Favorite Local Swim Spots

Last week’s high temperatures and humidity made it evident that summer has indeed arrived. Heat tolerance is not among my strengths, so in times like these, I try to remember that it often feels cooler by the water. A walk on the beach at the end of the day can be a lovely way to escape the heat!

 

But sometimes there are better options than a stroll by the sea. Extreme heat can zap energy as the body works harder to maintain equilibrium. A cool shower, adequate hydration, and resting in a shady spot with a fan are excellent ways to lower core temperature, as is immersion in water.

 

I read recently, in a Harvard Medical School publication, about a reliable US Army hack for combatting heat. Submerging your hands, forearms and elbows in ice water for five minutes will help move cooled blood back to your core. If you have more time and space, you might also take a cool bath ... or venture out for a swim.

 

But where? Not everyone enjoys the beach, or has access to a swimming pool. Ponds, lakes and rivers can also be excellent places to cool off. We’re fortunate in Massachusetts that the state routinely checks water quality at public swim spots and posts the results online. Save this link and use it when you’re planning a swim. The list below features public swim spots in our watershed and on the South Shore.

 

Note: If you’re planning to swim in salt water, be aware that this summer is shaping up to be above-average for jellyfish sightings. Lifeguards and harbormaster’s offices can provide up-to-date information on local jellyfish activity.

Maquan Pond

Maquan Pond in Hanson is a great place to go during swim season! Weather-permitting, and as long as there is adequate staff, the beach at Cranberry Cove is open daily from 11 am to 6 pm, until Labor Day. Daily and seasonal passes are available for Hanson residents as well as non-residents. Maquan Pond is a headwater to the Indian Head and North Rivers. Ample on-site parking on Camp Kiwanee Road.

Couch Beach

If you don’t mind a 0.4-mile walk, Couch Beach on the North River in Marshfield is a lovely spot for a swim at any tide, as long as you’re mindful of the current, which can be quite swift! Look for the trailhead on the right, about 2/3 of the way into Couch Cemetery (629 Union Street). Park on the asphalt, and follow the trail that begins behind the wide metal gate. It leads to a pine forest overlooking the river and its marshes as well as a small sandy beach.

Oldham Pond

Pembroke’s town landing at Oldham Pond features a seasonal swim beach with lifeguards, for both residents and non-residents. The 189-acre pond is a headwater to Herring Brook, a major tributary to the North River. On-site parking at 183 Wampatuck Street.

Rexhame Beach

Open to the public, Rexhame Beach in Marshfield offers access to both the ocean and the South River, with sandy beaches on both sides. Look for the path through the dunes, by the basketball court, to find your way to the river. There is a large parking lot at the end of Standish Street. Town sticker or daily fee required.

Stetson Pond Beach

Located in Pembroke, at the edge of the Taunton River watershed, Stetson Pond is a small, natural pond in a serene spot, perfect for a summer swim. It is open to the public. Limited on-site parking at 350 Plymouth Street.

Plymouth’s Ponds

There are 365 ponds in Plymouth and several of them are open to the public seasonally for swimming. Fresh Pond, at 220 Bartlett Road in Manomet, and Hedges Pond, at 166 Hedges Pond Road in Cedarville, have lifeguards. In addition, there are two ponds at Morton Park (Morton Park Road). And don’t miss College Pond at Myles Standish State Forest (194 Cranberry Road, Carver). Hours and regulations vary. 

The Fore River

Weymouth, Braintree and Quincy each offer a public beach with access for swimmers to the Fore River. Check water quality first, then consider the following public spots: Mound Street Beach in Quincy, George Lane Beach in Weymouth, Wessagusset Beach in Weymouth, and Smith Beach in Braintree.

Ocean Beaches

Many town beaches require a resident sticker to park in the summertime, but some welcome the public with paid (or in rare cases, free but limited) parking Check out: Bathing Beach (Hingham), Brant Rock Beach (Marshfield), Duxbury Beach Park, North Nantasket Beach (Hull), Nantasket Beach Reservation(Hull), Nelson Memorial Park (Plymouth), Peggotty Beach (Scituate), and Plymouth Long Beach.

