21Jul 2017 by southshoretrailsma@gmail.com

North River Audubon / Marshfield

The North River Wildlife Sanctuary is a 225-acre property located just over the North River into Marshfield. It is an incredibly unique site that covers the bases for all types of visitors regardless of age. The only catch? You have to leave your dog at home. The biggest selling point will vary depending on the visitor. People that love a great view will enjoy the dock overlooking the North River with sweeping views of Scituate, Marshfield, and the river. Bird watchers will be greeted with the opportunity to spy on several of their winged friends - including an occupied Osprey nest in the main field. Families are also very much at home during a visit. All of the trails are in great condition for a variety of abilities. While it...

30Jun 2017 by southshoretrailsma@gmail.com

Sumner Smith Overlook / Cohasset

Cohasset, Cohasset Conservation Trust, Trail

Sumner Smith Overlook is a very small trail with an incredible view. Located on Cohasset Harbor, the overlook gives you a beautiful view of Cohasset and parts of Scituate. The piece of land is located along Border Street near the Cohasset Sailing Club, town pier, and the Cohasset Lighthouse Keepers house. While there is no true parking assigned to this location, you can often get away with a few minutes either at the town pier or the lot associated with the lighthouse keepers house. There is also some public parking along Border Street which would require a very short walk back to the trail and overlook. The trail itself is located along the big rock and wooded area to the left of the house. While the path is well-maintained, there...

29Jun 2017 by southshoretrailsma@gmail.com

Weir River Farm Open Barnyard

Hingham, Trail, Trustees of the Reservation

Weir River Farm is a 75-acre working farm located in Hingham. The farm is part of an extensive trail network covering 5,000 acres and 10+ miles of trails that includes Whitney and Thayer Woods, Turkey Hill, and Wompatuck Park. Between April and October, Weir River Farm opens their barnyard on Saturdays from 10-2 pm. It is a great opportunity to get behind the fences and up close with the most popular farm residents. The farm is perhaps most well-known for their belted cows that can be seen from Rt 228 as you drive by. A visit to the farm will get you some quality time with the 4H volunteers that educate visitors with fun facts about the animals. What type of animals can you expect? Oh so many! One of...

29May 2017 by southshoretrailsma@gmail.com

North River Bird Watching Cruise

NSWRA

There is such an incredible difference between the perspective from land... and the water. On Memorial Day Weekend, we enjoyed a leisurely and informative boat ride with the North and South River Watershed Association. Although the weather was looking slightly questionable all week, the sun was out for our entire 2 hour cruise along the river. The NSRWA puts on one of the most distinct and unique event calendars that we've seen. Don't get us wrong - we love a good trail walk or plant sale... but the NSRWA events are really something special. Archeological Tour of the River? Walk to an 300+ year old damn? All prior events! In recent years the NSRWA bought a pontoon boat to really take their members from the banks of the river right...

08Apr 2017 by southshoretrailsma@gmail.com

Worlds End / Hingham

Hingham, Trail, Trustees of the Reservation

The 244-acre peninsula shares many of the features found on the harbor islands. Overlooking Hingham Bay, it is formed by two drumlins and has rocky beaches, ledges, cliffs, patches of salt marsh and an area of freshwater marsh. From the minute you arrive, it is clear why Worlds End is one of the most popular locations on the South Shore. If you do decide to visit, try to come on the earlier side of the day as the parking lot can get quite full. Feel free to bring your lunch or a snack to enjoy on any of the countless benches that are scattered throughout the property. TRAILS: As reflected in the map, the trail system consists of several main loops with some small alternate routes. A very large percentage...

26Mar 2017 by southshoretrailsma@gmail.com

Pape Reservation / Cohasset

Cohasset, Cohasset Conservation Trust, Trail

Pape Reservation is a 10 acre piece of land located off 3A in Cohasset. The conservation area is accessible from the Cohasset Water Treatment Facility parking lot. This is a very basic trail but does include access to Lily Pond and some quiet moments in the woods. Like many Cohasset and South Shore trails, you can expect to see some significant rock formations and stone walls criss-crossing the forest. TRAILS: The trails at Pape Reservation are fairly wide and clear of brush. Largely the paths consist of even terrain - but there are some parts with significant rocks that would make using a stroller very challenging. At the time of our visit, we also noticed at least 3 trees that had fallen across the trails. Cohasset Conservation Trust normally maintains great...

18Mar 2017 by southshoretrailsma@gmail.com

Ingram Park / Cohasset

Cohasset, Cohasset Conservation Trust, Trail

Ingram Park in Cohasset is a trail system on just under 30 acres of historic farm land. The land is protected and managed by the Cohasset Conservation Trust which purchased the most recent 6 acres in 2014. Eagle Scouts from Cohasset Troop 28 have been working on the planned trail system. Depending on the time of your visit, you have a high probability of seeing some wildlife. Due to our winter visit, it was evident that deer are frequent guests and we happened to come across a large family of wild turkeys. TRAILS: The trail system is very clearly marked and the trail map is accurate. Each trail offers varying geographic elements. Despite the simple network of the trails, significant boulders, roots, and smaller rocks make these trails largely impassible for strollers. POINTS...

16Mar 2017 by southshoretrailsma@gmail.com

Weir River Farm / Hingham

Hingham, Trail, Trustees of the Reservation

Weir River Farm is by far one of our favorite spots on the South Shore. There is something permanently amazing about a big red barn, farm animals, and old stone walls. If you are debating about whether to become a Trustees of the Reservation member, Weir River Farm should be the tipping point ... especially if you have children. The barnyard is your own personal menagerie of animals with sheep, goats, pigs, horses, llamas, chickens, cows, and even a bunny named Joey. In addition to being a place to visit for the afternoon, the Trustees offer many great educational and fun activities onsite. There are children's and teen barnyard programs, BYOB & art viewing events, sheep sheering festivals, and Christmas trees for sale in the winter. Frequently they have meat...

16Mar 2017 by southshoretrailsma@gmail.com

North Hill Marsh / Duxbury

Audubon Society, Duxbury, Trail

North Hill Marsh can best be described as a wildlife sanctuary within a town forest - and that is literally what it is. The 130+ acres Audubon property is situated within the Duxbury Eastern Greenbelt. The Greenbelt consists of approximately 1,000 acres of contiguous open space - so a true refuge from the hustle and bustle of life. The area is marked by oak and pine woodlands, cranberry bogs, and a 90-acre pond. TRAILS: The trails are well maintained but can vary wildly in terms of terrain and width. There is probably a decent path suitable for strollers however this location is really suited to those not worried about accessibility. Some of the trails we have been on are very narrow and surrounded by pine trees - and others loop around...

05Mar 2017 by southshoretrailsma@gmail.com

Two Mile Farm & Jose Carreiro Woods / Marshfield

Marshfield, Trail, Trustees of the Reservation

Two Mile Farm and Jose Carreiro Woods are two conservation sites directly next to each other in Marshfield off Union Street. While Two Mile Farm is a Trustees of the Reservation site, the Carreiro Woods are affiliated with the town of Marshfield. Although the Union Street entrance is easy to miss, this location is a great place to visit with a dog, friends or by yourself. When you combine the two trail networks, you can customize a walk ranging 1/2 mile to 2 miles. TRAILS: The trails are very well maintained and wide in most parts. The town of Marshfield has undergone an ambitious effort to document trail difficulty that is reflected in the map shown below. While some parts of the trail system are steep, much of the paths have a...