Parking at Hawksnest State park
There are no fees for admission, or for parking. No sticker is required. Off-road vehicles are prohibited.
Hawksnest Pond is difficult to reach by vehicle, because the dirt roads are so rough. It's recommended that you park at a distance from the pond, rather than run the risk of damage to your vehicle, or getting stuck. After wet periods, even the Harwich Police are reluctant to drive in, except in their SUV.
Drive through puddles slowly. Driving fast is what made them so deep.
There are two access points by automobile:
- Round cove road. (dirt). Puddles on the last half mile can be very deep, and persist for days after rain. Park at the low point (from where you can see the pond on your right). This is at the bottom of a steep hill, before you go up again. Avoid going all the way to the former parking area at the end of Round Cove Rd, because there's a nasty rock at the end, and because the old parking area is eroding. Parking at the end causes erosion and runoff into the pond, which threatens the water quality. You can also park several cars (half a mile away) at the junction of Round Cove Rd and Seth Whitfield Rd (Hawksnest Rd).
- Spruce Rd to Nathan Walker Rd (dirt) to a short spur that leads to the pond. Once on Walker Rd, drive a bit past the cemetery on your right, a few blocks from Spruce Rd. The road to Hawksnest Pond is on your left. There's parking for about 4 cars at the end of the road, if you can get that far. You can park several cars by the cemetery, or one where the fork branches down to the Pond. Again, because of erosion concerns, it's best not to drive all the way to the pond.
