My love affair with the North River began in my mid-teens, thanks to the enthusiasm of a group of high school friends. Together, we spent a lot of time on the water, sometimes paddling canoes and rubber rafts, but more often sneaking onto someone else’s rope swing in an undisclosed Norwell neighborhood. In retrospect, it seems odd that we didn’t also enjoy the river by land.
We knew of only one trail, at Mass Audubon’s North River Wildlife Sanctuary. While we walked there regularly, apparently it didn’t occur to us that other, similar trails might exist. Couch Beach, now one of my favorites, was known to us only as Garbage Gut, the place where our classmates partied on Friday nights. Stetson Meadows, Corn Hill Woodland, and Nelson Memorial Forest all had been established more than a decade prior, but we were clueless. I still remember the day my friend Nancy learned about the Norris Reservation, and how excited she was to bring the rest of us there.
Almost forty years later, I’m an expert on local trails, excited to share what I’ve learned with anyone who will listen. Recently, an old friend was visiting from California. Aligning our busy schedules wasn’t easy, but when we settled on a Sunday afternoon to get together, we decided to go for a walk. It was so fun, to show her around a place she never knew existed, even though she grew up right down the road.
Here at NSRWA, we want to be that old friend who shares secrets about the best local nature places. Every day, our Explore South Shore program highlights a different spot where you can enjoy the natural world. Our Get Outdoors database features 500 public properties. We lead walks too, with quite a few scheduled for October, November, and December. Visit the Events page on our website to learn more and sign up.
This month’s article features some of the best local places to enjoy fall foliage. Here in the North and South Rivers watershed, the leaves are just beginning to turn. According to Massachusetts DCR’s Interactive Fall Foliage Map, our foliage will be “near peak” around the third week in October. Get out there and see it while you can! I recommend the following spots.
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| photo by Lisa A. Irwin |
• North Hill Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary: On-site parking on Mayflower Street, Duxbury.
• Chapman’s Landing: On-site parking at the end of Indian Head Drive, Hanover.
• Veterans Commemorative Town Forest: On-site parking at 565 School Street, Pembroke.
• Alton Smith Reserve: On-site parking on Camp Kiwanee Road, Hanson.
• Corn Hill Woodland: Look for the parking area between 1087 and 1147 Union Street, Marshfield.
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| photo by Lisa A. Irwin |
• Norris Reservation: On-site parking at 18 Dover Street, Norwell.
• McCarthy Farm: On-site parking at 829 Beech Street, Rockland.
• Emery Preserve West: On-site parking at 951 Ship Pond Road, Plymouth.
• Muddy Pond Wilderness Preserve: On-site parking on Bishop’s Highway, Kingston.
• Pond Meadow Park: On-site parking at 470 Liberty Street, Braintree.
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| photo by Lisa A. Irwin |
• Great Pond Trail: Park at Gifford Playground, 150 Thicket Street, Weymouth.
by Kezia Bacon
October 2025
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 28+ years of Kezia’s Nature columns there. For more information about the “Where in the Watershed?”/Postcards from the ‘Shed Contest, visit https://www.nsrwa.org/2025-nsrwa-explore-south-shore-contest-rules/
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