While New England was spared the carnage that comes with being on the front lines in World War II, the war still left a mark on the region. In Sandwich, MA, the military took advantage of Sagamore Hill’s height and location to build an installation that would be charged with protecting the northern end of the Cape Cod Canal. These remains of the 241st Coast Artillery are easily accessible to visitors of the Scusset Beach State Reservation.
Parking and the Trailhead
To get to the remains, it’s best to park in the lot near the park headquarters. Depending on the time of year you visit, you may have to pay a park fee. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the fee is $14 per car with MA plates, and $20 per car with out-of-state plates. Of course, you can get more bang for your buck if you visit the beach afterwards.
Anyway, once you’re there, you’ll see a crosswalk on the main road. You’ll be met by the entrance of a trail on the other side. When I went, I was a bit out of it, and it took me a while to find the path. The big sign with the words “Sagamore Hill Historic Site” should have been a dead giveaway, but, well, I can be special like that. So that you don’t have the same problem, I’ve included a picture of the trailhead.
On the other side of the gate, you have the choice of going either right or left. To get to the ruins, go left. You’ll follow the trail through woods and marshlands for about a mile. There are signs along the way that describe the various types of trees native to the area.
The Remains
After about a mile, you’ll see a small clearing with a picnic table (of course, assuming the table is still there when you visit). Go to the left for about 100 feet, and then you’ll see that there’s a path on the right going straight up a hill. Follow that path up, and after a few hundred more feet, you’ll see the first remains.
As I mentioned in my Exploring Fort Taber Park, New Bedford, MA post, I’m not a connoisseur of military history or affairs, so if you are, and you noticed that I got something completely wrong, please let me know (in a comment below or my e-mail: [email protected]).
The ready rooms were the entrances to tunnels built in the side of Sagamore Hill and aided the troops with the moving of ammunition and supplies. I say “were the entrances” because they’re boarded up and blocked by earth. The state probably figured that overly curious people like myself would explore the tunnels and get hurt.
Right next to these ready rooms is the old foundation of a Panama gun mount. A 155 mm gun was positioned on the mount, and this 12-ton piece of field artillery had a range of over 20 miles. Each projectile it shot weighed over 120 pounds, and it could shoot up to four a minute. These guns helped protect the eastern part of the Cape Cod Canal.
The Top of Sagamore Hill
Walk twenty more feet up the hill and you’ll be at the top. Sagamore Hill’s historic significance is twofold: Not only was a World War II fortification built here, but it was also where chiefs of the Manomet and Wampanoag would hold meetings. Local fun fact: “Sagamore” means “chief” in Wampanoag.
It’s amazing that this unassuming hill has witnessed centuries, perhaps millennia of history. Walking up it, I tried to imagine what it looked like when it was still an active World War II base. Are the men who were stationed here still alive? Did they come from all over the country? Is there an old veteran, someone in America’s heartland, who remembers his service time in Sandwich?
Going even further back in my mental time machine, I wondered about the Native Americans who held meetings here. I tried to imagine the chiefs of the Wampanoag discuss and debate dealings with the newly arrived Europeans. Or, going back even further in my temporal reverie, I pondered possible pre-European tribal meeting debates. Were they about alliances? War with neighboring tribes? How to keep the peace? Just speculating on meeting topics kept me busy for a while. Thankfully, I had that view to admire while mulled over the possibilities.
If hills could talk…
More Remains
After I was through with my musings, I walked down the hill and discovered another Panama gun mount. A few steps down the path, there are more ready rooms. These ready rooms have overgrowth in front of them, including briars, so I decided not to venture too close.
After exploring the remains on Sagamore Hill, I slowly hiked back, giving myself enough time to soak in the sun, the smells of the forest, and contemplate the past.
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Looking for more things to do on Cape Cod? Check out these posts:
- The Knob, Falmouth
- Hidden Lawrence Island, Bourne
- Nobska Lighthouse, Falmouth
- The Sandwich Boardwalk, Sandwich
- Sagamore Hill, Sandwich
- Seal Watching
- 5 Free Things to do in Falmouth
- The Cape Cod National Seashore
If you like local hikes, you should check out these places:
- Ridge Hill Reserve, Dartmouth
- Hiking Simmons Pond in Little Compton
- New Bedford Harbor Walk
- Destruction Brook Woods, Dartmouth
- A Stroll at the Westport Town Farm
- Gooseberry Island in Westport
- Sandwich’s WWII Remains
- East Over Reservation, Rochester
- Natural Resources Trust of Easton
- Colt State Park, Bristol
- The Knob, Falmouth
- Blackstone Gorge, Blackstone
- Quequechan River Rail Trail, Fall River
- Lyman Reserve, Plymouth/Bourne/Wareham
- Lawrence Island, Bourne
- Meshanticut State Park, Cranston
- South Mount Sugarloaf, Deerfield
- Hiking up Mount Wachusett, Princeton, MA
Sagamore Hill is located in Scusset Beach State Reservation in Sandwich, MA.
Note: While most of Sandwich is on the other side of the Cape Cod Canal, there is a small section of the town on the mainland side. It’s in this small section where you’ll find Scusset Beach State Reservation and Sagamore Hill.
Check out our map of places we’ve been in New England!
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Interesting stuff…Thanks
Thank you. I hope you enjoyed reading!
It was a very intriguing adventure and pictures were wonderful.
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed reading!
Thanks for that. I enjoyed the post a lot. The shelters or ready rooms as you call them remind me of the shelters that British folk built in their gardens during the second world war, some of them still standing when I was a young. They were called Anderson Shelters, built out of bow shaped corrugated iron sheets covered over with earth. Not very big, just large enough for a family to get in during Nazi bombing raids. Great fun to play in as a 7 or 8 year old boy though.
I’m glad you enjoyed reading! It’s interesting to see the historic similarities between our two countries. Sounds like those shelters would definitely be fun to play as a kid!
How fascinating!! I love history and this is so cool! I never knew these remains existed.
I’m glad you enjoyed reading about them! It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area.
I’ve never heard of these at all! So interesting and I’m glad they’re still around so we can glimpse into history so we can prevent it from happening again. Great photos too!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed reading and learning about this place.
I loved this post. The history is amazing and it gave me goose bumps.
I’m glad you enjoyed reading! Thank you!
I am so happy I happened upon this post. I am heading to the Cape next week! I have another stop to add to my list.
I’m glad you were able to see it before your trip! I hope you get a chance to see it. Remember, this is on the mainland side of the canal. 🙂
It looks like a really pretty view from the top of the hill overlooking the bay. The admission price seems pretty steep for out-of-state visitors though. Was it worth it?
I went in April, before they started collecting a fee. I would say that if you go for a hike and go to the beach for a while, it could be worth it. (I’m not a beach person, so for me, it wouldn’t be.) But if you’re just going for the hike, and it’s during the tourist season, I would find a place to park outside of the park or ride a bike in. There’s a bike path that goes along the canal not far away.
I literally had NO idea that there were ANY WWII remains anywhere on the East Coast. Was thinking everything would have been in Hawaii or deaths associated with Japanese internment camps. If I ever get out to New England, I would definitely check it out!
There’s actually quite a few old remnants of WWII around here. Mostly defensive structures that were lookouts for Nazi subs. There’s a German sub that was sunk right off of the coast. They are cool places to check out!