Indian Lands Conservation Area

We went to this Trail on April 23^rd of 2016 and it was closed, looks to be like it’s under repair.

This is a hidden gem — perfect for a quick stroll with the kids. It doesn’t get busy, even in season.
One of the areas by the Bass River is home to hundreds or not thousands of fiddler crabs. It looks like a clattering moving carpet when you sneak up on them and they scurry off.
It is well shaded and stays cool on sunny days. This also makes it buggy sometimes.
Good for 1 — 2 hours. Some surprisingly beautiful vistas given it’s location.
If you are looking for a longer hike, it is also traversed by power lines ROW and old rail road tracks, you could hike that for miles.

Love this place. Saw some lovely birds last time.
I recommend you wear socks and bugspray to protect yourself from ticks.

Oh my gosh, love this place. we go every day. there are about 5 routes you can take and it can be 20 minutes to two hours. The views of Bass River are lovely. I see Great Blue Herons and other amazing water fowl. All the dogs we encounter are super friendly too.

This is a great little nature walk with the trail head located at the Dennis town hall. You enter and walk down a sandy path until you reach a sign detailing the two trails — the Lady Slipper and the Nickerson Point. The Lady Slipper trail is a defined loop along the water that includes picnic tables and benches. We did this one first and then went on the Nickerson Point trail. That trail was a lot less marked and I am not even sure if we followed it exactly. It ended up at the river where there used to be a train track bridge. I assume that is the «Point» but honestly I am not sure. There were no clear markings. Here we climbed up on some rocks and listened to the water course over rocks, watched fish jump, ducks swim, and hawks sing to each other. It was lovely.
A couple of things to know before you go:
+ Bring bug spray! Holy horse flies.
+ The trails here a well groomed and maintained, looping down and around the Bass River for pleasant views of the water and local wildlife. The picnic tables are on the Lady Slipper trail about halfway, and would be a great place to have lunch.
+ This is not a hike, but a nature stroll, and we spent less than 2 hours on both trails, even with substantial breaks in the middle to enjoy the sights. Unless you’re going to jog the trail, it’s not exactly the kind of place you’ll break a sweat.
+ It is free! Yay!
+ It is dog friendly! Double yay!
+ The trails do not seem to be well marked. Like I mentioned above, we weren’t even sure if we completed Nickerson trail or if we had gone off course. We couldn’t find a working map online anywhere. This place isn’t that big and is virtually impossible to get lost on, but it would be nice to have an idea of where you are on a trail so you can make sure you see as much as possible.
+ It is super quiet, other than the happy chirping of birds. We saw one person the two hours we were there; granted it was a Monday on the off-​season, but still. If you’re looking for some cheap, family friendly quiet time to enjoy nature, this is a great way to do it.

as described in a local guide book «An Explorer’s Guide, Cape Cod, Martha’s Wineyard & Nantucket» by Kim Grant.
«The Indian Lands Conservation Area is behind the town office on Main St in South Dennis. This easy 2 mile round trip walk skirts the banks of the upper Bass River. In winter you’ll see Blue Herons and kingfishers; lady’s slippers bloom in May. From the northern end of the Town Hall parking lot on Main St, follow the power line right of way path for half a mile to the trail head.»
so it’s a bit different than what the guide book entails. it’s true, you find a sign in the parking lot and walk down a sandy path until you reach another sign that says you’re there. the sign then has TWO trails listed! the lady slipper trail is to the left and the nickerson point trail is to the right. also if you continued straight ahead instead of turning right into the conservation lands when at the sign, you could walk along the old railroad tracks and kind of parallel parts of the nickerson point trail. We did the nickerson trail first. it was a bit difficult to figure out if we were on a loop or not, as there were quite a few off shoots on the path. we took some turns here and there and may or may not have deviated from the path. not sure. but we did eventually wind up back at the beginning. then we did the lady slipper trail. that was definitely a more clear defined loop. also you ran across a few benches and a picnic table too. both trails had great views of the river and marshes. on the lady slipper trail, I saw ONE lady slipper flower! only ONE. it’s May not, but maybe they haven’t bloomed yet. Also I am not sure which trail is 2 miles or what? the lady slipper one seemed less than 2 maybe but the nickerson was probably longer than 2. love discovering new places for hiking/​walking and this is definitely one of those great «short» hikes to do when you are pressed for time, or just want something to fill an hour or so. we saw quite a few people walking with their dogs. would be nice to bring a picnic. it’s all woods and dirt paths. not strenuous, as in no big hills or anything like that.