Bell’s Neck Conservation Lands
Nature preserve
258 acres5.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: T.S. Custadio aka ToddC4176 at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Harwich
Harwich has 73 miles of mapped trails, 3.5 for every square mile of land
19% of Harwich’s land is conserved, about 2,538 acres. 1,548 acres are parks and preserves, 114 per 1,000 residents. 95% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #86 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
19%
2,538 acres · of 20.9 sq mi of land
Trails
73 mi
3.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,548 ac
114 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
95%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
8.3 mi
8.3 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
28
21 beaches · 6 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Harwich?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Harwich have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Harwich is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #86 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 Harwich’s overall grade.
Conserved land19% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails3.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (73 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land114 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,548 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home95% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 70%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Harwich’s 19% is ahead of 41% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 83% of them.
Water is 10% of Harwich’s area (2 of 23 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 17%.
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 Bell’s Neck Conservation Lands, with 5.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hawksnest State Park
Nature preserve
229 acres3 mi of trail
Ve Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Thompson's Field Conservation Area
Managed by Town of Harwich
63 acres2.7 mi of trail
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Robbins Pond Conservation Area
Managed by Town of Harwich
59 acres2.3 mi of trail
Ve Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve
Managed by Harwich Conservation Trust
83 acres2.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Harwich Conservation Trust Conservation Restriction
Managed by Harwich Conservation Trust
57 acres1.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Herring River Greenbelt
Managed by Town of Harwich
81 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
D. Isabel Smith Monomoy River Conservation Lands
Nature preserve
84 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 72 parks & preserves
Bell’s Neck Conservation Lands258 acres · 5.5 mi of trail
DirectionsHawksnest State Park229 acres · 3 mi of trail
Thompson's Field Conservation Area63 acres · 2.7 mi of trail · Town of Harwich
DirectionsRobbins Pond Conservation Area59 acres · 2.3 mi of trail · Town of Harwich
Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve83 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · Harwich Conservation Trust
DirectionsHarwich Conservation Trust Conservation Restriction57 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · Harwich Conservation Trust
Herring River Greenbelt81 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Town of Harwich
D. Isabel Smith Monomoy River Conservation Lands84 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsSand Pond Conservation Area49 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
Pleasant Bay Woodlands49 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Harwich Conservation Trust
DirectionsHinckleys Pond-Herring River Headwaters Preserve28 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Harwich Conservation Trust
DirectionsIsland Pond Conservation Area50 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Town of Harwich
Texeira Conservation Area17 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Town of Harwich
DirectionsCoy’s Brook Woodlands35 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Harwich Conservation Trust
DirectionsCornelius Pond Woodlands15 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Harwich Conservation Trust
Muddy Creek Headwaters Preserve15 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Harwich Conservation Trust
DirectionsWalkers Pond Conservation Area14 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Town of Harwich
Cape Cod Rail Trail48 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · MA Department of Conservation and Recreation
DirectionsOlivers Pond Natural Heritage Area13 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Brooks Park18 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of Harwich
DirectionsWilliam & Barbara Hacker Wildlife Sanctuary11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Harwich Conservation Trust
DirectionsMarceline Conservation Restriction7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of Harwich
Sand Pond Woodlands6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Lady Slipper Lane Conservation Area4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Harwich Conservation Trust
Depot Road Conservation Area21 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Awâhsh Uwatuhshât CR17 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Native Land Conservancy
Route 137 Conservation Area13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Harwich Conservation Trust
Lothrop Avenue Conservation Area9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Harwich Conservation Trust
Six Ponds Great Woods3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Harwich Conservation Trust
Lee Baldwin Memorial Woodlands3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWeston Woods Conservation Area2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Harwich
Coys Brook47 acres
Slowatycki Property35 acres
DirectionsMain Street Cranberry Company Conservation Area34 acres · Town of Harwich
Community Gardens & Tree Nursery28 acres · Town of Harwich
DirectionsHerring River Marsh Conservation Area19 acres · Harwich Conservation Trust
DirectionsHeadwaters Greenbelt Conservation Area16 acres · Town of Harwich
Grass Pond Bird Sanctuary12 acres · Town of Harwich
Red River Valley Preserve10 acres · Harwich Conservation Trust
Grassy Pond Conservation Area10 acres · Harwich Conservation Trust
Cape Cod Land Bank Acquisition8 acres
Lynch Memorial Conservation Area8 acres · Town of Harwich
Hinckleys Pond Conservation Area8 acres · Harwich Conservation Trust
Long Pond Conservation Area7 acres · Harwich Conservation Trust
DirectionsSquantum Path Conservation Area7 acres · Harwich Conservation Trust
Bay Road Conservation Area7 acres · Town of Harwich
White Cedar Woods7 acres · Harwich Conservation Trust
Proprietor's Way Conservation Area6 acres · Harwich Conservation Trust
Chatham Rail Trail Extension6 acres
DirectionsRed River Conservation Area5 acres · Chatham Conservation Foundation
Red River Swamp Conservation Area5 acres
Pleasant Lake Avenue Conservation Area4 acres · Harwich Conservation Trust
Main Street Conservation Area4 acres · Town of Harwich
Somerset Woods Conservation Restriction4 acres · Somerset Woods Homeowner's Association, Inc.
