Posted on March 27, 2015
by Pam VanDrimlen
I basically live on the Sandwich and Barnstable town line, so I decided with the area beating the record in snow totals, I might as well stay close to home and do these two towns I know so well. Again I am only highlighting a few trails for this series, but as I do others along the way I’ll be sure to share those too!
Boyden Conservation is owned by the Town of Sandwich and great for a quick walk. Located on Cotuit Road near its intersection with Quaker Meetinghouse Road. The trail loop is approximately 1 mile, but that is not the intrigue of the trail. The best part of this walk is the field visible just off the trail so you can’t miss it! You can use this field for ball play, training purposes, or just to add mileage to the trail walk by doing its circumference. Tucked way in the back of the field surrounded by woods is a very cool cemetery where Clue #1 was taken

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Cape Cod Canal in Sandwich! This side of the canal is blessed with picnic tables at the beginning with bathrooms (always important). Marked and well maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers, this asphalt walkway is 6.5 miles to the railroad bridge, so if you are feeling energetic you could complete all 13 miles! Just past the marina at the canal is the Welcome Center open “in season” with its own covered picnic area and walk to the jetty at the mouth of the canal.

If you “do the math”, if I have to visit 15 towns in 12 months I would have to combine two towns a couple of times right? This next Clue #2 was taken at Sandy Neck Beach in Barnstable
Located right off Route 6A, this beach is a six mile long barrier beach with both a trail along the marsh as well as paved trails. I learned a few new things about the beach after being a frequent visitor for many years. Run by the town of Barnstable, the upper parking lot land was donated by the Bodfish family and named in their honor as Benjamin Bodfish Park (parking lot by snack shack). You need a resident sticker for Barnstable or Sandwich to park or you will pay $15 for the day in season. Leashed dogs are allowed year round on the trail that starts from the guard shack (deep sand in spots) and on the off road beach (for which a special sticker is required-of course I have one). The main beach welcomes dogs September 15-May 15 and not during the summer months. One last note: the entire property allows hunting so be sure to check the season before heading out…. especially on the marsh trail . I have found it isn’t a hugely popular place for hunting so the risk is minimal.
There is a great book about the history of this area:
http://www.amazon.com/Luminaries-Early-West-Barnstable-Chronicles/dp/1626193150
Locals raved about Eagle Pond aka Bell Farm and Little River Sanctuary in Cotuit (a village of Barnstable) so I had to see for myself. I found a few parking lots, but the largest and most convenient is just off Route 28 on Putnam Avenue. Owned by Barnstable Land Trust, a private organization, the trails around the pond are beautiful and private. However, there is a spot that you must cross a private road (Little River Road) to access the rest of the trail, and a few spots were close to the main roads, so I was a bit nervous about that. The good news is that once you cross the street there is a lovely field lined with bird feeders where we found this funny post with distances to local and NOT so local places from the trail Clue #3. It cracked me up! We will definitely be back when all the snow is melted. Here is the link to the trail map.
http://blt.org/wp-content/uploads/TrailGuide-EaglePond.pdf

To learn more about the Barnstable Land Trust and how you can volunteer or donate to keep these lands pristine check out their website: http://blt.org/
There are plenty of eateries in both Towns, just a few to mention:
Sandwich: Café Chew has outside tables as soon as the weather turns as does the restaurants at Russells Corner; also not to forget the many ice cream stores some of which offer wonderful sandwiches as well -Ice Cream Sandwich; Shipwreck; Twin Acres, and Sweet Carolines. Pet Friendly Hotel=Sandwich Lodge Resort
Barnstable: Main Street in Hyannis offers many outside tables to eat and Barnstable village has the Barnstable Tavern with a courtyard and many wonderful take out spots where you can venture out to eat at the nearby marina. Pet friendly hotel: Comfort Inn, Hyannis