Maple Swamp Conservation Area
Managed by Town of Sandwich
581 acres26.2 mi of trail
Craddock TrailJawbonesHome From The ForestWest South Hill+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Sandwich
Sandwich has 170 miles of mapped trails, 4.0 for every square mile of land
39% of Sandwich’s land is conserved, about 10,745 acres. 3,159 acres are parks and preserves, 154 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Maple Swamp Conservation Area (26.2 mi), Sandwich Game Farm (3.4 mi), Fisk Forestdale Lot (1.5 mi).
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #70 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
39%
10,745 acres · of 42.9 sq mi of land
Trails
170 mi
4.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,159 ac
154 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
88%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
10 mi
9.9 mi paths
Highest peak
279 ft
Telegraph Hill
Lakes & rivers
16
22 beaches · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Sandwich?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Sandwich have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Sandwich is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #70 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 Sandwich’s overall grade.
Conserved land39% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails4.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (170 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land154 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,159 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13AParks close to home88% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 76%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Sandwich’s 39% is ahead of 89% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 88% of them.
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 Maple Swamp Conservation Area, with 26.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Sandwich Game Farm
Nature preserve
131 acres3.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Fisk Forestdale Lot
Nature preserve
98 acres1.5 mi of trail
Peters Pond Drive TrailRecreation Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Discovery Hill Conservation Land
Nature preserve
54 acres1.5 mi of trail
Kettle Hole
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Lowell Holly Reservation
Nature preserve
163 acres1.1 mi of trail
Red Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Cook Farm Conservation Lands
Managed by Town of Sandwich
38 acres1 mi of trail
South LoopPond View TrailThat Dam Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Green Hill Cr
Nature preserve
17 acres0.8 mi of trail
The HammerTown LineChase MeMiguel
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Kelly Austin Cr
Nature preserve
12 acres0.7 mi of trail
Town LinePrimal ScreamPrimal WhoopNorth Ridge+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 35 parks & preserves
Maple Swamp Conservation Area581 acres · 26.2 mi of trail · Town of Sandwich
DirectionsSandwich Game Farm131 acres · 3.4 mi of trail
Fisk Forestdale Lot98 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsDiscovery Hill Conservation Land54 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
Lowell Holly Reservation163 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCook Farm Conservation Lands38 acres · 1 mi of trail · Town of Sandwich
DirectionsGreen Hill Cr17 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Kelly Austin Cr12 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Cape Cod Canal Access27 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsBoardwalk Beach138 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsWakeby Pond Access16 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Shawme Fish & Game Club Property13 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Sandwich Hollows Wildlife Management Area8 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Cahoon Property8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game
Triangle Pond Wildlife Conservation Area82 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Ahonen Property7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFreeman Property6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Oak Crest Cove Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSpringhill Beach62 acres
Sandwich Fish Hatchery46 acres
DirectionsSandy Neck Sandwich23 acres
Springhill Lot19 acres
DirectionsHog Pond Lot14 acres
East Sandwich Beach7 acres
Hamilton Cr6 acres
DirectionsScorton Creek Coastal Access6 acres
Rolling Ridge Park5 acres
Ploughed Neck Rd5 acres
Andersen Cr3 acres
East Sandwich Wtw3 acres
Sandy Neck Road Site1 acres
Sandy Neck Road Property1 acres
Mill Creek Park1 acres
DirectionsCaptain Cole Road Property1 acres
Who protects it
10,745 conserved acres
39% of Sandwich’s land. Who manages Sandwich’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land817 ac
Town or city525 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits276 ac
State parks231 ac
State conservation54 ac
State fish & wildlife16 ac
Private owners15 ac
State Conservation Area · 6,299 acLocal Other or Unknown · 1,994 acConservation Easement · 949 acState Resource Management Area · 767 acAgricultural Easement · 500 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 891 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 15 of 208 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Edwards Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 5,598 | Restricted |
| Shawme-Crowell State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 470 | Open |
| Cape Cod Land Bank Acquisition Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 396 | Open |
| Town of Sandwich Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 279 | Unknown |
| Sandwich Hollows Golf Club Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 249 | Restricted |
