Penikese Island Sanctuary
Nature preserve
81 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Gosnold
Few parks or trails are on the map in Gosnold
The biggest trail networks: Penikese Island Sanctuary (1.3 mi), Nashawena (0.8 mi), Copicut Neck (0.6 mi). 24% of Gosnold’s land is conserved, about 2,026 acres. 102 acres are parks and preserves, 3,290 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
24%
2,026 acres · of 13.2 sq mi of land
Trails
50 mi
3.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
102 ac
3,290 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
54%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
157 ft
Mount Surat
Lakes & rivers
10
42 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Gosnold?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
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 Penikese Island Sanctuary, with 1.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Nashawena
Nature preserve
1,778 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Copicut Neck
Nature preserve
47 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Haps Hill
Nature preserve
23 acres0.5 mi of trail
Loop to School House
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 11 parks & preserves
Penikese Island Sanctuary81 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
Nashawena1,778 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Copicut Neck47 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Haps Hill23 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Cuttyhunk Thicket Wildlife Sanctuary7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Mass Audubon
Bunker Hill5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Gosnold Wildlife Management Area4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Canapitsit Neck26 acres
Bayberry Hill12 acres
Tarpaulin Cove Sanctuary4 acres
Canapitsit2 acres
Who protects it
2,026 conserved acres
24% of Gosnold’s land. Water is left out: Gosnold has 13.2 square miles of land and 127.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Gosnold’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits3,712 ac
Town or city57 ac
Not recorded103 ac
Conservation Easement · 3,727 acState Conservation Area · 95 acUnknown Easement · 41 acPrivate Conservation · 9 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,923 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 5 of 22 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penikese Island Sanctuary State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 86 | Open |
| Cuttyhunk Thicket Wildlife Sanctuary Private Conservation | Not recorded | 6 | Open |
| Gosnold Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 5 | Open |
| Tarpaulin Cove Sanctuary State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 4 | Open |
| Canapitsit Beach Private Conservation | Not recorded | 2 | Open |
Things to do
47 places to go in Gosnold
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Gosnold
Barges BeachIn Canapitsit Neck
DirectionsChannel BeachIn Copicut Neck
DirectionsChurch's Beach
DirectionsCrescent Beach
DirectionsSilver Beach
DirectionsWest Beach
Directions42 beaches are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Boat launches in Gosnold
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Gosnold
Mount Surat157 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Cary98 ft elevation
DirectionsSaddleback Hill79 ft elevation · In Nashawena
DirectionsMount Sod30 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
1 named trail and 10 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 0.7 mi
Loop to School House0.2 mi
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
2Tennis
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 4 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Tarpaulin Cove LightStructure · listed 1987
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Gosnold: 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 | 10.6 | 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) | 3.9 | 3.6 | 5.0 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.8 |
July is the driest month (2.8 in) and the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 5.0 inches fall in March, the wettest month. The climate in Gosnold →
Next door
Gosnold and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Falmouth221 miWest Tisbury70 miDartmouth59 miGosnold50 miChilmark43 miTisbury18 miWoods Hole8.5 miAquinnah7.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gosnold | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Woods Hole | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Falmouth | 28% | 5.0 | 203 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Aquinnah | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Dartmouth | 29% | 1.0 | 169 | 84% | A+ |
| Chilmark | 29% | 2.3 | 923 | 87% | A+ |
| West Tisbury | 43% | 2.8 | 877 | 74% | A+ |
| Tisbury | 21% | 2.7 | 117 | 96% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Gosnold
Where can I hike in Gosnold?
The longest trail networks: Penikese Island Sanctuary, 1.3 miles; Nashawena, 0.8 miles; Copicut Neck, 0.6 miles; Haps Hill, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Gosnold’s trails?
Penikese Island Sanctuary and Nashawena don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Gosnold?
20,284 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Gosnold or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 167 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Gosnold 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 →