Cape Cod National Seashore
Managed by National Park Service
3,739 acres6.1 mi of trail
Nauset Beach OSM Route
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: T.S. Custadio aka ToddC4176 at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Orleans
32% of Orleans’ land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 32% of Orleans’ land is conserved, about 2,936 acres. 25 miles of mapped trail cross Orleans, 1.7 per square mile of land.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #56 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
32%
2,936 acres · of 14.2 sq mi of land
Trails
25 mi
1.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
436 ac
68 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.6 mi
0.2 mi lanes · 2.0 mi paths
Highest peak
135 ft
Mill Hill
Lakes & rivers
26
60 beaches · 20 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Orleans?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild32% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.A trail town1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 91% of U.S. towns.Parks close to homeVirtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park.History along the way4 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Orleans have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Orleans is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #56 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Orleans’ overall grade.
Conserved land32% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (25 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land68 acres of park per 1,000 residents (436 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A−Parks 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 80%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Orleans’ 32% is ahead of 78% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 41% of them.
Water is 38% of Orleans’ area (9 of 23 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 20%.
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 Cape Cod National Seashore, with 6.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Kent's Point Conservation/Recreation Area
Nature preserve
31 acres1.9 mi of trail
River TrailCove Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Quanset Road Property
Nature preserve
21 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Putnam Farm Conservation Area
Managed by Town of Orleans
14 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Wilber / Hopkins / Rollins Property
Nature preserve
6 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Peck Conservation
Nature preserve
16 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Pahwah Point
Nature preserve
12 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bakers Pond
Nature preserve
15 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 88 parks & preserves
Cape Cod National Seashore3,739 acres · 6.1 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsKent's Point Conservation/Recreation Area31 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsQuanset Road Property21 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
Putnam Farm Conservation Area14 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Town of Orleans
DirectionsWilber / Hopkins / Rollins Property6 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Peck Conservation16 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsPahwah Point12 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsBakers Pond15 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Sparrow Conservation Area12 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Town of Orleans
DirectionsTovrov Conservation11 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Moore Property7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Cochran Land15 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Woods Cove Recreation & Conservation Area12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Henson’s Cove Conservation Area7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Orleans Conservation Trust
DirectionsSparrow/Areys Pond6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHenson Property4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Orleans Conservation Trust
DirectionsEarle Conservation Area9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Orleans
DirectionsTwinings Pond Conservation Area7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Rock Harbor Marsh6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHeyelman Property5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Shorewood Drive Conservation Area3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Cedar Pond2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Nickerson State Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Moerschner Property1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Sampson Island141 acres
Hog Island69 acres
Namequoit Bog Conservation Area22 acres · Orleans Conservation Trust
DirectionsCamp Viking19 acres · Olrleans Conservation Trust
Namequoit Road Conservtion Area16 acres
Nickerson Home15 acres
Hanvey Property12 acres
Hopkins Lane Gardens11 acres
Burke / Trainor Property11 acres
Stanley Conservation10 acres
Route 28 Site10 acres
Martin Property8 acres
Pilgrim Lake Recreation & Conservation Area7 acres
DirectionsSpeck Land7 acres
DirectionsSchofield / Williams Conservation7 acres
Salt Marsh Off Namskaket Rd6 acres
Mauche Property6 acres · Orleans Conservation Trust
Austin Smith Sanctuary6 acres · Orenda Land Trust
DirectionsSea Call Farm6 acres
Eldredge Park6 acres
DirectionsCroll/Garner/Lestage Conservation Restriction5 acres
Finlay Property5 acres
Seikel Property5 acres
Earle / Tarkiln Marsh4 acres
Hopkins Island4 acres
Payson / Parra Property4 acres
Earle Cr4 acres
DirectionsTovrov Property3 acres
Eli Rogers Road Conservation Area3 acres · Orleans Conservation Trust
Fox Ridge Drive Property3 acres
Hagenbuckle Property3 acres
Morrow / Jones Property3 acres
DirectionsLitchfield Property3 acres
Dean Property2 acres
