Cape Cod National Seashore
Managed by National Park Service
10,982 acres77.4 mi of trail
Great Island TrailOld King's HighwayOld Kings HighwayAtlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail+1
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: Connor Williams · CC BY 2.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Wellfleet
More than half of Wellfleet’s land is conserved: 60%
60% of Wellfleet’s land is conserved, about 7,567 acres. 98 miles of mapped trail cross Wellfleet, 5.0 per square mile of land. 5,556 acres are parks and preserves, 1,262 per 1,000 residents.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #1 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
60%
7,567 acres · of 19.8 sq mi of land
Trails
98 mi
5.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,556 ac
1,262 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
7.7 mi
1.7 mi lanes · 3.5 mi paths
Highest peak
105 ft
Gross Hill
Lakes & rivers
23
62 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Wellfleet?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild60% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.A trail town5.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, among the top 1% of U.S. towns.Room to roam1,262 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.History along the way18 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Wellfleet have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Wellfleet is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #1 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs put Wellfleet near the top nationally; trail miles rank highest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Wellfleet’s overall grade.
Conserved land60% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%A+Trails5.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (98 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land1,262 acres of park per 1,000 residents (5,556 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)#1 of 283
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Wellfleet’s 60% is ahead of 99% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 96% of them.
Water is 44% of Wellfleet’s area (16 of 35 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 34%.
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 77.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
Managed by Mass Audubon
331 acres4 mi of trail
Bay View TrailGoose Pond TrailSilver Spring TrailFresh Brook Pathway+1
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Cape Cod Rail Trail
Managed by MA Department of Conservation and Recreation
26 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Fox Island Salt Marsh
Nature preserve
91 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Pilgrim Springs Woodlands Conservation Area
Nature preserve
29 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ralph & Dorthy Clover Conservation Land
Managed by Wellfleet Conservation Trust
8 acres0.5 mi of trail
Clover Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 25 parks & preserves
Cape Cod National Seashore10,982 acres · 77.4 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsMass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary331 acres · 4 mi of trail · Mass Audubon
DirectionsCape Cod Rail Trail26 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · MA Department of Conservation and Recreation
DirectionsFox Island Salt Marsh91 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsCannon Hill Park23 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsPilgrim Springs Woodlands Conservation Area29 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsRalph & Dorthy Clover Conservation Land8 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Wellfleet Conservation Trust
DirectionsThe Gut6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
MAS Wellfleet LI708 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Duck Creek (Dubeau) Cr4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Indian Neck Conservation Area29 acres
Wellfleet Bay28 acres
Moody"S Farm13 acres
Old Wharf Point10 acres
Sewells Gutter9 acres
East End Conservation Area7 acres
Mill Hill Island4 acres
Conservation Land2 acres
Lieutenant Is. Marsh2 acres
Breakwater Beach Ii1 acres
Belko Land1 acres
Rinzler Cr1 acres
DirectionsPilgrim Springs Woodlands1 acres
Drummer Cove1 acres
DirectionsGeiger/Godwin Land Lieut. Is.1 acres
Who protects it
7,567 conserved acres
60% of Wellfleet’s land. Water is left out: Wellfleet has 19.8 square miles of land and 15.6 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Wellfleet’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
National Park Service6,151 ac
State natural resources1,299 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits183 ac
Other state land153 ac
Town or city37 ac
State fish & wildlife18 ac
Not recorded1,104 ac
National Lakeshore or Seashore · 6,151 acConservation Easement · 1,504 acState Conservation Area · 959 acWatershed Protection Area · 153 acState Other or Unknown · 52 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 135 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 22 of 206 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 | 6,151 | Open |
| Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 327 | Open |
| Well. Bay Wildlife Sanctuary State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 164 | Closed |
| Chequesset Yacht and Country Club State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 107 | Restricted |
| Gull Pond Watershed Protection Area | Other state land | 107 | Closed |
| Fox Island Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 72 | Open |
| Massachusetts Audubon Society State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 36 | Unknown |
| Indian Neck Conservation Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 29 | Unknown |
