Great Neck Wildlife Sanctuary

Located in Wareham, Great Neck is truly a sanctuary for wildlife. Here you might spot an Eastern box turtle ambling along the trail or an osprey hovering over Bass Cove. The open forest provides shelter for ovenbirds and great horned owls while the salt marsh feeds wading herons and egrets. And, nearly the entire property is designated as priority habitat of state-listed rare species.

The 2.5 miles of trails follow old carriage roads and deer paths. As you walk along them, you’ll encounter native plants including blueberry, huckleberry and sassafras trees; pass by stone walls built by hand by the early settlers; and discover a large glacial erratic (a massive boulder deposited here by glaciers in the distant past) once used for quarrying.

Great Neck is more than an ecological treasure; it’s testimony of successful land conservation partnerships. Public and private conservation organizations, as well as private land owners, worked together to ensure that this special place will remain a wildlife sanctuary for all to enjoy. Members of this effective collaborative to protect the land include the Wareham Land Trust, Department of Conservation and Recreation, town of Wareham, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Mass Audubon.

Location:
Wareham, MA

This property is managed by Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary.

For more information:
508-636-2437
allenspond@massaudubon.org

Trail Hours:
Open every day, dawn to dusk

For Your Safety

• Reduce your exposure to ticks by staying on the trails and taking precautions before and after your hike.
• Hunting, fishing, and trapping are prohibited on Mass Audubon sanctuaries. However, we recommend that during hunting season you wear bright clothing and stay on trails.
• The best way to avoid poison ivy is to learn how to identify it. Thoroughly wash your skin, your clothes, and your shoes immediately after any possible exposure.
• Let wild animals feed themselves from nature, not your leftovers.
• Do not smoke anywhere on the sanctuary.

Help us make this a safe, clean home for the plants and animals that live here:

• Leave berries, plants, seaweed, shells, and stones where they are to serve wildlife and naturally be recycled.
• Please, no dogs or other pets allowed.
• Do not bring motorized vehicles or bicycles onto the sanctuary.
• Carry out everything that you carry in.
• Obey all posted regulations.

Admission:
Free