Lowell Holly Reservation (TTOR)

Lowell Holly Reservation (TTOR)

The Trustees of Reservations Mashpee, Massachusetts 02649

Official Website
Lowell Holly Reservation map

About this Location

At Lowell Holly Reservation. wander along carriage roads and foot trails as you pass through groves of American holly that embellish this unique peninsula. After visiting the sandy shoreline along Lowell Holly’s two freshwater ponds, you’ll appreciate why the area was once called Conaumet, from the Wampanoag word “Kuwunut,” meaning “beach.”

Carriage roads follow the shoreline of Mashpee and Wakeby Ponds and pass through the peninsula’s beech woodlands. The shallow, sandy shores of both ponds provide an opportunity for cooling off when the weather is hot. Both ponds are stocked with fish. The narrowest portion of Conaumet Neck provides a spacious picnic site with tables that offer soothing views of the water. Lowell Holly’s most intriguing features may be its two peninsular knolls, one of which juts out into Mashpee Pond and the other into Wakeby Pond. Both vantage points offer spectacular views over these large ponds.

For several thousand years before European settlers arrived, the Cape Cod woodlands were home to Native Americans, who made a practice of periodically burning the forests to clear land for cornfields. After their arrival, European settlers converted most of the forests on Cape Cod into agricultural land or woodlots. But it appears that little or no activity, such as burning, plowing, or the felling of trees, has taken place for more than 200 years on the majority of land at what is now Lowell Holly. The result is a forest that has largely escaped the influence of humans and thus represents a unique natural resource for Cape Cod.

Open year-round, daily, from sunrise to sunset. Allow a minimum of 1.5 hours.

Notable Trails

4 miles of trails and former carriage paths. Moderate walking.

The AllTrails website has a description and map of a hike at Lowell Holly Reservation.

Features

  • Restrooms on site

  • Wheelchair accessible trail

  • Entrance fee

Content from Official Website

Last updated March 11, 2024