Hawk's Nest State Park

Sketch Map of Area

Park at a small parking area on Route l37 at Spruce Road,
just south of exit 11 from Route 6.  Walk west on Spruce Road
for 0.4 mile, and look for a foot path to the left, just past
the cable vehicle barrier.  Follow it to a ridge overlooking
Olivers Pond, about 0.2 mile.  Walk down to visit the pond.

Then backtrack to the dirt bike track that you crossed,
heading west paralleling the shore of the pond.  In another 0.2 mile,
you will reach a dirt road heading south.  It is Hawks Nest Road.  If
you miss the path to Olivers Pond, you will see this road joining
Spruce Road in 0.6 mile from the start.

Walk south on Hawks Nest Road for 0.4 mile from Spruce Road,
to an east-west track that is Round Cove Road.  Walk west on it to a
vehicle turnaround near the south shore of Hawks Nest Pond.  Walk
down to the pond for another scenic vista.

Then backtrack to the turnaround.  Look for a path heading
west, that has been thoughtfully provided for you by dirt bikers.
Follow this path as it heads southwest above the south shore of
Black Pond, then comes to a dirt road in 0.7 mile from Hawks Nest
Road.

Walk north on the dirt road to a triangle of roads.  Bear
right and follow the main dirt road going north.  It will pass
along the west shore of Black Pond and Hawks Nest Pond.  Originally,
we had this walk routed around Walkers Pond, but that old woods road
has been blocked.  The new route skirts the boundaries of the park
on a friendly and scenic dirt road.

Continue north for 0.6 mile to Spruce Road.  Walk east on
Spruce Road to the start.  The walk is about 3.7 miles.
 

Herring River

Topo Map

Park at the Sand Pond lot just north off Great Western Road.   Walk
south across the road from 001 to 002, then west on the utility right
of way or the Cape Cod Rail Trail to 003.  From there, pick up a
woodland trail that traverses Bell's Neck to 004 and 005.

Walk south on Bell's Neck Road to 006, then follow a trail around the
west side of  the cranberry bog to a woodland road leading to the Herring
River, and the fish ladder to the Reservoir, at 008.  Stop to inspect the
area, especially if the alewives are making their annual migration from the
ocean.

Circle around the bogs counterclockwise from 009 to 016 , then back to
008.  Walk the foot path to 017 and 018 at Bell's Neck Road.  Walk
out on the bridge to view the Herring River and the marsh.  A side trail
from 019 to 020 takes you to North Road and a footbridge for more
views of the area.  Return to Bell's Neck Road and the parking lot.
The walk is about four miles.

Note:  The following two short walks may be followed as a long
walk on the same day.  A shuttle is suggested from Headwaters
Drive to Depot Road, or vice versa.

Island Pond

Topo Map

Park behind Harwich Town Hall, which is 0.1 mile east of Route 124,
on Main Street (Route 39) in Harwich Center.  Easy access is from
Old Colony Road which runs behind the parking lot from Route 124
to Oak Street. 

From the parking lot (001), walk west on the Old Colony Rail Trail
past Island Pond Cemetery to (002), then north on a wide woods
road to (003).  Turn west on another woods road and follow it as it
meanders west.  In about one-quarter mile you come to an
embankment where the road turns north.  Walk up the rise, with the
lavender farm in view, then west immediately  to a T intersection (004). 
Walk southwest to (005) at the rail trail again, then immediately
northwest on a trail to the Cape Cod Rail Trail (006).

Follow the paved bike trail to (007), turn into the woods east to (008),
then follow the narrow path along side the abandoned cranberry bog
to the woods road at (009).  Head north to a triangle and east briefly
to an overlook and a park bench at the shore of Andrews Pond (010).
Reverse to intersect the Cape Cod Rail Trail again at (011).

You may continue north on it to a parking area at Headwaters Drive,
(114), or further to the Pleasant Lake General Store (not shown on
the map).  Then reverse to (011), and enter the woods again.  Walk
south to (009), southwest to (008), south to (012), then east past
the Lavender Farm to (013).  Return south to (002) and east to (001).

Thompson's Field

Topo Map

From (003), circle to the east, and follow a foot path north through
the woods to (004).  You may accidentally come out to a
service road running north and south in the watershed.  Simply
walk or ski north on it to (004).  Either way, go east to (005)
to rejoin the paved trail.

You may continue east as far as you wish, to Depot Road in
Harwich (006), and thence to Chatham.  On the way back you will
encounter the loop again, this time to the right.  Follow it briefly to a
 foot path heading due north at (007).  This is a nice detour through
the woods to (008).

In about a half-mile, look for a path heading west.  When you
come out in the clear in the north section of Thompson's Field,
you will see the parking lot for access from Route 39 (009).
From there proceed south through the scrub (010) to (011) to
rejoin the paved trail, and return to (001).