Bay Farm / Duxbury

The Bay Farm trail is an 80 acre land preserve located in Duxbury along the Kingston Bay. The acerage is comprised of land owned by Kingston, Duxbury, and the state. Upon first arriving at the trail, visitors are immediately drawn to the large open space that feels reminiscent of Turkey Hill or World's End. The simple Bay Farm trail network provides incredible views of Kingston Bay, the Myles Standish Monument, Clark’s Island, Gurnet Light, Rocky Nook and Saquish. The property has become a popular location in all seasons with dog-walkers, bird watching, fishing, and even cross-country skiing.

HISTORY

Duxbury acquired after the original onsite farm first in 1973. Although originally a dairy farm for the first half of the 20th century, a group of actors purchased the land and formed the Duxbury Playhouse. The Playhouse was a summer stock theater where plays were performed on a revolving stage until 1950. After Route 3 opened in the ’60s, and the population of the South Shore was booming, the newly formed Duxbury Conservation Commission mounted a campaign to protect open space and approached the owners of Bay Farm. In 1973 the sale was finalized and 44 acres were sold to the town.

Kingston waited nearly 15 years before buying 36.75 acres of the farm 1987, and the state bought the 7.75-acre strip of land in between around the same time. The property is managed jointly through a memorandum of understanding, which does allow dogs on leashes, but no horseback riding, motor vehicles, hunting, trapping, firearms, overnight camping, fires or new trails. Despite the restrictions, the property is well used and the trails are well maintained. The property contains artifacts of an 8,000 year-old Native American site, one of the oldest in the region, as well as artifacts of its later farming history. Landowners in Duxbury were farming the site as early as 1627. (source 2010 Wicked Local article)

TRAILS

• The trail leads through fields on either side of the town line, and both towns mow the fields in the fall to maintain their meadow condition.
• The 40 acres of meadow are a habitat for birds and make for excellent bird watching.
• There are two main trails: white and yellow.
• White trail leads through the field and down to the bay.
• Yellow trail crosses over into Kingston and is more wooded.