In many respects, this 160-acre (64.7 ha), no-fee, public park could be the crown jewel of Falmouth’s parks and preserves. The park had a helpful map kiosk at the trailhead. Cross-meadow trails were kept mowed and were easy to discern. Forest trails had color-coded trail blazes, map displays, and directional signs. Trail grades were primarily easy. Surfaces were mostly mowed fields, forest floor, or compact earth, with occasional wooden bridges. Trail users included walkers, bicyclists, baby strollers, runners, and dog-walkers. Among the park’s amenities were paved and dirt parking lots, three portable toilets, six picnic table pavilions, and three well-kept, large, multi-sport fields. For all of its attractions, the park had no trash receptacles, as well as no signs to alert users to its apparent carry-in/carry out policy or to urge them to adopt it. Some dog owners simply tossed their plastic bags of dog feces into portable toilets or beside the trailhead. Other park users tossed their empty chip bags and other trash into the portable toilets. The park allowed dogs, but many owners blithely ignored the clearly posted town ordinance about keeping dogs leashed within 300 feet (91.4 m) of the parking lot. I admired this park’s natural beauty and I appreciated its extensive 4.2-mile (6.8 km) trail network; if it could fix its dog and trash disposal problems, I’d rate it higher.

In many respects, this 160-acre (64.7 ha), no-fee, public park could be the crown jewel of Falmouth’s parks and preserves. The park had a helpful map kiosk at the trailhead. Cross-meadow trails were kept mowed and were easy to discern. Forest trails had color-coded trail blazes, map displays, and directional signs. Trail grades were primarily easy. Surfaces were mostly mowed fields, forest floor, or compact earth, with occasional wooden bridges. Trail users included walkers, bicyclists, baby strollers, runners, and dog-walkers. Among the park’s amenities were paved and dirt parking lots, three portable toilets, six picnic table pavilions, and three well-kept, large, multi-sport fields. For all of its attractions, the park had no trash receptacles, as well as no signs to alert users to its apparent carry-in/carry out policy or to urge them to adopt it. Some dog owners simply tossed their plastic bags of dog feces into portable toilets or beside the trailhead. Other park users tossed their empty chip bags and other trash into the portable toilets. The park allowed dogs, but many owners blithely ignored the clearly posted town ordinance about keeping dogs leashed within 300 feet (91.4 m) of the parking lot. I admired this park’s natural beauty and I appreciated its extensive 4.2-mile (6.8 km) trail network; if it could fix its dog and trash disposal problems, I’d rate it higher.