Austin Smith Sanctuary

261 Rock Harbor Road, Orleans and Eastham, Massachusetts, 8.5 acres – 2010

This 8.5 acre sanctuary is located in both Orleans and Eastham and is a portion an estate that had been in the donor’s family for over 350 years. Both parcels are in the Boat Meadow Creek vicinity and provide salt marsh habitat for wildlife, including a red maple swamp. The Orleans parcel is directly adjacent to the Cape Cod Rail Trail, the Town of Orleans picnic area and park, and 20 acres of Eastham conservation land. It also abuts a 16-acre property where a home once owned by the donor’s family is located. The sanctuary is named in memory of the donor’s family members who spent many hours at the Arnold Arboretum creating a very special landscape plan for this property and supervised the installation of every tree and ornamental shrub, creating a natural haven for birds and mammals.

Directions: 261 Rock Harbor Rd. Orleans: At the Orleans rotary on Route 6, exit 13, take the first exit going south on to Smith Road and turn left. Drive a short distance to the parking area on the right and park. Walk up the embankment on a dirt path to the bike path, climb over the fence and walk to your right. The sanctuary is to the east on the bike path about 100 yards on the right.