Donald Flaherty Trail

Town of Whitman: 781-618-9700

Owned By: Town of Whitman

• Directions

Whitman’s Donald Flaherty Trail is a 0.7-mile out & back trail through the woods and along wetlands.

Features

There are some old stone walls in the woods along the trails and also some culverts and pipes that suggest prior agricultural use. It’s possible that this is a segment of an old railroad bed or part of an old cranberry bog.

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

There is a large wooden sign at the trailhead, as well as a small metal sign. They are easy to miss! The trailhead is a little overgrown, but it opens up into a path that runs along an embankment several feet above the wetlands on either side. It extends for about 0.7 miles and then ends abruptly in the woods. There are some spurs off the main trail, but none lead very far. One spur leads to the St. James Cemetery. This could serve as an alternate access point, but it’s not easy to find the trail when entering from the cemetery …unless you know where to look!

Habitats and Wildlife

The trail runs along an embankment (probably an old road) through wetlands and into the forest. The trees are predominantly maple, oak, beech and pine, with some hemlock and lots of fern. Look for great blue herons in the marshy areas.

The wetlands and streams within this property drain to Meadow Brook, a tributary to the Matfield River. The Matfield River flows into the Taunton River.