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Farm Pond Preserve

Dog Policy

Size

27.2 acres

Description

When Oak Bluffs voters in 1992 purchased land for a new elementary school, they also purchased an abutting 17.5 acres of meadow, pond and wetland to serve as an “outdoor laboratory” for pupils. A conservation easement over this land was awarded to the land bank, which manages it both for student study and for general public enjoyment. A trail connects South Circuit Avenue and the school and then continues past the town wellfield into the Trade Wind Fields Preserve — a superb natural experience only minutes from Oak Bluffs center. Also available for exploration is the 9.7-acre knob of land projecting into the Farm Pond from the Beach Road.

Universal Access

Boardwalk in scenic preserve area
Viewing platform with bench next to boardwalk
  • Difficulty rating: Moderate
  • Trail: Access off South Circuit Avenue for 200’ mixed surface trail to boardwalks and viewing platform. Access from Oak Bluffs school for native surface woodland trails with minimal grade change
  • Points of Interest: Views of Farm Pond, meadow, woodland, and various boardwalks for coastal wetland viewing
  • Benches: 1

Access

Follow directions to the Trade Wind Fields Preserve (property no. 18). Signboard at trailhead describes trail link to the Farm Pond Preserve. In off-hours, and for universal access, parking is permitted at the Oak Bluffs school.

Historical Highlights

  • in 1733 a tannery was established on the shores of Farm Pond
  • in the 1800s the property was used for farming and grazing livestock; the land that is now the preserve continued to be farmed up until at least 1938

Trail / Property Map