DirectionsMeadow On The Cove2 acres
DirectionsBeilby Property2 acres
Howe Property2 acres
Beals Cr2 acres
DirectionsWindmill Park2 acres
DirectionsWildt Property2 acres
DirectionsDonham Property2 acres
Mackenzie Property2 acres
Kine Property2 acres
Burke Property2 acres
Ellis / Hart Property2 acres
Hopkins Lane Bog2 acres
64 Mill Pond Road Cr2 acres
Hannum Property2 acres
Areys Pond Cr2 acres
DirectionsSparrow Property1 acres
Young / Flint Property1 acres
Simmons Property1 acres
Proctor Property1 acres
Tarkiln Marsh1 acres
Dickinson Conservation & Recreation Area1 acres
DirectionsWindow On The Cove1 acres
Champlain Road Property1 acres
Payson Conservation1 acres
Morningside Circle Property1 acres
Kaitz Property1 acres
Welch Property1 acres
DirectionsCox Property1 acres
Hofe Property1 acres
Wineman Property1 acres
Who protects it
2,936 conserved acres
32% of Orleans’ land. Water is left out: Orleans has 14.2 square miles of land and 8.6 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Orleans’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
National Park Service419 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits343 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land322 ac
Town or city109 ac
State parks103 ac
State conservation48 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government6 ac
State Conservation Area · 1,824 acConservation Easement · 1,079 acPrivate Conservation · 257 acLocal Other or Unknown · 117 acUnknown · 103 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 427 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 87 of 289 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Cod National Seashore National Lakeshore or Seashore | National Park Service | 1,174 | Open |
| Orleans Water Supply Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 535 | Unknown |
| Cochran Property Private Conservation | Not recorded | 59 | Unknown |
| The George D. Hofe Memorial Conservation Area Private Conservation | State parks | 52 | Closed |
| Orleans Cemetery Local Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 41 | Open |
| Sipson's Meadow State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 40 | Open |
| Orleans Conservation Trust State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 34 | Unknown |
| Schofield / Williams Property State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 34 | Unknown |
| Kents Point Conservation Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 30 | Open |
| Quanset Road Property Private Conservation | Not recorded | 26 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
84 places to go in Orleans
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Orleans
Nauset BeachIn Cape Cod National Seashore
DirectionsNauset BeachIn Cape Cod National Seashore
DirectionsRock Harbor BeachIn Rock Harbor Marsh
DirectionsSkaket Beach
Directions60 beaches are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Playgrounds in Orleans
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Orleans
20 boat launches without a name on the map.
Peaks in Orleans
Mill Hill135 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
5 named trails and 26 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.6 miUnpaved · 15.0 mi
Nauset Beach OSM Route4.6 mi
River Trail0.4 mi
Cove Trail0.3 mi
Pomphos Trail0.2 mi
Woods Cove Trail0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Areys PondpondBaker PondpondBoland PondpondCedar PondpondCrystal LakelakeDeep PondpondFrostfish CoveGould PondpondIcehouse PondpondKescayo Gansett Pond (Lonnies Pond)pondLittle Bog PondpondMeeting House PondpondPaw Wah PondpondPilgrim LakelakePleasant BayQuanset PondpondSarahs PondpondShoal PondpondTwinings PondpondUncle Harvey PondpondUncle Israels PondpondUncle Seths PondpondWash PondpondKescayo Gansett RiverNamequoit RiverRock Harbor Creek
Biking & sports
2.6 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
2.0 mi
off-road bike paths
0.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
44Tennis
4Basketball
4Baseball
4Pickleball
2Soccer
1Football
1Skate park
1Multi-sport
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Orleans: 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 | 70 | 77 | 77 | 71 | 61 | 52 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 4.0 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 2.4 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 4.8 |
July is the driest month (2.4 in) and the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 4.8 inches fall in December, the wettest month. The climate in Orleans →
Next door
Orleans and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orleans | 32% | 1.7 | 68 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Eastham | 36% | 2.0 | 475 | 81% | A+ |
| Brewster | 29% | 4.7 | 247 | 99% | A+ |
| East Harwich | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Harwich | 19% | 3.5 | 114 | 95% | A+ |
| Chatham | 65% | 1.6 | 161 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Orleans
Where can I hike in Orleans?
The longest trail networks: Cape Cod National Seashore, 6.1 miles; Kent's Point Conservation/Recreation Area, 1.9 miles; Quanset Road Property, 0.9 miles; Putnam Farm Conservation Area, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Orleans is conserved land?
32% 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 Orleans’ trails?
Cape Cod National Seashore and Kent's Point Conservation/Recreation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Orleans?
2.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.2 of painted or protected lanes, 2.0 of off-road paths and 0.4 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Orleans?
15,751 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Orleans or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 497 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Orleans have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #56 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 Orleans 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 →