The Bay Circuit Trail on the South Shore

Do you know about the Bay Circuit Trail? Originally conceived in 1929 as an “outer Emerald Necklace,” it’s a corridor of public open space properties that begins at the mouth of the Merrimack River in Newburyport, and extends in a wide arc around Boston via Lowell, Marlborough, Walpole and Bridgewater, all the way to Kingston Bay!

Bay Farm Conservation Area, Duxbury

Development of the Bay Circuit Trail proceeded slowly through the 20^th century, but kicked into high gear in 2012 when the Appalachian Mountain Club helped to complete and enhance the project. There are now more than 230 miles of multi-use pathways, linking 37 Massachusetts towns. Visit the Bay Circuit Trail website for detailed maps and narrative trail guides. (https://www.baycircuit.org)

 

Indian Crossway Conservation Area, Hanson

Here on the South Shore, the Bay Circuit Trail extends through Hanson, Pembroke, Kingston and Duxbury, for a total of 38 miles. That’s probably more that you’d like to explore in a single day, but hiking the Bay Circuit Trail would be a fun project to complete in stages. See below for details.

Lansing Bennett Forest, Duxbury

Also, don’t miss our 2023 Explore South Shore Challenge, Know Your Local Waters. Each week we feature a river, stream, pond or other waterway, and highlight public places you can visit to experience it first-hand. Watch for daily posts on Facebook and Instagram. The program also includes a weekly trivia question, with a chance to win a custom NSRWA prize package. 

Smith-Nawazelski Conservation Area, Hanson

BCT in Hanson

The Bay Circuit Trail (BCT) enters the South Shore at the Smith-Nawazelski Conservation Area in Hanson, crossing over Poor Meadow Brook from East Bridgewater. Parking is available at 482 Elm Street in Hanson. Continue following the trail through the Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area(382 Pleasant Street), Indian Crossway Conservation Area (199 Crooker Place), and The Last Meadows (53 Pierce Avenue). Watch for future BCT connections to Wampatuck Pond. In the meantime, the next stop is the Hanson Veterans Memorial Town Forest (723 Indian Head Street), followed by Camp Kiwanee and the Alton Smith Reserve. Along the way, you’ll pass from the Poor Meadow Brook (Satucket River) watershed, through the Great Cedar Swamp, and into the Indian Head Brook (North River) watershed. 

Tubbs Meadow, Pembroke

BCT in Pembroke

The Bay Circuit Trail offers a trail link between Hanson’s Alton Smith Reserve and Pembroke’s J.J. Shepherd Memorial Forest (483 Mattakeesett Street). The route continues past Great Sandy Bottom Pond and Little Sandy Bottom Pond to Tubbs Meadow (139 Monroe Street), where it then divides into two branches, north and south. While most of Pembroke’s Ponds are part of the North River watershed, at Tubbs Meadow, the Bay Circuit Trail passes into the Jones River watershed.

Pembroke High School Trails

The Northern Branch (Duxbury)

The Northern Branch of the final section of the Bay Circuit Trail begins at Tubbs Meadow and continues along the trails at Pembroke High School and Hobomock Elementary (81 Learning Lane). The next public property to visit along the way is Duxbury’s Ashdod Forest, which connects to Lansing Bennett Forest (262 Union Bridge Road), a huge property with significant BCT mileage. Then continue to the Duxbury Bogs on East Street, followed by Round Pond Conservation Area (480 Mayflower Street). The final stop, after a long stretch of Elm Street, is Bay Farm, where you’ll find an official “southern terminus” marker, plus some interpretive signage relating to the trail. This route takes you through three watersheds – the Jones River, the South River, and Kingston Bay.

Veterans Commemorative Town Forest, Pembroke

The Southern Branch (Kingston)

An alternate route for the final section of the Bay Circuit Trail proceeds through several properties in Kingston, nearly all in the watershed of the Jones River. From Tubbs Meadow, the BCT continues through Pembroke’s Veterans Commemorative Town Forest (School Street) and onward to Kingston’s Silver Lake Sanctuary (Barse’s Lane), the Cranberry Watershed Preserve (54 Lake Street), the Hathaway Preserve (83 Wapping Road) and Sampson Forest & Memorial Park (67 Elm Street). Again, after a long stretch of roadway, the trail concludes at Bay Farm on Kingston Bay (31 Loring Street, Kingston).

Silver Lake Sanctuary, Kingston

by Kezia Bacon

May 2023

 

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to protecting our waters. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. You will also find 26+ years of Kezia’s Nature columns there. For more information about the Explore South Shore 2023 Challenge, visit https://www.nsrwa.org/get-outdoors/2023-explore-south-shore-challenge

 

Great Playgrounds of the South Shore

Chances are, if you live on the South Shore, your town has an excellent playground. If you’re the parent, grandparent, or caretaker of a young child, you probably spend a lot of time there already. Ready to explore some different scenery? The aim of Explore South Shore is to suggest outdoor activities for everyone, not just hikers and paddlers. This month we’ve compiled a list of great playgrounds up and down the South Shore! On your next playdate, consider branching out and seeing what other towns have to offer.

 

The Get Outdoors section of NSRWA’s website features 66 different properties with playgrounds, skate parks or athletic fields, and each month we continue to add more! Make our website your #1 resource for discovering places to hike, play, fish, paddle, take photographs, … or just sit!

 

And don’t miss our 2023 Explore South Shore Challenge, Know Your Local Waters. Each week we feature a river, stream, pond or other waterway, and highlight public places you can visit to experience it first-hand. Watch for daily posts on Facebook and Instagram. The program also includes a weekly trivia question, with a chance to win a custom NSRWA prize package. 