 

If you enjoy the outdoors, be sure to check out NSRWA’s Explore South Shore program. Every morning, we highlight one of the region’s best public nature places on Facebook and Instagram. Every Tuesday, it’s a spot with water access. Not on social media? We’ve listed all the locations on our website as well!

 

See you on the rivers!

by Kezia Bacon

July 2026

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 thirty years of Kezia’s Nature columns there. 

Celebrate National Rivers Month!

June is National Rivers Month -- an annual celebration of the beauty and importance of rivers. In honor of this designation, which dates back to 2005, this month I’m highlighting a variety of ways to experience our local rivers. We have lots of them! The North and South Rivers watershed also includes the Indian Head, Drinkwater, and Herring Rivers. Nearby, there are the Gulf, Weir, and Fore Rivers, along with the Jones, Bluefish, Green Harbor, and two different Back Rivers. And plenty more! They are all worth celebrating.

 

Take a Walk by a River

There’s nothing like a trail with a river view! Consider Norwell’s Norris Reservation, on the North River, or take a stroll through the dunes at Rexhame Beach to enjoy the South River. Bare Cove(Hingham) and Great Esker (Weymouth) Parks both offer views of the Back River. Webb Memorial State Park in Weymouth has frontage on both the Back and Fore Rivers! One of my all-time favorites is the Indian Head River Loop, which extends from Ludden’s Ford Park in Pembroke, through the Tucker Preserve and Hanson’s Rocky Run, and along the Indian Head River Trails in Hanover.

 

Plan a Paddling Excursion 

NSRWA’s favorite local launch sites include the Francis Keville Footbridge (South River), the Marshfield Launch by the Union Street Bridge (North River), Driftway Conservation Park (Herring River), Pembroke Town Forest (North River) and the Hanover Public Launch (Indian Head). To learn how to safely plan and navigate a local river excursion, attend our upcoming Timing the Tidespresentations, or watch the video on Marshfield Community Media.

Charter NSRWA’s Pontoon Boat

Looking for an effortless and inspiring way to enjoy the North River? Consider NSRWA’s Pontoon Boat! Treat yourself and arrange a 2-hour tour for 6 people, with gorgeous landscapes, river views, and glimpses or natural wildlife habitat. Join us and make memories that will encourage you to return year after year. For a true celebration, be sure to pack snacks and beverages!

Learn About Our Local Rivers

In addition to our Timing the Tides presentations, NSRWA gives free public talks at local libraries, senior centers, and community hubs. Get to know the “Rich History of the North and South Rivers,” enjoy a “Photo Tour of the Rivers,” or challenge yourself with River Trivia. View our current schedule here.

osprey photo by Lisa A. Irwin

Observe Some Birds

In the summer, it’s quite common to see ospreys in flight along the North and South Rivers, and sometimes bald eagles as well. Snowy egrets and great blue herons are often spied in the marshes, and cormorants can be observed midstream. If you enjoy birding, bring your binoculars and visit a local river. Drive up and enjoy the view from Mary’s Garden and Rogers Shipyard in Marshfield, Driftway Conservation Park in Scituate, along with Damon’s Point on the North River, or the Sea Street Bridge on the South.

 

Make Art by the River

Our rivers are also very picturesque! Pause to enjoy the view and let your creativity run wild! Any of the aforementioned spots are likely to foster inspiration. Or check out Marshfield’s Red Gold Farm (Green Harbor River), Kingston’s Mulliken’s Landing (Jones River), Scituate’s Mordecai Lincoln Homestead(Gulf River), Braintree’s Monatiquot River Walkway, and many more.

Plan Your Own Clean-Up

Another way to celebrate National Rivers Month is to help keep our local rivers clean. Plan your own clean-up event or simply bring a trash bag to a local park or boat launch and collect everything that doesn’t belong there. Empty beverage cans, tangles of fishing line, plastic bags and bottles, errant flip-flops ... Keeping this stuff out of the water can really make a difference. Want to make it a group effort? We’ve created this handy guide.