| Browns Neck Road Swamp State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 29 | Open |
| Wellfleet Hollow State Campground State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 28 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
87 places to go in Wellfleet
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Wellfleet
Cahoon Hollow BeachIn Cape Cod National Seashore
DirectionsDuck Harbor BeachIn Cape Cod National Seashore
DirectionsGreat Pond BeachIn Cape Cod National Seashore
DirectionsGull Pond BeachIn Cape Cod National Seashore
DirectionsLecount Hollow BeachIn Cape Cod National Seashore
DirectionsLong Pond BeachIn Cape Cod National Seashore
DirectionsMaguire Landing BeachIn Cape Cod National Seashore
DirectionsMarconi BeachIn Cape Cod National Seashore
Directions4 more beaches
Mayo Beach
DirectionsNewcomb Hollow BeachIn Cape Cod National Seashore
DirectionsPowers Landing
DirectionsWhite Crest BeachIn Cape Cod National Seashore
Directions62 beaches are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Playgrounds in Wellfleet
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Wellfleet
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Wellfleet
Marconi Wireless StationIn Cape Cod National Seashore
DirectionsPlus 12 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Wellfleet
Gross Hill105 ft elevation · In Cape Cod National Seashore
DirectionsGriffin Island79 ft elevation · In Cape Cod National Seashore
DirectionsLittle Beach Hill13 ft elevation · In Cape Cod National Seashore
DirectionsCannon Hill0 ft elevation · In Cannon Hill Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Wellfleet
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Campgrounds in Wellfleet
Maurice’s CampgroundFee · Town of Wellfleet
DirectionsWellfleet Hollow State CampgroundFee · Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
DirectionsTrails & water
17 named trails and 23 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 37.1 miHorses · 11.6 miUnpaved · 56.6 mi
Great Island Trail4.8 mi
Old King's Highway1.8 mi
Bay View Trail1.4 mi
Old Kings Highway1.3 mi
Goose Pond Trail1.0 mi
Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail0.8 mi
Herring River Overlook Trail0.6 mi
Silver Spring Trail0.5 mi
Way 6720.4 mi
Clover Trail0.4 mi
7 more trails
Way 626
0.4 miWay 625
0.4 miFresh Brook Pathway
0.4 miTry Island Trail
0.3 miWay 23
0.2 miPamet Point Exit
0.2 miBike Trail Access
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Crowell PondpondDoanes Bog PondpondDuck PondpondDyer PondpondGoose PondpondGreat PondpondGull PondpondHawes PondpondHerring PondpondHiggins PondpondKinnacum PondpondLong PondpondNortheast PondpondPerch PondSilver SpringpondSoutheast PondpondSpectacle PondpondSquires PondpondTurtle PondpondWilliams PondpondHatches BrookHerring RiverMill Creek
Biking & sports
7.7 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.7 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
3.5 mi
off-road bike paths
2.6 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
20Tennis
7Pickleball
3Baseball
2Basketball
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →18 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Samuel and Minette Kuhn HouseBuilding
About itMarconi Wireless Station SiteSite · listed 1975
About itThomas Atwood HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itAhearn House and Summer HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itRowell HouseBuilding · listed 1988
About itPond Hill SchoolBuilding · listed 1989
About itWellfleet Center Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1989
About itPaine Hollow Road South Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1998
About itSaunders-Paine HouseBuilding · listed 1998
About itTownsend HouseBuilding · listed 1998
About itHinckley's Corner Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1998
About itAtwood-Higgins Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2010
About it6 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Wellfleet: 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 39 | 44 | 53 | 62 | 71 | 78 | 77 | 71 | 61 | 52 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 4.0 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 2.4 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.8 |
July is the driest month (2.4 in) and the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 4.8 inches fall in December, the wettest month. The climate in Wellfleet →
Next door
Wellfleet and its neighbors
Wellfleet has the most mapped trails of the 4 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellfleet | 60% | 5.0 | 1,262 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Eastham | 36% | 2.0 | 475 | 81% | A+ |
| North Eastham | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Truro | 77% | 3.7 | 5,157 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Wellfleet
Where can I hike in Wellfleet?
The longest trail networks: Cape Cod National Seashore, 77.4 miles; Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, 4 miles; Cape Cod Rail Trail, 1.4 miles; Fox Island Salt Marsh, 0.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Wellfleet is conserved land?
60% 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 Wellfleet’s trails?
Cape Cod National Seashore and Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Wellfleet?
7.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.7 of painted or protected lanes, 3.5 of off-road paths and 2.6 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Wellfleet?
28,236 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Wellfleet or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6,932 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Wellfleet have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #1 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 Wellfleet 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 →