Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game
1,910 acres53.9 mi of trail
Abandoned Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: T.S. Custadio aka ToddC4176 at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Falmouth
Falmouth has 221 miles of mapped trails, 5.0 for every square mile of land
28% of Falmouth’s land is conserved, about 7,888 acres. 6,723 acres are parks and preserves, 203 per 1,000 residents. Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #16 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
28%
7,888 acres · of 44.1 sq mi of land
Trails
221 mi
5.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
6,723 ac
203 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
12 mi
0.1 mi lanes · 11 mi paths
Highest peak
144 ft
Telegraph Hill
Lakes & rivers
55
221 beaches · 28 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Falmouth?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Falmouth have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Falmouth is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #16 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs put Falmouth near the top nationally; trail miles rank highest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Falmouth’s overall grade.
Conserved land28% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails5.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (221 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land203 acres of park per 1,000 residents (6,723 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to homeVirtually all 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 95%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Falmouth’s 28% is ahead of 68% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 97% of them.
Water is 19% of Falmouth’s area (10 of 54 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 23%.
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 Frances A. Crane WMA, with 53.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Long Pond Watershed
Managed by Town of Falmouth
865 acres8.8 mi of trail
Moraine Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Beebe Woods
Managed by Town of Falmouth
403 acres7.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Anna Gordon Moraine Trail
Nature preserve
139 acres5.2 mi of trail
Dead endMoraine Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Kettle Holes
Managed by Town of Falmouth
212 acres5.1 mi of trail
Moraine Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Coonamessett Bogs
Nature preserve
160 acres4.4 mi of trail
Dead End
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hayway Road Woods
Nature preserve
202 acres3.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Peterson Farm
Nature preserve
88 acres2.8 mi of trail
foot path Peterson Farm
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 81 parks & preserves
Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area1,910 acres · 53.9 mi of trail · Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game
DirectionsLong Pond Watershed865 acres · 8.8 mi of trail · Town of Falmouth
DirectionsBeebe Woods403 acres · 7.5 mi of trail · Town of Falmouth
DirectionsAnna Gordon Moraine Trail139 acres · 5.2 mi of trail
DirectionsKettle Holes212 acres · 5.1 mi of trail · Town of Falmouth
Coonamessett Bogs160 acres · 4.4 mi of trail
DirectionsHayway Road Woods202 acres · 3.3 mi of trail
Peterson Farm88 acres · 2.8 mi of trail
DirectionsBreivogel Property66 acres · 2 mi of trail
DirectionsAshumet Holly Wildlife Sanctuary43 acres · 2 mi of trail
DirectionsChild's River Cooridoor104 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
Bourne Farm50 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsSea Farms Marsh80 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · The 300 Committee Land Trust
DirectionsSalt Pond Acres Wildlife Area46 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Salt Pond Areas Bird Sanctuaries
DirectionsCoonamessett Reservation90 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsCollins Woodlot46 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsQuashnet Woods State Reservation44 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsWing Pond35 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Fender And Wahl48 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Goodwill Park85 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsMoraine Tract10 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Teaticket Park11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsPerry Lot20 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Mock Moraine18 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsRansom Road Parcel14 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMarshlands5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Swift Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMarine Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHansen-Powell Parcel2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · The Town of Falmouth
