QUICK TRAIL FACTS
- Preserve Size: 33 acres
- Trail Mileage: ~2 miles between the two
- Pets: yes
- Difficulty: easy to moderate
- Sights: small beach, woods, paved drive, ocean views
These are two small Georgetown walks I’ve put together because I think of them as post-dinner possibilities, a chance to digest your meal of fried clams and onion rings at Five Islands Lobster Co. Five Islands is a BYOB lobster pound that is popular in the summer because of its water views and yummy food.
But the walks are a destination on their own, especially the 27-acre Nature Conservancy’s Ledgewood Preserve, which includes a 0.4-mile seaside path along dramatic white cliffs. (Oranges and reds also streak through the rock.)
Ledgwood: The walk begins at a small parking area — big enough for about four vehicles — along the narrow Ledgemere Road. From this point, a 0.1-mile trail leads to a sandy beach and the remarkable white ledge that lines this part of the coast. Then I highly recommend returning to the blacktop lane of Ledgemere Road (marked in green on my map) and walking about 0.2 miles feet to a 0.4-mile blue-blazed on the left that will bring you along the seaside cliffs. Returning back along the lane brings the loop total to about 1.1 miles.
Ipcar, meanwhile, offers a short walk through gorgeous mossy woods. The paths, which add up to about 1 mile, are a bit steep in places, and rooty. If you play tennis, there’s a court at the trailhead.
Directions: To get to Ipcar from Route 127, use the upper parking lot in Five Islands, on the left before the wharf. At the far end is the trailhead. To find Ledgewood, turn right on Ledgemere Road off Route 127 when you’re close to Five Islands lobster pound. In 1,000 feet, park at the small parking area on the left—it is marked with a preserve sign. If there is no parking, return to the large parking area near the tennis courts.
