Traverse hilly woodlands with lovely water views at Shallow Pond Woodlands in Falmouth. This 300 Committee preserve provides a great place to get your heart pumping on a trail run or a long hike through a quiet forest.

Though it might seem like most of Cape Cod is sandy and flat, several places in the Falmouth area prove otherwise. The glacier that created the Cape thousands of years ago also left the land behind it wrinkled and rocky, with surprisingly steep hills like those at Shallow Pond Woodlands. The trail at this quiet woodland preserve wends up and down those hills, between towering pines, and above the deep blue waters of Shallow Pond. Hikers and walkers, trail runners, and mountain bikers will find this a great place to get outside and get active.

The trails at Shallow Pond Woodlands connect with the neighboring Breivogel Ponds Conservation Area. Extend your walk here to get some extra miles in and explore two of the region’s most unique habitats side-by-side.

When the 300 Committee protected Shallow Pond Woodlands in 2017, it was the largest undisturbed parcel of land left in Falmouth. These woods provide a key link between Breivogel Ponds and more conservation land to the northeast, creating a corridor along which wildlife, from birds to frogs to deer,  can travel safely.

Springtime is a great time to explore Shallow Ponds. Its wetlands fill with the croaking of frogs, while salamanders squirm in the damp leaves below.

More than three miles of trail scale up and down the hills of Shallow Pond Woodlands. These trails can be steep and sometimes rocky, so be sure to watch your step along the way. (This property does not yet have a map for visitors, so please keep to established trails.)

Start your exploration on the green trail, which leads from the back of the parking area on Thomas Landers Road. After about a half-mile, the trail splits at a bench beside a marshy wetland. Take a left on the red trail to head southwest around the marsh and through groves of tall pines. When the red trail splits once more, take a right; the trails to the left, which head southeast, are unmarked and can be confusing to explore. The right-hand trail leads west, where it connects to Breivogel Ponds.

If you take a right at the marsh onto the green trail, you’ll find yourself on a loop that traces along the slope above Shallow Pond. Be sure to stop at the bench for a few minutes of peaceful water views.