Cranberry Watershed Preserve

54 Lake St, Kingston, MA 02364, USA

Town of Kingston: 781-585-0500

https://sites.google.com/view/kingstonconservation/cranberry-watershed-preserve

Owned By: Town of Kingston

• Directions
• Trail Map

The Cranberry Watershed Preserve is a 307-acre property adjacent to Silver Lake High School in Kingston. It offers at least 5 miles of walking trails through woodlands and wetlands, and around retired cranberry bogs. Some trails are suitable for horses. The property abuts the Jones River, Pine Brook, and Howard’s Brook. The Bay Circuit Trail extends through the property.

Hunting is allowed, in season, by licensed persons in compliance with Massachusetts law. Please be sure to understand state and local hunting guidelines before proceeding. Non-hunters, be mindful of hunting seasons, and wear bright orange if you’re entering the property during those times. Hunting is not permitted on Sundays.

FISHING ADVISORY: It’s important to know that some of our freshwater fisheries are contaminated with mercury, PFAS and/or other concerning substances. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health maintains an online database with up-to-date advisories regarding fish consumption, sorted by location. We recommend you consult this valuable resource when planning a fishing excursion.

Features

This former agricultural property may be too large to explore in a single visit! There are some bridges and boardwalks within, plus numerous ponds, streams, retired cranberry bogs and wetlands. 220 acres of the property were acquired by the Town of Kingston in 1998 with assistance from the state. An additional 32 acres were acquired in 2016.

The cranberry bogs on site were established between 1940 and 1945. Totaling 22 acres, they were leased out and managed by a private company.

The Patuxet, members of the Wampanoag tribe, made their home in the area now known as Duxbury, Kingston and Plymouth. Numerous artifacts have been found throughout the region surrounding the Jones River. To learn more about local Native American tribes, we encourage you to interact with their members. The Mashpee Wampanoag and the Herring Pond Wampanoag share information on their websites.

Trail Description

This is a sprawling property with numerous intersecting trails totaling at least 5 miles, many of which are cart paths and old bog roads. There are some narrower footpaths as well, plus the cross country running course for Silver Lake Regional High School (blazed with with XC markers). The Bay Circuit Trail runs through this property. A map is strongly recommended!

You can access the trails from a small parking area on Lake Street. If you’re headed south, it comes up on the left, just after the athletic fields at Silver Lake Regional High School. Look for the small informational kiosk.

According to the Town of Kingston, “due to the recent Albertini annex, there is access with parking in three separate locations: on Grove Street, on Lake Street across from the Forge Pond Dam, and behind the Silver Lake Regional Middle School.”

According to Kingston’s 2015 Open Space and Recreation Plan Update, Three Rivers Basin, a 29-acre former cranberry bog along Pine Brook, connects the Cranberry Watershed Preserve to the Hathaway Preserve. Three Rivers Basin is permanently protected and open for public use. It provides an important corridor for wildlife between the two properties.

Habitats and Wildlife

Much of the land here is a forest of white pine and oak, with beech, maple, and pitch pine. There are also considerable wetlands, including several retired cranberry bogs. Some of the wildlife commonly spotted here include 4 varieties of turtle: spotted, snapping, painted and Eastern Box. Also freshwater mussel, wood frog, spotted salamander, deer, coyote, red fox, great blue heron, wood duck, and red-tailed hawk.

This property lies within the watershed of the Jones River, which flows through the western quadrant, near Lake Street. Pine Brook and Howard Brook, both tributaries to the Jones River, flow through the property as well. There are also two large reservoirs on site, named for the brooks. Follow the Jones River Watershed Association for more information.