Conservation Land/W Dennis Rd
Nature preserve
40 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
–Not graded
Outdoors in South Dennis
27% of South Dennis’ 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. 27% of South Dennis’ land is conserved, about 779 acres. 100 acres are parks and preserves, 32 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
27%
779 acres · of 4.6 sq mi of land
Trails
19 mi
4.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
100 ac
32 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
3.8 mi
3.8 mi paths
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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Cape Cod Rail Trail
Managed by MA Department of Conservation and Recreation
12 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Kellys Bay Overlook
Nature preserve
6 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 10 parks & preserves
Conservation Land/Old Chatham5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsConservation Land/W Dennis Rd40 acres
Johnny Kelley Park22 acres
DirectionsCape Cod Rail Trail12 acres · MA Department of Conservation and Recreation
DirectionsKellys Bay Overlook6 acres
Norse Lndg Marsh6 acres
Conservation Land/Windsor Ave3 acres
Town of Dennis1 acres
DirectionsConservation Land/Mayfair Rd1 acres
Conservation Land/Sheffield Av1 acres
Who protects it
779 conserved acres
27% of South Dennis’ land. Who manages South Dennis’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city45 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits4 ac
Not recorded775 ac
Watershed Protection Area · 663 acLocal Other or Unknown · 72 acLocal Historic or Cultural Area · 50 acLocal Park · 22 acState Other or Unknown · 8 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 25 of 43 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water District Land Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 304 | Unknown |
| Wd Land/Old Chatham Rd Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 117 | Open |
| Water Supply Protection - Dep/Ala Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 94 | Unknown |
| Water Department Land Old Chatham Road Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 82 | Unknown |
| Oak Ridge Cemetery Local Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 50 | Open |
| Water Supply Protection Dep/Ala Watershed Protection Area | Town or city | 45 | Closed |
| Water Department Land Old Chatham Road Watershed Protection Area | Not recorded | 43 | Unknown |
| Municipal Park Local Park | Not recorded | 22 | Open |
| Cape Cod Land Bank Acquisition Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 19 | Open |
| Town of Dennis Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 9 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
4 places to go in South Dennis
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in South Dennis
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in South Dennis
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in South Dennis
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
1 named trail
Named trails
Unpaved · 3.5 mi
Dennis Conservation Land Trust Trail0.1 mi
Biking & sports
3.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.8 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
4Tennis
3Baseball
3Basketball
1Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in South Dennis: 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 | 54 | 63 | 72 | 79 | 78 | 72 | 62 | 53 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 3.9 | 3.3 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 4.7 |
July is the driest month (2.5 in) and the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 4.7 inches fall in December, the wettest month. The climate in South Dennis →
Next door
South Dennis and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Yarmouth104 miDennis53 miSouth Dennis19 miSouth Yarmouth17 miYarmouth Port16 miEast Dennis14 miWest Dennis5.6 miDennis Port1.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dennis | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Dennis | 26% | 2.6 | 85 | 99%+ | A+ |
| East Dennis | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Yarmouth | 33% | 4.3 | 65 | 99%+ | A+ |
| West Dennis | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| South Yarmouth | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Yarmouth Port | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| 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 South Dennis
Are dogs allowed on South Dennis’ trails?
Conservation Land/W Dennis Rd and Johnny Kelley Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in South Dennis?
3.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.8 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near South Dennis?
16,924 acres of parks and open public land lie inside South Dennis or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 113 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from South Dennis 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 →