Get back out there: Great spring hikes on Cape Cod

Eric Williams, Cape Cod Times
·3 min read

I was autographing melons in the produce aisle of a Cape supermarket, part of a strategy to grow my brand, when a shopper asked me what I had been up to this winter.

This somehow cued a flashback, where all my cold season accomplishments appeared before me like a movie, the kind that no one ever chooses on Netflix. There I was, napping, drinking beer, trying unsuccessfully to repair the flap on my union suit and eating endless bags of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers. The crumbs were everywhere!

Well, friends, this has to stop. So, I have set a target date, March 19, that nicely coincides with the start of spring. As cod is my witness, I will get back out there, explore new places and revisit some of my favorite spots on the Cape. Why, I've even come up with a list, which I am billing as "Great Spring Hikes on Cape Cod." Here it is!

Rolf E. Sylvan Gardens Conservation Area, Chatham

Every spring I tell myself to get down to Sylvan Gardens in Chatham to see the flowers, and every year I forget to do it. The town of Chatham acquired the approximately 9.5-acre parcel about 20 years ago and with the help of a group called The Friends of Sylvan Gardens, has been working on improvements to the property.

According to The Friends of Sylvan Gardens website, Rolf Sylvan "established Lower Cape Nursery here mid-20th century. He planted extensive ornamental and native gardens and experimented with grafting and hybridizing flowers and shrubs. In spring, customers delighted in strolling through the gardens to view, select and order from thousands of blooming bulbs clustered throughout the gardens." Parking and access to the area are located on Old Main Street off Route 28 in West Chatham.

A giant rock along the Cliff Pond Trail in Nickerson State Park in Brewster.
A giant rock along the Cliff Pond Trail in Nickerson State Park in Brewster.

Cliff Pond Trail, Nickerson State Park, Brewster

As a noted pinchpenny, I love a good deal. That's where the Cliff Pond Trail at Nickerson State Park in Brewster comes in. As you may know, there is an in-season parking fee at splendid Nickerson State Park in Brewster, but it's only in effect from mid-May through the end of October. So, the early part of spring is a sweet freebie!

The trail offers a beautiful 3.2-mile loop hike around a 204-acre kettle pond with almost continuous water views and plenty of spots to take a refreshing early season dip. There are a few hills along the trail (and at least one giant rock), but it's generally pretty flat and easy. Parking is located at the end of Flax Pond Road.

Grassland at the Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area. The area consists of 2,466 acres in Bourne and Falmouth.
Grassland at the Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area. The area consists of 2,466 acres in Bourne and Falmouth.

Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area, Falmouth and Bourne

Last October, I made my first foray into the Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area, on a quest to summit Mt. Zig. It was an epic journey, but it just scratched the surface of hiking possibilities in the amazingly large (2,466-acre) area. I've got to get back there on another expedition this spring.

I really want to see Crane's sandplain grassland. At nearly 400 acres, it is "one of the largest warm season grasslands in coastal New England," according to the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, and, along with the adjoining pine/oak woodland, it's home to "more than 20 species listed as endangered, threatened, or of special concern under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act." Maps with trail and parking information are available on The 300 Committee's website.

A map of the Province Lands Bike Trail in Provincetown.
A map of the Province Lands Bike Trail in Provincetown.

Province Lands Bike Trail, Provincetown

I haven't hiked the Province Lands Bike Trail for a long time, mainly because it's a tough walk. But spring is the ideal time to take the trail on, because there are less folks out there, and the cooler temperatures are a big help. It's a 5.45-mile loop through the wild, wonderful Province Lands, with spurs that take you to Herring Cove Beach and Race Point Beach. I suggest parking and picking up the trail at the Province Lands Visitor Center.

Eric Williams, when not solving Curious Cape Cod mysteries, writes about a variety of ways to enjoy the Cape, the weather, wildlife and other subjects. Contact him at ewilliams@capecodonline.com. Follow him on X: @capecast.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Hiking Cape Cod: Great spring hikes to swing into the season