This 135-acre reservation is named for its donor, Abbott Lawrence Lowell, and its stands of some 250 native American holly trees (Ilex opaca), which grow naturally only along the New England coast. While the reservation is a rare example of a Cape Cod old-growth forest, it also reflects the horticultural tastes of Lowell, former president of Harvard University, who added scattered plantings of rosebay and catawba rhododendrons to the grounds. Later, Wilfred Wheeler, Sr., a former Massachusetts Secretary of Agriculture and an enthusiastic member of the American Holly Society, enhanced the landscape by planting 50 varieties of American holly.

Carriage roads follow the shoreline of Mashpee and Wakeby Ponds—both ponds are stocked with fish—and pass through the peninsula’s beech woodlands. The ponds’ shallow waters provide an opportunity for cooling off when the mercury rises, and two peninsular knolls offer spectacular views.

Lowell Holly has a swimming beach with no lifeguard on duty.

FREE to all.

Hours: Sunrise-Sunset

South Sandwich Road
Mashpee and Sandwich, MA 02649
Telephone: 508.636.4693
E-mail: southcoast@thetrustees.org

Get directions on Google Maps.

Memorial Day to Labor Day: The gate for limited seasonal beach parking is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 9am to 5pm. The gate may be closed once the lot reaches capacity or when staffing or weather conditions warrant otherwise. From Rt. 6, take Exit 2 onto Rt. 130 South and follow for 1.5 mi. Turn left onto Cotuit Rd. and follow for 3.4 mi. Then turn right onto South Sandwich Rd. and follow for 0.7 mi. Turn right onto unmarked road and follow to seasonal entrance and parking area (20 cars).

Year-round: Same directions as above, but, after turning right onto South Sandwich Rd., follow for 0.6 mi to year-round entrance and parking area (6 cars) on right. For immediate access to Mashpee-Wakeby Pond, visitors are advised to use the seasonal parking area when it’s in operation; Mashpee-Wakeby Pond is much further away along a circuitous trail from the year-round parking area.

To view or download a trail map, click here.

• Dogs must remain on-leash.
• There are no lifeguards on duty at the beach. Swim at your own risk.
• Campfires and charcoal grills are prohibited.
• No motor boats allowed to land on the beach.
• Mountain biking is permitted only on designated trails.
• The gate for seasonal beach parking is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 9AM to 5PM. The gate may be closed once it reaches capacity or when staffing or weather conditions warrant otherwise. The private driveway crosses private property. Please follow all signs. Year-round trail access is also provided at the 6-car lot on South Sandwich Road.
• Hunting is not permitted at this reservation. Learn more about hunting on Trustees properties.
• PHOTOGRAPHY: We ask that photographers or their clients become Contributing Level Members before conducting portrait sessions at this property. Click here for more information, and to request permission for any portrait sessions.
• The Trustees of Reservations reserves the right, and may give permission to its designated photographers and videographers, or to outside media, to photograph or video visitors and program participants at all its facilities and properties.