814 acLocal Other or Unknown · 751 acConservation Easement · 584 acWatershed Protection Area · 305 acPrivate Conservation · 280 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 377 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 18 of 308 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Edwards Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 8,661 | Restricted |
| Deer Horn Hill Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 232 | Open |
| North Sagamore Water District State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 230 | Restricted |
| Town Forest State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 146 | Open |
| Wasque RT Purchase State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 137 | Open |
| Shawme-Crowell State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 136 | Open |
| Cape Cod Land Bank Acquisition State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 126 | Open |
| Four Ponds Conservation Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 125 | Open |
| Pocasset Golf Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 115 | Restricted |
| Brookside Golf Club State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 111 | Restricted |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
173 places to go in Bourne
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Bourne
Barlow's Landing Beach
DirectionsElectric Avenue Beach
DirectionsEustis Beach
DirectionsMerriam Beach
DirectionsMonument Beach
DirectionsMonument Beach
DirectionsNorth Shore Beach
DirectionsSagamore Beach
Directions6 more beaches
Southwest Beach
DirectionsSunrise Beach
DirectionsTaylors Point Beach
DirectionsTaylors Point Beach
DirectionsThe Strand
DirectionsThe Strand
Directions127 beaches are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Playgrounds in Bourne
Buzzards Bay Splash ParkIn Buzzards Bay Park
DirectionsCataumet Playground
DirectionsPost Office Playground
DirectionsWhitmore Playground
DirectionsPlus 14 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Bourne
14 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Bourne
3 Mile Lookout
DirectionsPeaks in Bourne
Pine Hill305 ft elevation
DirectionsFlatrock Hill269 ft elevation
DirectionsAvery Hill262 ft elevation
DirectionsDeer Horn Hill233 ft elevation
DirectionsDiscovery Hill200 ft elevation
DirectionsSignal Hill197 ft elevation
DirectionsMoss Hill102 ft elevation
DirectionsBurying Hill
Directions1 more peak
Mt. Perry
DirectionsPicnic areas in Bourne
Bourne Recreation Area
DirectionsHerring Run Recreational Area
DirectionsPlus 2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 23 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 15.0 miUnpaved · 71.8 mi
Abandoned Trail2.8 mi
Town Forest Trail2.7 mi
Tank Trail2.2 mi
Parallel Sandwich Trail2.1 mi
Pine Trail1.6 mi
Four Ponds Loop1.4 mi
Race to Sean Connery1.4 mi
East West Double Track0.8 mi
Dark Side of the Sun0.8 mi
Thunderball0.6 mi
15 more trails
Deer Run Trail
0.6 miHi Droid
0.6 miBournedale Hills Trail
0.6 miPlymouth/Bourne Town Line
0.5 miDump Loop
0.4 miDead End
0.3 miOff Limits - Do Not Enter
0.3 miSouth Trail
0.3 miSmokeys Passage
0.3 miMoonraker
0.3 miMt. Perry Trail
0.3 miRed Fox Trail
0.3 miTreeline Trail
0.3 miMiddle Trail
0.3 miSunny Side
0.3 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Black PondCamp Edwards Main GatepondClay PondpondCuffs PondpondDeep Bottom PondpondDonnelly PondpondEdmunds PondpondEllis PondFlax PondpondFoundry PondFreeman PondpondGreat PondpondLily PondpondLittle Halfway PondpondLong PondpondMill PondpondNightingale PondpondOsborne PondpondRed Brook PondreservoirShop PondreservoirThe BasinpondUpperPondpondPocasset River
Biking & sports
13 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
12 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
33Tennis
12Baseball
8Basketball
3Soccer
2Football
2Beach volleyball
1Field hockey
1Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →9 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
George I. Briggs HouseBuilding · listed 1981
About itWing's Neck LightStructure · listed 1987
About itBourne Town HallBuilding · listed 2013
About itBourne, Jonathan, Public LibraryBuilding · listed 2013
About itBourne High SchoolBuilding · listed 2013
About itBournedale Village SchoolBuilding · listed 2013
About itCataumet SchoolhouseBuilding · listed 2019
About itAptucxet Trading Post Museum Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2021
About itTravelers ClubBuilding · listed 2025
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Bourne: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 41 | 46 | 56 | 66 | 75 | 81 | 80 | 73 | 63 | 53 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 4.1 | 3.6 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 5.2 | 4.4 | 4.9 |
July is the driest month (3.1 in) and the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 5.3 inches fall in March, the wettest month. The climate in Bourne →
Next door
Bourne and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Plymouth577 miFalmouth221 miBourne188 miSandwich170 miWareham115 miSagamore12 miNorth Falmouth7.0 miBuzzards Bay4.7 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bourne | 46% | 4.6 | 113 | 96% | A+ |
| Sandwich | 39% | 4.0 | 154 | 88% | A+ |
| Wareham | 20% | 3.2 | 114 | 95% | A+ |
| Buzzards Bay | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Sagamore | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| North Falmouth | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Falmouth | 28% | 5.0 | 203 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Plymouth | 37% | 6.0 | 101 | 78% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Bourne
Where can I hike in Bourne?
The longest trail networks: Deer Horn Hill Conservation Area, 10.3 miles; Town Forest, 6.4 miles; Four Ponds Conservation Area, 3.9 miles; Seawatch Open Space, 2.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Bourne is conserved land?
46% of its land, against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Bourne’s trails?
Deer Horn Hill Conservation Area and Town Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Bourne?
13 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.2 of painted or protected lanes and 12 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Bourne?
53,630 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bourne or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,402 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Bourne have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #31 of 283 in Massachusetts. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Bourne neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →