Conservation Lands
Long Pond / FalmouthTown Forest
A deep, elongated kettle hole, Long Pond has been the town’s source of drinking water since the late 1800s. Pipes were laid for a private water company that was formed in 1898, and a few years later the town purchased the system. Long Pond is the only pond on the Cape that provides town drinking water.
It was once a popular spot for fishermen. Access to the pond is now restricted all year long, but in the 1930s, the state opened Long Pond for a week of fishing each June. It was a catch and release program; the small-mouthed bass and red and white perch caught by anglers were released into other ponds. In 1937, anglers reportedly caught 4,000 fish in that one week!
Today Long Pond is protected by 585 acres of conservation land, a mixture of forest and swampland.
Although Long Pond itself is off-limits to the public, nearby Grews Pond is open for swimming, fishing and kayaking or canoeing. The town maintains a beach at Grews Pond, with free parking available. Access is from Gifford Street.
The 3.5-mile dirt service road that circles Long Pond is open to the public. Because the kettle hole was formed at the edge of the glacial moraine, the terrain is smooth with gentle slopes on the southern side while the northern side has steeper, rocky slopes – more of a challenge for the walkers, runners and mountain-bike riders who frequent the service road. The service road connects to the Moraine Trail at the northern end of the pond, and there are several other trails that join the service road and allow access to Brick Kiln Road and Gifford Street.
Parking is available at Grews Pond and at the entrance to Goodwill Park on Gifford Street.
