HomeMy WebLinkAboutCape Cod Pathways Update 2025Cape Cod
Pathways Update
Date: July 14, 2025
Contributors:
Margeaux Doran
AmeriCorps Individual Placement 2025
Grayce Rogers
Property Manager
AmeriCorps Cape Cod Individual Placement
•Serves the Town of Barnstable Asset Management and
Barnstable Land Trust
•Inventory Cape Cod Pathways documentation
•See current Pathways conditions
Background
•November 1993, the Barnstable County Commissioners conceived Cape Cod Pathways
-Intent:
1.) Enable residents and visitors to enjoy and learn about natural and recreational, historical, and cultural values of Cape Cod.
2.) Enhance access for walkers and hikers to the Cape’s woodlands, ponds, beaches and historical villages.
3.) Foster the preservation of open space in order to protect scenic views, wildlife habitat and sensitive natural areas.
4.) Serve as a regional amenity, attracting visits to Cape Cod during all season of the year.
•Originally, all 15 Cape Cod Towns endorsed the Cape Cod Pathways project. However, throughout the years, each Town brought th e
project before their respected Town Councils and Select Boards, not all approved/passed the initiative.
•Thus, the county abandoned the initiative because the dream of one continued pathway from each end of the Cape ended.
•However, Barnstable endorsed the initiative, received funds from the county to hire a consultant for a plan to be drafted, a nd a plan
was approved by Town Council in 2003.
•Since then, sections of the pathways have been updated, but in its entirely. AmeriCorps Individual Placements over the years have
worked on the pathways with updates such as mapping, pamphlets, and surveys.
•For 2024/2025, the Town has had an AmeriCorps Individual Placement this conduct a survey of the Pathways to continue this wor k.
Objectives and Goals
•Main Goal: The trail plan is to identify and describe the most feasible east-west route for a dedicated walking
trail through Barnstable based on existing environmental and cultural factors.
Objectives
•To maximize inclusion of publicly accessible land and to minimize inclusion of private property.
•To minimize new trail cutting by maximizing use of existing paths, trails, and cartways.
•To provide buffers between the Pathways and private developed areas, such as residential subdivisions, wherever possible.
•To avoid wetlands crossings, steep slopes, and other sensitive natural areas wherever possible.
•To provide a variety of scenes and experiences.
•To minimize road crossings for safe walking; to cross traveled roads only where safe sight distances are available; to avoid walking o road
shoulders wherever possible.
•To provide occasional access to rest and refreshment facilities, such as restrooms and markets.
•To provide endpoints near likely inter-town and inter-model Pathway connections.
•To provide trailheads and parking areas convenient to residents and visitors anywhere in the vicinity.
•To include segments appropriate to coincide with potential disabled access recreational routes.
•To create loop trails off the central trail
Current Trail Conditions
•Kiosks
•Lots are broken, faded, or
outdated kiosks
•QR code on kiosks only go to
town website – not to maps
•Blazes
•Green blaze is hard to see
against foliage
•Blue blaze can look like town’s
purple blaze (Bridge Creek
Conservation)
Mapping / GIS
Cape Cod Pathways Map 1 Cape Cod Pathways Map 2
Mapping/GIS
Cape Cod Pathways Map 3 Cape Cod Pathways Map 4
Stakeholders
•Town of Barnstable
-Asset Management
-Conservation
-Public Works
-Planning and Development
-Information Technology
•West Barnstable Fire
Department
•Barnstable Fire Department
•Town Council
•Open Space Committee
•Barnstable Land Trust
•Cape Cod Community College
• Appalachian Mountain Club
•Barnstable Village Association
•West Barnstable Village
Association
•Any other environmental
Group/Association
Stakeholder Feedback
Stakeholder Feedback
Stakeholder Feedback
Stakeholder Feedback
Additional Comments:
•Improve trail maintenance with qualified volunteers
•Trails that are not official trails should not be on the map. Hiking through two
highway ramps, a rotary, an overpass, and two blinds turns is not a trail.
•A central contact needs to be designated for trail issues.
•Survey needs to be revamped due to limited data collection.
Recommendations
•Trail Blazing and additional Signage
•Kiosks
•Stewardship Guide
•Hikers Guide
•Open Space Links
•Remove BLT as main contact
•Additional Parking Areas