| Ryder Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 239 | Open |
| Maple Swamp Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 197 | Open |
| Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 185 | Open |
| The Ridge Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 147 | Restricted |
| Lawrence Pond State Resource Management Area | Other state land | 134 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
56 places to go in Sandwich
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Sandwich
Camp Burgess Waterfront
DirectionsEast Sandwich Beach
DirectionsPeters Pond at Oakcrest Cove Beach
DirectionsSandwich Beach
DirectionsScorton Neck Beach
DirectionsSnake Pond Beach
DirectionsSpringhill Beach
DirectionsSpringhill Brook
Directions1 more beach
Triangle Beach
DirectionsPlus 13 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Swimming spots in Sandwich
Peters Pond at Oakcrest Cove
DirectionsSnake Pond Beach
DirectionsWakeby lake at Ryder Conservation
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Sandwich
7 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Sandwich
4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Sandwich
Scusset Fishing Pier
DirectionsScenic views in Sandwich
Sam Nye's MountainIn Maple Swamp Conservation Area
DirectionsShawme Pond Overlook
DirectionsThe LookoutIn Kelly Austin Cr
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Sandwich
Telegraph Hill279 ft elevation
DirectionsDiscovery Hill253 ft elevation · In Discovery Hill Conservation Land
DirectionsFaunces Mountain141 ft elevation
DirectionsElephantback Hill66 ft elevation
DirectionsSagamore Hill56 ft elevation
DirectionsSpring Hill56 ft elevation
DirectionsTown Neck Hill49 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Sandwich
3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Sandwich
Camp HaywardFee
DirectionsScusset Beach Campground
DirectionsShawme-Crowell State Forest - Area 1
DirectionsShawme-Crowell State Forest - Area 2
DirectionsDisc golf in Sandwich
1 disc golf course without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 16 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 34.4 miUnpaved · 58.0 mi
Craddock Trail3.3 mi
Powerlines2.3 mi
Subdivisions2.1 mi
Jawbones2.1 mi
Red Trail1.8 mi
Freeman Cart Path1.5 mi
Home From The Forest1.4 mi
Town Line1.4 mi
Shawme Highway Trail1.2 mi
Hook, Line, and Sinker1.2 mi
15 more trails
The Sandwich Side North
1.0 miWest South Hill
1.0 miHoly Rollers
1.0 miJust Kidding Around
1.0 miNye Cart Path
0.9 miTee Pee
0.9 miBlueridge
0.8 miJacob's Ladder
0.8 miPillage and Plunder
0.8 miEndless Wire
0.8 miWing Cart Path
0.8 miSouthwest Sauce
0.7 miSasquatch
0.7 miScusset Beach State Reservation Trail
0.7 miPeters Pond Drive Trail
0.7 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
10 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
9.9 mi
off-road bike paths
0.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
22Tennis
9Baseball
8Basketball
6Pickleball
5Soccer
3Lacrosse
2Beach volleyball
2Multi-sport
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →7 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 13 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Town Hall Square Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1975
About itWing Fort HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itBenjamin Nye HomesteadBuilding · listed 1992
About itForestdale SchoolBuilding · listed 1997
About itJohn and Mary Waterman Jarves HouseBuilding · listed 2002
About itTown Hall Square Historic District Boundary IncreaseDistrict · listed 2010
About itJarvesville Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2010
About itSpring Hill Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2010
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Sandwich: 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 | 46 | 56 | 65 | 74 | 81 | 79 | 73 | 63 | 53 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 4.2 | 3.6 | 5.2 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 4.5 | 5.0 |
July is the driest month (3.0 in) and the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 5.2 inches fall in March, the wettest month. The climate in Sandwich →
Next door
Sandwich and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Falmouth221 miBarnstable Town202 miBourne188 miSandwich170 miMashpee121 miEast Sandwich14 miSagamore12 miForestdale7.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandwich | 39% | 4.0 | 154 | 88% | A+ |
| East Sandwich | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Bourne | 46% | 4.6 | 113 | 96% | A+ |
| Mashpee | 36% | 5.2 | 287 | 95% | A+ |
| Forestdale | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Sagamore | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Barnstable Town | 34% | 3.4 | 116 | 96% | A+ |
| Falmouth | 28% | 5.0 | 203 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Sandwich
Where can I hike in Sandwich?
The longest trail networks: Maple Swamp Conservation Area, 26.2 miles; Sandwich Game Farm, 3.4 miles; Fisk Forestdale Lot, 1.5 miles; Discovery Hill Conservation Land, 1.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Sandwich is conserved land?
39% 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 Sandwich’s trails?
Maple Swamp Conservation Area and Sandwich Game Farm don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Sandwich?
10 miles of bike routes are on the map: 9.9 of off-road paths and 0.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Sandwich?
45,711 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Sandwich or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,790 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Sandwich have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #70 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 Sandwich 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 →