DirectionsConservation Area4 acres · Harwich Conservation Trust
Conservation Land4 acres · Town of Harwich
Hinckleys Pond Conservation Restriction3 acres
Robbins Pond Woodlands3 acres · Harwich Conservation Trust
Town Landing3 acres · Town of Harwich
DirectionsIndian Prayer Rock3 acres · Town of Harwich
Sutphin At Island Pond Conservation Restriction3 acres · Town of Harwich
Walker Property2 acres · Town of Harwich
Herring River Marsh View Conservation Area2 acres · Harwich Conservation Trust
DirectionsSouth Street Conservation Restriction2 acres · Harwich Conservation Trust
Winslow Drive Conservation Area2 acres · Harwich Conservation Trust
DirectionsMuddy Creek - Pleasant Bay2 acres
DirectionsWeston Wood Road Conservation Area2 acres · Harwich Conservation Trust
Skinequit Road Conservation Area1 acres
DirectionsLarsen Park1 acres
Josephs Pond Landing1 acres
Red River1 acres
Walther Road1 acres
Who protects it
2,538 conserved acres
19% of Harwich’s land. Water is left out: Harwich has 20.9 square miles of land and 2.2 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Harwich’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits454 ac
Town or city189 ac
Joint40 ac
Other state land34 ac
State fish & wildlife12 ac
Not recorded2,125 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 1,067 acConservation Easement · 608 acWatershed Protection Area · 428 acPrivate Conservation · 176 acState Conservation Area · 138 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 342 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 25 of 225 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harwich Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 206 | Unknown |
| Cranberry Valley Golf Club Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 199 | Restricted |
| Herring River Woodlands Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 191 | Open |
| Water Department Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 154 | Open |
| Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 129 | Open |
| Town of Harwich Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 122 | Open |
| Herring River Greenbelt Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 84 | Open |
| Cape Cod National Golf Club State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 80 | Restricted |
| Robbins Pond Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 72 | Open |
| Bank Street Bogs Nature Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 68 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
43 places to go in Harwich
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Harwich
Bank Street Beach
DirectionsEarle Road Beach
DirectionsPleasant Road Beach
DirectionsRed River Beach
DirectionsSeymoor pond beach
DirectionsPlus 16 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Swimming spots in Harwich
2 swimming spots without a name on the map.
Playgrounds in Harwich
Bells Neck Playground
DirectionsPlus 1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Harwich
6 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Harwich
4 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Harwich
6 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Harwich
2 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
6 named trails and 28 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.0 miUnpaved · 17.0 mi
Island Loop Trail0.9 mi
Ve Trail0.7 mi
Francis Worrell Loop Trail0.5 mi
HCT Trail0.4 mi
Flax Pond Trail Alternate0.2 mi
Flax Pond Power Line Connector0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Andrews PondpondAunt Edies PondpondBlack PondpondBucks PondpondCornelius PondpondEast Bells Neck Road PondpondFlax PondpondGrass PondpondGrassy PondpondHawksnest PondpondHinckleys PondpondJosephs PondpondOlivers PondpondPaddock PondpondRobins PondpondRound CoveSand LakelakeSand PondpondSaquatucket HarborSeymour PondpondSkinequit PondpondWalkers PondpondWest ReservoirreservoirWychmere HarborHerring RiverMuddy CreekMuddy RiverRed River
Biking & sports
8.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
8.3 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
38Tennis
16Pickleball
7Baseball
3Basketball
3Football
3Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →5 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Harwich: 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 | 40 | 44 | 53 | 62 | 71 | 78 | 77 | 71 | 62 | 52 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 3.9 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 2.4 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.7 |
July is the driest month (2.4 in) and the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 4.7 inches fall in December, the wettest month. The climate in Harwich →
Next door
Harwich and its neighbors
Harwich has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Brewster107 miHarwich73 miDennis53 miNorthwest Harwich34 miEast Harwich31 miChatham27 miHarwich Port4.4 miDennis Port1.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harwich | 19% | 3.5 | 114 | 95% | A+ |
| Chatham | 65% | 1.6 | 161 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Harwich Port | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| East Harwich | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Brewster | 29% | 4.7 | 247 | 99% | A+ |
| Northwest Harwich | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Dennis | 26% | 2.6 | 85 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Dennis Port | — 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 Harwich
Where can I hike in Harwich?
The longest trail networks: Bell’s Neck Conservation Lands, 5.5 miles; Hawksnest State Park, 3 miles; Thompson's Field Conservation Area, 2.7 miles; Robbins Pond Conservation Area, 2.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Harwich is conserved land?
19% 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 Harwich’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Thompson's Field Conservation Area. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Harwich?
8.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 8.3 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Harwich?
14,980 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Harwich or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,960 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Harwich have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #86 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 Harwich 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 →