Damon's Point - North and South Rivers Watershed Association

299 Damons Point Rd, Marshfield, MA 02050, USA

Owned By: Town of Marshfield

Damon’s Point in Marshfield is a beautiful spot on the North River. A small town pier is located here, offering a fine scenic vista with wooden benches. On the western side, there is a small launch for kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards. Use extreme caution if paddling through, and past, Damon’s Point toward The Spit, because of dangerous currents.

Tide Math: High tide at Damon’s Point is about 20 minutes after the Boston high tide. Set off from here to go clamming!

The shellfish beds in both the North and South Rivers are officially open for the 2024-2025 season, which extends from November 11th to May 31st. Occasionally, temporary closures occur, due to pollution. (We will update this listing if that happens.) Please visit our Shellfishing page for maps and permit info.

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

Located at a beautiful spot within the North River estuary, this pier is a popular destination for photography and a nice place to watch the sunset.

From 1871 to the late 1930’s the Duxbury and Cohasset Railroad (later the Old Colony Railroad) traveled through Scituate and Marshfield. A portion of the railroad bed ran along the course of today’s Damon’s Point Road. The pier was constructed atop the remains of the railroad trestle. Look across the river to see the route the railroad traveled through the salt marsh, from Scituate. You can visit another portion of this old railroad bed at Herring River Trail in Scituate.

Building the railroad bridge at Damon’s Point was a major challenge. The river seemed bottomless, making it difficult to put the wooden support pilings in place. The first bridge was too low, preventing a number of vessels from passing beneath it, especially at high tide. After the 1898 Portland Gale washed the bridge away and destroyed much of the railroad bed in the adjacent marsh, the bridge was rebuilt at a higher elevation. It contained a removable section that was designed to allow larger crafts to pass. However removing this section often involved several days’ work by rail crews, interrupting regular train service. The bridge was replaced again in 1910/1911 with a man-powered drawbridge. This remained in place until rail service ended in 1939. It was removed in the early 1940s, but some of the pilings remain.

The Marshfield Hills railroad station was located at the inland end of today’s Damon’s Point Road, near the intersection with Summer Street. Adjacent to it was Herbert Macomber’s livery barn. Railroad commuters would leave their horses and/or carriages at Macomber’s for the day, while they traveled to and from Boston.

After train service was terminated, a portion of the railroad bed became Damon’s Point Road. Much of the original railroad bed has been preserved for public access as Marshfield’s Bridle Trail and Rail Trail. The section between the Marshfield Hills station (Summer Street) and the Seaview station (Station Street) does not currently offer public access.

This land is within the region of the Massachusett (or Massachuseuk). To learn more about local Native American tribes, we encourage you to interact with their members. The Mattakeeset band of the Massachusett, and the Massachusett tribe at Ponkapoag, both share information on their websites.

Trail Description

A small pier extends into the North River with a spectacular view.

Suggested paddling excursions from this location (timing is approximate and depends quite a bit on wind, tide, and your own strength and stamina):

• Put your boat in the water a little before ocean high tide and paddle upstream to Cove Creek. Explore the creek and then return downstream to your starting place. (2+ hours)

• Put your boat in the water an hour before ocean high tide and paddle upstream to the Marshfield Public Launch at the Union Street Bridge, then return downstream to your starting place. (2+ hours) Or stage a second vehicle at the Marshfield Public Launch and make it a one-way excursion.

• Put your boat in the water an hour before ocean high tide and paddle downstream to Driftway Conservation Park on the Herring River. Then return with the rising tide to your starting place. (1-2+ hours)

• Stage a second vehicle at Driftway Conservation Park. Return to Damon’s Point and put your boat in the water around the time of ocean high tide, then take a one-way trip to your second vehicle. (1+ hour)

Habitats and Wildlife

Many species of mammals, fish, and birds can be spotted wandering the river and the river’s edge. Look for raccoons, fox, and squirrels in the nearby woodlands and marshes. This is a popular spot to observe migrating shorebirds from June to September. Watch for the occasional harbor seal in the water. Bald eagles nest nearby, so you may see adults or juveniles. Also watch for peregrine falcons, which sometimes chase terns.

This property is located directly on the North River. Macombers Creek and Macombers Island are just east of Damon’s Point Road. The creek drains to the mouth of the North and South Rivers.

The North River rises from marshes and springs in Weymouth, Rockland and Hanson. It is approximately 10 miles in length, with its source at the confluence of the Indian Head River (Hanover) and Herring Brook (Pembroke). From there it flows through the towns of Hanover, Pembroke, Marshfield, Norwell, and Scituate to the Atlantic Ocean between Third and Fourth Cliffs, draining approximately 59,000 acres along the way.