Try Yoga at the River’s Edge

Way back in 1997, I established this annual outdoor yoga program because I hoped to combine my love of rivers with my love of yoga. Thirty seasons later, we continue to gather every summer along the North, South and Herring Rivers to stretch, breathe and relax together. Ready to give it a try? Check out the schedule. We’ve sweetened the deal this year by offering a free class to everyone who makes an NSRWA membership donation between January 1, 2026 and the end of our yoga season.

Challenge Yourself to the Great River Race

Another longstanding NSRWA tradition is the Great River Race, an 8.5-mile journey on the North River through Norwell, Marshfield, Pembroke and Hanover. All non-motorized craft are encouraged to register. Paddle with the incoming tide while enjoying lively community and spectacular scenery, with a picnic and awards ceremony immediately after. It’s happening Sunday, August 9th.

 

If you enjoy the outdoors, be sure to check out NSRWA’s Explore South Shore program. Every morning, we highlight one of the region’s best public nature places on Facebook and Instagram. Walking trails, boat launches, picnic tables, and even playgrounds. Not on social media? We’ve listed all the locations on our website as well!

 

See you on the rivers!

by Kezia Bacon

June 2026

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 thirty years of Kezia’s Nature columns there. 

A Milestone for South River Herring!

Until recently, a typical herring count at Veterans Memorial Park in Marshfield went something like this: stand at the edge of the river, stare down into the water, hope to see a fish, leave disappointed. Every spring since 2008, NSRWA’s Herring Count volunteers would return to Veterans Memorial Park in Marshfield, week after week from April to June, to repeat what could feel like a fruitless ritual. Very few ever spotted any herring. 

It’s hard to feel like you’re helping when you’re reporting a long string of nothing, but we kept going back -- year after year after year. Why? “Zeroes are data,” our science team reminded us. We were working toward something. And if it went as we hoped, the payoff would be grand.

 

We knew there were herring in the South River. Volunteers would occasionally observe small groups of them gathering below the fish ladder. But at our counting station at the top of the dam, we almost never saw them swimming upstream.

The South River at Veterans Memorial Park, as viewed from the bridge on Main Street.

 NSRWA has been counting fish at various sites on the South Shore since 2003 – first on Third Herring Brook, and later on streams in Pembroke, Scituate, Marshfield and Duxbury. The project helps us not only document the presence of herring, but calculate the impacts of fish ladders and dams. In 2012, we began working with the Town of Marshfield, its Veterans Commission, the MassBays program, and the state’s Division of Ecological Restoration to study the removal of the obsolete industrial dam at Veterans Memorial Park. After feasibility studies, design plans, and a whole lot of engineering to ensure that the park’s beloved water wheel and heart-shaped lagoon would be restored to full function, construction began at the end of 2024.

 

Dam removals are not simple. Time-of-year restrictions dictate when work can be done, so wildlife migration and reproduction will not be disturbed. Heavy rains and snowfalls cause delays. Plus, the work itself is fairly involved. At Veterans Memorial Park, the construction crew dug a temporary bypass channel in order to allow for fish passage during the migratory season without having to stop work in the river. Next, they diverted the river with temporary coffer dams, dismantled the industrial dam, and replaced it with a series of riffles and pools. These riffles are a nature-based but engineered solution to help fish swim upstream while also maintaining water levels in the lagoon. In addition, the walls of the lagoon were repaired and rebuilt.

Riffles and pools on the South River at Veterans Memorial Park in Marshfield.

The day the dam was dismantled was truly joyous. It was January, and quite cold, but that didn’t stop NSRWA’s staff from taking a field trip. We lined up on the Main Street bridge and watched for an hour as the crew used heavy equipment to break the dam into pieces and carry it away. What a milestone! But a more relevant measure of the project’s worth would be seeing how wildlife would respond. Aside from flood safety, and paying due respect to Marshfield’s Veterans, our primary goals with this project were to improve water quality, restore wildlife habitat, and reopen fish passage to the upstream half of the South River.

NSRWA staff at the South River dam removal!