DirectionsGt. Sippiwissett Marsh24 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Lewis Parcel22 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Little Island Cr (Fassett)11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Taft's Playground10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSandwich Road Playing Fields9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCornell Cr (Shapquit Bars Rd)9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Downtown Library Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWHOI - Rose Garden1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGreat Sippewissett Marsh47 acres
Wood Neck Reserve33 acres · Town of Falmouth
DirectionsLittle Sippewissett Marsh28 acres · Town of Falmouth
DirectionsTrotting Park24 acres
DirectionsWaquoit Bay Nerr19 acres
Quashnet River Access19 acres
Spectacle Pond Reservation16 acres
Old Silver Beach15 acres
DirectionsHarvey Moraine Parcel15 acres
Bog Pond Cr, Waquoit13 acres
DirectionsFCC Golf Course Woodland Conservation11 acres · Town of Falmouth
Conservation Land11 acres
Nye Park11 acres · Town of Falmouth
DirectionsCedar Lake Conservation Restriction10 acres · Susan Baur (private)
DirectionsM Doutt Moonakis Preserve10 acres
Morse Pond Shore9 acres
DirectionsDonald Whelden Preserve8 acres
John L. Neill Youth Baseball Complex8 acres
DirectionsCarter Reservation8 acres
DirectionsMashpee National Wildlife Refuge6 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Salt Pond Frontage6 acres
DirectionsMenanhant Yacht Club5 acres
DirectionsSalt Pond Areas Bird Sanctuaries5 acres
Milton Manor5 acres · Town of Falmouth
Nye"S Pond Shore5 acres
DirectionsMorse Pond East Shore5 acres
DirectionsCentral Park3 acres
DirectionsDeacon"S Pond Park2 acres
DirectionsMoonakis Road, Waquoit Cr2 acres
Salt Pond Area Bird Sanct2 acres
Kite Park2 acres
DirectionsHotel Park1 acres
DirectionsCR #101 acres
Fonseca Park1 acres
Wallers Island Marsh1 acres
Falmouth Town Green1 acres
DirectionsMiles Pond Frontage1 acres
Nashawena And Lummis Cr1 acres
Shiverick's Pond Pathway1 acres
DirectionsTrotting Park Skate Park1 acres
DirectionsKeller Cr (Chase Rd)1 acres
Fassett Cr1 acres
Little Pond1 acres
DirectionsSalt Pond Reservation1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
7,888 conserved acres
28% of Falmouth’s land. Water is left out: Falmouth has 44.1 square miles of land and 10.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Falmouth’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,416 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,086 ac
State natural resources149 ac
Joint84 ac
State fish & wildlife44 ac
State parks33 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)11 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 2,438 acState Conservation Area · 2,019 acConservation Easement · 1,892 acWatershed Protection Area · 791 acRecreation or Education Easement · 612 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,454 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 94 of 638 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 1,820 | Open |
| Beebe Woods Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 398 | Open |
| Long Pond Watershed Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 397 | Open |
| Coonamessett Reservation Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 260 | Open |
| Falmouth Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 251 | Unknown |
| Mock Moraine Trail Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 230 | Open |
| Cape Cod Land Bank Acquisition Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 164 | Open |
| Cape Cod Country Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 129 | Open |
| Mock Moraine Trail Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 124 | Open |
| Ballymeade Country Club And Golf Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 123 | Restricted |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
306 places to go in Falmouth
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Falmouth
"Dinghy" Beach
DirectionsBig Beach
DirectionsBlack Beach
DirectionsBristol Beach
DirectionsChappaquoit Beach
DirectionsFalmouth Beach
DirectionsGarbage Beach
DirectionsInnSeason Resorts Surfside
Directions17 more beaches
Menahaunt Beach
DirectionsMenahaunt Beach
DirectionsMenauhant Beach
DirectionsNobska Beach
DirectionsPublic Beach Buzzards Bay
DirectionsPublic Beach Quissett Harbor
DirectionsStoney Beach
DirectionsSurf Drive Beach
DirectionsSurf Drive Beach
DirectionsSurf Drive Beach
DirectionsSurf Drive Beach
DirectionsSurf Drive Beach
DirectionsSurf Drive Beach
DirectionsSurf Drive Beach
DirectionsSurf Drive Beach
DirectionsTrunk River Beach
DirectionsTrunk River Beach
Directions221 beaches are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Public pools in Falmouth
Adult Pool 21+
DirectionsFamily Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Falmouth
30 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Falmouth
Town of Falmouth Dog Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Falmouth
Ashumet Pond Boat LaunchIn Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsGreat Bay Boat Launch
DirectionsGreat Bay Boat Launch
DirectionsGreen Pond Town Landing
DirectionsMagansett Bay Landing
DirectionsMegansett Boat Ramp
DirectionsWaquoit Bay Landing
DirectionsWest Falmouth Public Boat Launch
Directions2 more boat launches
White's Landing
DirectionsWoods Hole Boat Ramp
DirectionsPlus 18 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Falmouth
1 fishing spot without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Falmouth
15 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Falmouth
