Bell’s Neck Conservation Lands
Nature preserve
258 acres5.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
–Not graded
Outdoors in Northwest Harwich
Few parks or trails are on the map in Northwest Harwich
The biggest trail networks: Bell’s Neck Conservation Lands (5.5 mi), Robbins Pond Conservation Area (2.3 mi), Herring River Greenbelt (1.4 mi). 19% of Northwest Harwich’s land is conserved, about 966 acres. 748 acres are parks and preserves, 190 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
19%
966 acres · of 8.0 sq mi of land
Trails
34 mi
4.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
748 ac
190 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
93%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
5.2 mi
5.2 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
9
8 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Northwest Harwich?
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 Bell’s Neck Conservation Lands, with 5.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
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
Herring River Greenbelt
Managed by Town of Harwich
81 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Sand Pond Conservation Area
Nature preserve
49 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Hinckleys Pond-Herring River Headwaters Preserve
Managed by Harwich Conservation Trust
28 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Coy’s Brook Woodlands
Managed by Harwich Conservation Trust
35 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Cape Cod Rail Trail
Managed by MA Department of Conservation and Recreation
47 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto CCRT Dirt Lot
All 32 parks & preserves
Bell’s Neck Conservation Lands258 acres · 5.5 mi of trail
DirectionsRobbins Pond Conservation Area59 acres · 2.3 mi of trail · Town of Harwich
Herring River Greenbelt81 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Town of Harwich
Sand Pond Conservation Area49 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
Hinckleys Pond-Herring River Headwaters Preserve28 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Harwich Conservation Trust
DirectionsCoy’s Brook Woodlands35 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Harwich Conservation Trust
DirectionsCape Cod Rail Trail47 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · MA Department of Conservation and Recreation
DirectionsIsland Pond Conservation Area9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of Harwich
Sand Pond Woodlands6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Lothrop Avenue Conservation Area9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Harwich Conservation Trust
Lee Baldwin Memorial Woodlands3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCoys 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
Lynch Memorial Conservation Area8 acres · Town of Harwich
Hinckleys Pond Conservation Area8 acres · Harwich Conservation Trust
Squantum Path Conservation Area7 acres · Harwich Conservation Trust
White Cedar Woods7 acres · Harwich Conservation Trust
Proprietor's Way Conservation Area6 acres · Harwich Conservation Trust
Chatham Rail Trail Extension4 acres
DirectionsMain Street Conservation Area4 acres · Town of Harwich
Conservation Land4 acres · Town of Harwich
Hinckleys Pond Conservation Restriction3 acres
Robbins Pond Woodlands3 acres · Harwich Conservation Trust
Town Landing3 acres · Town of Harwich
DirectionsSutphin At Island Pond Conservation Restriction3 acres · Town of Harwich
Herring River Marsh View Conservation Area2 acres · Harwich Conservation Trust
DirectionsWeston Woods Conservation Area1 acres · Town of Harwich
Weston Wood Road Conservation Area1 acres · Harwich Conservation Trust
Who protects it
966 conserved acres
19% of Northwest Harwich’s land. Water is left out: Northwest Harwich has 8.0 square miles of land and 1.2 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Northwest Harwich’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits194 ac
Town or city68 ac
Other state land32 ac
Not recorded785 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 610 acConservation Easement · 231 acWatershed Protection Area · 73 acPrivate Conservation · 55 acState Other or Unknown · 51 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 132 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 7 of 89 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herring River Woodlands Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 191 | Open |
| Herring River Greenbelt Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 84 | Open |
| Town of Harwich Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 78 | Open |
| Robbins Pond Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 72 | Open |
| Harwich Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 71 | Unknown |
| Cape Cod Rail Trail State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 51 | Open |
| Sand Pond Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 38 | Open |
| Coys Brook Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 36 | Open |
| Main Street Cranberry Company Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 34 | Open |
| Harwich Conservation Trust Private Conservation | Not recorded | 33 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
19 places to go in Northwest Harwich
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Northwest Harwich
Plus 5 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Swimming spots in Northwest Harwich
2 swimming spots without a name on the map.
Playgrounds in Northwest Harwich
Bells Neck Playground
DirectionsBoat launches in Northwest Harwich
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Northwest Harwich
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in Northwest Harwich
3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Northwest Harwich
1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
5 named trails and 9 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 12.5 mi
Ve Trail0.4 mi
HCT Trail0.4 mi
Island Loop Trail0.3 mi
Flax Pond Trail Alternate0.2 mi
Flax Pond Power Line Connector0.1 mi
Biking & sports
5.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.2 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
7Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Northwest 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 | 45 | 53 | 63 | 71 | 78 | 77 | 71 | 62 | 53 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 3.9 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 4.7 |
July is the driest month (2.5 in) and the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 4.7 inches fall in December, the wettest month. The climate in Northwest Harwich →
Next door
Northwest Harwich and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Brewster107 miHarwich73 miDennis53 miNorthwest Harwich34 miEast Harwich31 miHarwich Port4.4 miHarwich Center3.3 miDennis Port1.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Harwich | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Harwich | 19% | 3.5 | 114 | 95% | A+ |
| Harwich Center | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| 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+ |
| 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 Northwest Harwich
Where can I hike in Northwest Harwich?
The longest trail networks: Bell’s Neck Conservation Lands, 5.5 miles; Robbins Pond Conservation Area, 2.3 miles; Herring River Greenbelt, 1.4 miles; Sand Pond Conservation Area, 1.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Northwest Harwich’s trails?
Bell’s Neck Conservation Lands and Robbins Pond Conservation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Northwest Harwich?
5.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.2 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Northwest Harwich?
14,002 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Northwest Harwich or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 871 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Northwest 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 →