Even in the absence of activity, herring counts can be meditative, with the soothing sounds of flowing water, the earthy scents of spring, the simple task of scanning the river, ever-hopeful that a fish will swim by. It can also be boring. And it can make you wonder incessantly if you’re doing it wrong. 

 

Last year was more of the same ... until the first week of May, when something spectacular happened. We had been trying to count herring from the Main Street bridge at Veterans Memorial Park, but it was nearly impossible to see through the rushing water in the bypass channel. I almost fell out of my chair when NSRWA’s Watershed Ecologist, Alex Mansfield, posted a video of the river a half mile upstream of the park. It was filled with herring! Hundreds of them! Responding immediately to the dam removal, they had raced through the bypass channel and traveled as far upstream as they could go. 

Herring swimming upstream of the dam removal site, May 2025.

Who knows how long herring have been swimming up the South River? Hundreds of years – maybe thousands? The earliest Colonial histories make note of them, and Native American tribes depended on them long before that. We rejoiced again in July when the coffer dams were removed and the South River flowed freely for the first time in nearly 400 years. Another milestone! And then all eyes turned toward Spring 2026. Would our historic herring populations make use of the restored channel?

 

All through April 2026, I peered down into the river from the bridge. Nothing. May arrived. Still nothing. With the final stages of construction still underway, we could only observe from a distance. Up to ten volunteers per day stopped by the site. We were in a staff meeting when the first positive report came through. I was so excited, I interrupted the conversation to exclaim, “Bob saw seven fish!”

 

Two days later, it was my turn to count. I’d been gazing into this river, in 10-minute stretches, for close to a decade. I’d seen herring elsewhere, so I knew what to look for. At first, it seemed like the same-old same-old, except every so often, I detected an odd splash. Even with polarized sunglasses, it was hard to see through the water, but then suddenly a cloud shifted, and three slender silvery-purple fish darted across my line of vision! Following them upstream, I saw four more. They were all swimming furiously against the current, navigating the restored river channel! Altogether, I spotted 14 herring. I could hardly believe it.

The author, counting herring at Veterans Memorial Park.

 A couple days later, I went back. This time, there were hundreds of fish, plainly visible from the bridge, and nearly impossible to count. Subsequent staff visits confirmed that herring were present in every section of the restored channel, and farther upstream as well.

Click here to view video of herring swimming in the South River at Veterans Memorial Park on May 8, 2026.

 

Herring begin their lives in freshwater streams. A few months after hatching, juveniles make their way downstream to the ocean, where they spend the next few years growing to maturity. When they are ready to spawn, they return to the streams of their birth, swimming for miles against the current. It is an arduous journey. Persistence is required. It’s an incredible thing to witness. 

 

River restoration requires persistence as well. Our landscape has been extremely altered. While we can’t return a river entirely to its former state, we can do our best to restore its ecological function, and hopefully bring back some of the species from centuries past. This begins with restoring and maintaining the river’s most basic function – its flow – and remaining vigilant with our stewardship.

 

The Veterans Memorial Park project is now in its final phase. A series of cosmetic and access improvements are well underway, with completion expected soon. NSRWA’s South River Restoration project continues as well. Two additional dams – at Chandlers Pond in Marshfield and at Temple Street in Duxbury -- are slated for removal. While we can’t be sure how long those projects will take, we look forward to the day when all of the South River is open again for migratory fish and the wildlife that depend on them!

 

If you enjoy the outdoors, be sure to check out NSRWA’s Explore South Shore program. Every morning, we highlight one of the region’s best nature places on Facebook and Instagram. Each spring, we highlight public places where to view migrating herring. Not on social media? We’ve listed all the locations on our website as well!

by Kezia Bacon

May 2026

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 thirty years of Kezia’s Nature columns there. For more information about the “That’s My Watershed!” Contest, visit https://www.nsrwa.org/2026-nsrwa-explore-south-shore-thats-my-watershed-contest-rules/

Why We Count Horseshoe Crabs

It’s the middle of the night, the moon is full, and you have waded shin-deep into the ocean, carrying a flashlight, and toting a plastic pole. The pole is connected with string to two additional poles. Standing 5 meters away from you, to form a square, are other volunteers, similarly equipped. Why? Because horseshoe crabs have returned for another spawning season, and it’s time to count them!

