Smalls Swamp Trail Map (click to enlarge)

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See the Hiking Trails web page for an interactive location map.

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Length: .7-mile loop
Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy to moderate, with some short but steep hills

Small’s Swamp Trail is one of two trails located at Pilgrim Heights, an area at the northern end of Cape Cod National Seashore that is reached via Pilgrim Heights Road. The road ends in a long, narrow loop, and there are large parking lots that hold approximately 80 vehicles on both the west and east sides. I have no idea why 160 vehicles full of people would ever come to this area because there is nothing here other than the Small’s Swamp Trail, the Pilgrim Spring Trail, and a few picnic tables.

One of two parking lots at the Pilgrim Heights area of Cape Cod National Seashore

Both trails are reached from the western parking lot, which is the first one you come to. Small’s Swamp Trail starts behind the lone picnic pavilion. A trail guide is available in a brochure box at the trailhead.

Start of the Small’s Swamp Trail at Cape Cod National Seashore

A sign warns of poison ivy, plus the woods on Cape Cod are known to be tick infested, so I recommend wearing long pants on all hikes within the park. On some trails mosquitoes and biting flies can be problems as well, with this being one of them. For the record, I did the hike in late July, so your bugs may vary.

Small’s Swamp Trail gets its name from Thomas Small, a man who ran a 200-acre farm starting in the 1860s. The farm eventually passed to his son, Warren, and remained in the family until Warren’s death in 1922. By then the land’s nutrients had been depleted and the farm was abandoned. Soon nature reclaimed the area, leaving no trace of human existence.

The trail starts off on a wide, gravel path through a pine forest. Posts that identify plants have been placed along the route.

Terrain at the start of the Small’s Swamp Trail at Cape Cod National Seashore

Just a few minutes into the journey the trail forks. This is the start of the loop, and while it makes no difference which way you proceed, I took a right and hiked around in the counterclockwise direction.

Start of the loop around Small’s Swamp at Cape Cod National Seashore

The general idea behind the hike is to take a walk around a swamp, which if you are hiking in the counterclockwise direction is to your left. However, at the start of the hike—at least in the direction I was heading—the trail goes nowhere near the swamp. In fact, after a quarter mile you will be on a bluff with a nice view of a small creek that flows out of Pilgrim Lake less than a half mile away. You can also see the ocean and sand dunes.

View of the creek, sand dunes, and ocean from Cape Cod National Seashore’s Small’s Swamp Trail

When on the bluff, you are on high ground, so expect to be heading downhill to reach the swamp. There are a number of small hills with what appear to be stairs embedded in them. These are actually erosion control devices designed to keep water from flowing quickly downhill and carrying away the topsoil.

Typical hill found along Small’s Swamp Trail at Cape Cod National Seashore

The trail eventually reaches Small’s Swamp at the west end of the loop and flanks it all the way back to the start of the loop. You’ll know that you are there when you reach a boardwalk. However, the swamp is pretty much filled in with vegetation and you have to look closely—at least in the summer—to catch a glimpse of any water. It’s certainly not a swamp in the Okefenokee sense of the word. Furthermore, it’s a mosquito nest in there, so be prepared to move quickly through the area. I even broke down and applied mosquito repellent, and I hate mosquito repellent.

Boardwalk on Cape Cod National Seashore’s Small’s Swamp Trail indicates that the trail is close to the swamp

The final leg of the hike is back up a steep hill. Soon afterwards you’ll be walking along a wooden fence on your way back to the start of the loop. Once there, take a right to return to the parking lot.

One last hill to climb on the Small’s Swamp Trail at Cape Cod National Seashore

While I loved the view of the creek, sand dunes, and ocean, the mosquitoes and flies made the overall hike miserable. Therefore, I can’t with a good heart recommend the Small’s Swamp Trail, at least not during the bug season. If all you want from the hike is a nice photo, take a walk out to the bluff and then turn around.

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