Johnny A. Kelley Recreation Area Braille Trail - Dennis, MA
Posted by: 
silverquill
N 41° 42.065 W 070° 09.581
19T E 403508 N 4617238
This is a 25-acre park with multiple recreational facilities, named in honor of world renowned marathon runner and local resident, Johnny Kelley. The Dennis Braille Trail here features interpretive signs for the visually impaired.
Waymark Code: WMGTW2
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 04/09/2013
Views: 6
This impressive park is one of the gems of the Dennis Recreation Department. One of its unique features is the
Braille Trail which has interpretive signs in Braille along its course.
This fitness circuit is .60 miles in its outer loop, with a flat, broad path. The state-of-the-art exercise stations are above average in difficulty, so this isn't as well-suited for the senior walkers, and certainly not appropriate for children. But it is a very pleasant place just for walking. No bikes, but pets are allowed as long as they are leashed. See
Cape Cod Athletic Club for further information.
There are three nest trail loops within the recreation area.
1). Small Loop 1748 ft. - .33 mile
2). Braille Trail 2046 ft. -.39 mile
3). Fitness Circuit 3079 ft. - .60 mile
The nearby set of tennis courts is fenced and well-maintained. There are several soccer fields and baseball diamonds, a set of three basketball courts. The Marguerite Ickis Playground features modern play equipment all made from recycled material. The picnic tables and grills are located next to a covered pavilion and rest rooms.
There is parking for 75-100 cars. The park is centrally located C\within the town with easy access from the Mid-Cape Highway (Rt. 6) at Exit 9.
The setting has maintained much of the natural wooded area, so the trails and fields give the feeling of that natural setting. There is still much undeveloped land within the park. All facilities are modern and well maintained.
For further reference:
Dennis Open Space and Recreation Plan
This recreation area is named in honor of local resident John Adelbert "Johnny" Kelley (September 6, 1907 – October 6, 2004) whose accomplishments in long-distance running are legendary. He twice represented the United States in the Olympics, 1936 and 1948. But it was his participation on the Boston Marathon, and other events, that endeared him to the hearts of people. He completed the Boston Marathon a record 61 times with first place finishes in 1935 and 1945, and placed second a record seven times. He ran his last complete Boston Marathon in 1992 at the age of 84. He is interred at the East Dennis Cemetery. (Source: Wikipedia: Johnny Kelley)