Every spring for the past 18 years, volunteers have conducted Horseshoe Crab Surveys at Duxbury Beach. Teams assemble during the new and full moon high tides of May and June to assess a long stretch of shoreline. Working systematically down the beach, they count horseshoe crabs, make note of their sex, and keep track of whether each crab is alone, in a pair, or in a cluster. Numbers vary, but last year the most populous survey revealed 63 females and 140 males!

It’s not always “beach weather” when the surveys take place. Nearly half of them are at night. Sometimes it’s windy. Sometimes it rains. Nevertheless, these surveys are probably our most popular Citizen Science opportunity, attracting participants from as far away as Boston and the North Shore.

 

Our volunteers are not alone out there. State-run surveys take place in 16 locations from Duxbury to West Wareham to the Cape and Islands, overseen by the Division of Marine Fisheries’ (DMF), often in conjunction with other citizen science groups. (Ours is a joint effort with MassBays and Duxbury Beach Reservation.) By documenting population trends, the surveys help DMF determine and fine-tune how to manage, conserve and protect local horseshoe crab populations.

Why do horseshoe crabs need protection? Overharvesting and habitat loss have resulted in a sharp decline in their population. They are also valuable as bait for the eel, conch and whelk fisheries. The pharmaceutical industry relies on a compound in their blood to check the safety of certain medical devices, drugs, and vaccines. From an ecological perspective, horseshoe crabs promote the overall health of the coastal zone – stirring up sediment on the ocean floor and oxygenating mudflats. They’re also an essential component of the food chain: their eggs are a key source of food for migrating shorebirds.

 While a mating horseshoe crab should never be disturbed, they can be intriguing to observe from a distance. During spawning season, they gather in large numbers in bays and coves with beaches that are at least partially protected from surf. The males arrive first, and wait for the females. The females release pheromones to attract the males. Then, clasped together, they head to shore. Females dig nests in the sand and deposit pearlescent clusters of eggs – 4,000 at a time – which males then fertilize. The process can be repeated multiple times. 

Which is good, because most of the eggs will be gobbled up before reaching the larval stage! Eggs that are not consumed by birds and fish will hatch about two weeks later, producing tiny, tailless horseshoe crabs that settle into the sandy bottoms of tidal flats for a year to mature, before departing for deeper waters. Over the next ten years, they continue to grow, molting numerous times before reaching adulthood, when the breeding cycle begins anew.

 Horseshoe crabs are protected in Massachusetts during their spawning season, which extends from April 15 to June 7. A state regulation bars their harvest during this time, with the hope that protection through such a critical and vulnerable period will result in a population rebound. Numbers have generally increased since statewide counting began in 1998, but with enhanced protections in place since 2024, we’re hoping to see even better results going forward. 

If you’d like to participate in Horseshoe Crab Counts this year, there are a few steps you can take right now. Sign up to volunteer with NSRWA. Be sure to select both Citizen Science and Horseshoe Crab Counts in your online application. And watch your inbox. Registration for this year’s required training (and counts) will begin in mid-April. We will share participant info with Duxbury Beach Reservation, our project partner.

 

In the meantime, if you enjoy Citizen Science, we would love to have your help with our annual herring counts, which began in late March and extend into June. Even if you miss the first week or two, we welcome you to the team. You’ll find a training session on our volunteer website, where you can also select your counting shifts.

 

If you enjoy the outdoors, be sure to check out NSRWA’s Explore South Shore. Every morning, we highlight one of the region’s best nature places on Facebook and Instagram. Not on social media? We’ve listed all the locations on our website as well!

by Kezia Bacon

April 2026

 

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 thirty years of Kezia’s Nature columns there. For more information about the “That’s My Watershed!” Contest, visit https://www.nsrwa.org/2026-nsrwa-explore-south-shore-thats-my-watershed-contest-rules/