Telegraph Hill144 ft elevation
DirectionsSwifts Hill121 ft elevation
DirectionsRiddle Hill89 ft elevation
DirectionsThe Knob75 ft elevation
DirectionsNobska Hill46 ft elevation
DirectionsMt. OtisIn Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsMt. ZigIn Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsCampgrounds in Falmouth
Sun Retreats Cape CodSun Outdoors
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 51 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 19.8 miHorses · 2.5 miUnpaved · 50.2 mi
Moraine Trail10.3 mi
Blue Trail1.1 mi
Main Trail (blue)0.6 mi
Grassy Pond Trail0.6 mi
Dead end0.5 mi
Green Trail0.4 mi
foot path Peterson Farm0.4 mi
Agawam Rd.0.4 mi
Yellow Trail0.4 mi
Abandoned Trail0.4 mi
15 more trails
Path to the Knob
0.3 miSwan Trail
0.3 miDead End
0.3 miMystery Tree Trail
0.3 miAshumet Farm Trail
0.2 miBeebe Woods Access Trail
0.2 miWheeler Memorial Trail
0.2 miCross Trail (yellow)
0.2 miBarn Swallow Trail
0.2 miVernal Pool Trail
0.1 miEnglish Holly Trail
0.1 miMosquito Creek Trail (red)
0.1 miCrater Forest Trail
0.1 miOyster Pond Path
0.1 miSpur to Oyster Pond Rd (white)
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Beach PondBog PondBourne PondpondBourne's PondpondCaleb PondpondCedar LakelakeCoonamessett PondlakeCrocker PondpondCrooked PondpondCrowell PondpondDam PondpondDeep PondpondDeer PondpondEel PondpondFalmouth Inner HarborFlax PondpondFlume PondpondFresh PondpondFrog PondpondGrassy PondpondGreat PondpondGreen PondpondGrews PondpondJenkins PondpondJones PondpondLittle PondpondLittle Sippewisset MarshLong PondreservoirMares PondpondMeadow Neck Road PondMegansett HarborMiles PondpondMill PondpondMorse PondpondNobska PondpondNye PondpondOyster PondpondPalmer PondpondParker Road PondreservoirPunch BowlpondQuahog PondRandall PondpondRound PondpondSalt PondpondShivericks PondpondSiders PondpondSols PondpondSpectacle PondpondTim's PondpondTrout PondpondQuashnet River
Biking & sports
12 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
11 mi
off-road bike paths
1.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
92Tennis
25Baseball
24Basketball
6Pickleball
6Soccer
6Lacrosse
4Softball
3Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →14 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 9 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Crowell-Bourne FarmBuilding · listed 1980
About itNobska Point Light StationStructure · listed 1987
About itJosiah Tobey HouseBuilding · listed 1994
About itFalmouth Village Green Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1996
About itLawrence AcademyBuilding · listed 1998
About itNorth Falmouth Village Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1998
About itCentral Fire StationBuilding · listed 1998
About itFalmouth Pumping StationBuilding · listed 1998
About itPoor House and Methodist CemeteryBuilding · listed 1998
About itWest Falmouth Village Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1998
About itTeaticket SchoolBuilding · listed 2002
About itElnathan Nye HouseBuilding · listed 2002
About it2 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Falmouth: 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 | 65 | 74 | 81 | 80 | 73 | 63 | 53 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 4.1 | 3.7 | 5.2 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 5.0 | 4.4 | 4.9 |
July is the driest month (2.9 in) and the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 5.2 inches fall in March, the wettest month. The climate in Falmouth →
Next door
Falmouth and its neighbors
Falmouth has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Falmouth221 miBourne188 miMashpee121 miWoods Hole8.5 miNorth Falmouth7.0 miEast Falmouth6.4 miTeaticket1.0 miSeabrook0.3 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falmouth | 28% | 5.0 | 203 | 99%+ | A+ |
| East Falmouth | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Mashpee | 36% | 5.2 | 287 | 95% | A+ |
| Woods Hole | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Seabrook | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| North Falmouth | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Bourne | 46% | 4.6 | 113 | 96% | A+ |
| Teaticket | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Falmouth
Where can I hike in Falmouth?
The longest trail networks: Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area, 53.9 miles; Long Pond Watershed, 8.8 miles; Beebe Woods, 7.5 miles; Anna Gordon Moraine Trail, 5.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Falmouth is conserved land?
28% 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 Falmouth’s trails?
Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area and Long Pond Watershed don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Falmouth?
12 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.1 of painted or protected lanes, 11 of off-road paths and 1.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Falmouth?
37,575 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Falmouth or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6,985 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Falmouth have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #16 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 Falmouth 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 →