Norwell

The wooded Gaffield Park, in the watershed of Second Herring Brook features multi-activity playground structures for younger and older children, with rubber underfoot. Also, short trails, a sledding hill, and access to Norwell’s Pathway, a paved bike and walking path. ADA access. Limited on-site parking at 68 River Street. 

Scituate

The Seaside Fun Playground features several modern play structures, swings, slides, a zip line, and a sloping hill. Fenced-in, with a rubber surface, it has sections for older and younger children. Located at 15 Henry Turner Bailey Road, in the Bound Brook watershed, next to the North Scituate MBTA. ADA access. Ample on-site parking. 

Cohasset

Located behind the Paul Pratt Memorial Library, in the James Brook watershed, the Cohasset Library Playground features a large climbing structure for older children, a smaller climbing structure for younger children, plus a rock wall, slides, swings, a rope ladder, and a sandbox -- fully fenced-in, with wood chips underfoot. Ample on-site parking at 35 Ripley Road. 

Hingham

The Hingham Community Playground, located in the Tower Brook watershed, is fenced-in, and contains a variety of play structures for toddlers and elementary-age children, such as swings, a sandbox, and slides, with sand and wood chips underfoot, and some shade trees. On-site parking at 10 Playground Road. 

Hull

The grassy, fenced-in Kenberma Playground features swings and play structures for toddlers and elementary-age children, with wood chips underfoot. Located in the Boston Harbor watershed, with limited perimeter parking at 435 Nantasket Ave. 

Weymouth

The tree-lined Weston Park, located behind Tufts Library, features two playgrounds, a picnic area, a butterfly garden, a nature observation platform, walking paths and athletic fields. ADA access. Ample on-site parking at 46 Broad Street. Part of the Smelt Brook watershed. 

Braintree

The 22-acre Watson Park, on the Monatiquot River, features athletic fields, a playground, and a seasonal splash pad, plus access to the (1-mile) Monqtiquot River Walk. Ample on-site parking at 2 Gordon Road. 

Abington

The recently-renovated Beaver Brook Playground on the Shumatuscacant River features swings, slides, climbing structures and sections for younger and older children, with rubber and wood chips underfoot. There is also a woodland trail and a small fishing pond. Limited on-site parking on Ralph Hamlin Jr. Blvd. 

Rockland

The sprawling Hartsuff Park Recreation Area, in the Cushing Brook watershed, features a playground, a 9-hole disc golf course, and a mile of nature trails, plus a swimming pond. Ample on-site parking at the 146 Hingham Street entrance. 

Whitman

The grassy, 14-acre Whitman Town Park, in the Shumatuscacant River watershed features a pond with a water fountain, broad walking paths, numerous benches and memorials, plus athletic fields and a playground. ADA access. Ample perimeter parking at 141 Whitman Avenue. 

Hanover

The Hanover Playground features areas for younger and older children, with swings, slides, climbing structures, plus wood chips underfoot. Trees around the fenced perimeter provide some shade. Located in the Indian Head River watershed. Ample on-site parking at 495 Hanover Street.

Marshfield

A fun and fenced-in Kids at Play Park, in the South River watershed, features swings, slides, tunnels, ladders, ramps, and numerous interconnected play structures, plus a climbing rock and a shade structure. ADA access. Ample on-site parking in Library Plaza.

Pembroke

The Birch Street Playground, in the Pine Brook watershed, features play structures for both younger and older children, fenced-in, with wood chips underfoot. There are swings, slides, a climbing web, a seesaw, as well as a 0.5-mile trail into the woods. ADA access. Large on-site parking lot at 160 Birch Street.

Duxbury

The spacious, fenced-in playground at the Duxbury Library features areas for younger and older children, with swings, slides, tunnels, climbing structures, and bouncing equipment, plus wood chips and rubber mats underfoot. Ample on-site parking at 77 Alden Street, in the Bluefish River watershed.

Kingston

Right Field Playground, designed for preschool and elementary age children with swings, slides and monkey bars, is fenced-in and has wood chips underfoot. Located directly behind the Reed Community House and Bailey Memorial Playfields, in the watershed of Halls Brook, with its own parking area and driveway on Landing Road. 

Halifax

The HOPS Playground, also known as the Halifax Open Play Space, is located next to the Holmes Library in the watershed of Stump Brook. Fenced-in, and designed for preschool and elementary aged children, it features swings, slides, climbing structures, and fun features such as a biplane, a seesaw, a tunnel, and a “treehouse.” The surface is wood chips and rubber. Ample on-site parking at 499 Plymouth Street.

Carver

The sprawling, contemporary Carver Community Playground is located behind the Town Hall, in the watershed of South Meadow Brook. It features play areas for older and younger children, both with rubber surfaces. Highlights include swings, slides, climbing structures, and a sandbox. ADA access. Ample on-site parking at 110 Main Street.

Plymouth

Forges Field, Plymouth’s largest athletic playing field complex, also features a large playground and a 1.5-mile paved walking trail. Located at 83 Jordan Road, in the Eel River watershed, with ADA access and ample on-site parking. 

by Kezia Bacon, April 2023

 

Kezia Bacon's articles appear courtesy of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a local non-profit organization devoted to protecting our waters. For membership information and a copy of their latest newsletter, contact NSRWA at (781) 659-8168 or visit www.nsrwa.org. You will also find 26+ years of Kezia’s Nature columns there. For more information about the Explore South Shore 2023 Challenge, visit https://www.nsrwa.org/get-outdoors/2023-explore-south-shore-challenge