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Long Walks on Cape Cod
Copyright l996 Cape Cod Trails Conference
Dennis Pond in Yarmouthport
USGS Maps: Dennis, Hyannis
Trailheads: 1. East
side of Willow Street, one-half mile
north of exit 7 on Route 6, and one-half
south of Route 6A. Limited parking.
2. West side of Summer Street, facing Dennis
Pond, one-half mile south of Route 6A.
Ample parking, but off-season only.
Guide:
Note: Trailhead 1 has been closed by the Yarmouth police
because
they could not control the unlawful activities of homosexual
men
in the adjacent woods. Innocent walkers in the area were
thus
harassed and embarassed. The east end of the Dennis Pond
trails
is also posted as "closed, due to maintenance."
At Trailhead 1, park head in, facing the
fence. The trail
begins at the opening in the fence, and parallels the south shore
of Dennis Pond. Very soon, the trail splits. The left
trail
follows the shore of the pond closely and then rejoins the right
trail. Notice the Town of Yarmouth bounds on the trail.
The Town of Yarmouth has an excellent trail
guide to these
two trails, pointing out the native shrubs and trees along the
way. The exposed roots on the trail are reminiscent of the
Adirondack Park. In less than a half-hour, you will reach
Summer
Street. Trailhead 2 is to your left.
Walk south on Summer Street until
the utility right of way
is visible in front of you. A short, paved road, with a sign, "Old
Hyannis Road," goes off due south. Follow it past the utility
right of way, and continue past the drive to the pumping station,
past a private home, until you reach a scruffy area that looks
like it is or, or was a dump. It's a quarter-mile south of
the
utility right of way.
Bear to the left to pick up a foot path
heading slightly
southeast. Shortly, you will come upon a well-defined woods
road
running east and west. Head east about 200 yards, looking
for a
visible foot path (and mountain bike trail) to your left.
Now you are in for a wonderful meander
through the woods,
following a heavily-used, but unmarked trail. For about one
mile, the trail describes S curves north and south, but moves
gradually to the east. It traverses the hills between the
woods road to the south and the utility right of way to the
north.
You are walking in a watershed area for
Yarmouth. At one
point, early on, you will circle a huge water tower. As you
get around to the north of the tower, look for a foot path
heading due north, and follow it. The original trail now
circles west into private property where new homes are being
built. You will pick it up again heading east.
The trail ends at an intersection with
a wide trail that
has both red paint blazes and red wood diamonds on the adjacent
trees. Your trail is heading northeast at the time.
Make a
sharp right to follow the red trail to the southeast. On
your
left will be rope barriers and signs posting a shooting range.
The east-west woods road comes up shortly.
Head east on
the woods road about 200 yards, then follow the foot path that
goes to the southeast. You are continuing to follow the trail
with the red blazes and the red wood diamonds.
As you are walking along this trail, you
will hear the
sounds of traffic on Route 6 to the south. When you come
to a
T intersection, head north, following the red blazes and red
diamonds. The red trail brings you right into the middle
of
the Boy Scout Camp.
It has picnic tables, and that, of course,
makes it a nice
place for lunch. Leaving the camp on the main road to the
north,
you will shortly come upon the red diamond trail leading to the
right. It intersects an east-west woods road, follows it
east
for a bit, then heads north along the shore of Greenough Pond.
This is a pretty trail, that parallels
the main road.
Midway, it makes a sharp turn to the left, just before the
telephone lines, to join the main road. This appears to be
a
recent relocation, for on the other side of the telephone line
is
a climbing tower, enclosed by a high fence, complete with a wire
slide. It looks like fun, but obey the signs: "Do not enter!
No
Trespassing!"
You pass the "Wilderness" camping area
to your right, on the
shore of the pond. Then you come to the utility right of
way and
the railroad track. Walk east next to the track just past
Little
Greenough Pond to your left until you come to a foot path heading
north. Follow it around the pond as it curves to the west
and
intersects a north-south woods road.
Walk to the left, that is, south for about
100 yards to a
foot path on your right. On a tree to the left at the begnning
of this trail is a red and white "Visitors Notice." The trail
is
part of the trails system of the Historical Society of Yarmouth.
Follow it to a fork, then bear right, heading north and up the
steps. To the left are short trails to the shore of Miller
Pond,
noteworthy for lily pads and huge frogs!
You are on the main trail which takes you
to the gatehouse.
At same, you are requested to pay a trails fee. Available
at the
gatehouse is an excellent guide, called "Lands in Transition."
Continue to the back of the Bangs-Hallett House to view the
magnificent, 200 year old, weeping beech tree.
Reverse to the entrance, then walk the
right fork of the
main trail past the Kelley Chapel, which you will want to
inspect. It would be a wonderful place in which to be married,
should you be so inclined. Continue on the right fork of
the
main trail all the way to the shore of Miller Pond, and pause
for the view.
Then reverse to a footpath heading west,
which has a sign
on a tree identifying it as the "Pond Trail." This trail
passes
the cemetery, heading south, the curves west around the little
no-name pond, really a marsh, to the west of Miller Pond.
To your right, you will see a clear area,
and a foot path
that leads to it. In no more than 30 yards, you are on the
railroad track. Walk west to Summer Street, then south past
the
beach on Dennis Pond to the entrance to the Dennis Pond trail.
Trailhead 2, which you have just passed,
is used frequently
by hiking groups, off season. Walk the Dennis Pond trail
back to
Trailhead 1, on Willow Street, perhaps taking the shore trail for
variety.
The hike is no more than six miles from
Trailhead 1, and
thus five miles from Trailhead 2.