George Washington Forest - North and South Rivers Watershed Association

127 S Pleasant St, Hingham, MA 02043, USA

Owned By: Town of Hingham

George Washington Forest in Hingham is a 197-acre woodland with rolling hills and forested esker ridges. It offers both wide and narrow walking trails (3 miles altogether). Also known as the Hingham Town Forest, it is suitable for horseback riding.

Features

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 Massachusett tribe at Ponkapoag and the Mattakeeset band of the Massachusett share information on their websites.

Trail Description

There are about 3 miles of trails on the property. Most of them are marked. The wide T2 Main trail extends for about 0.8 miles from the entrance on South Pleasant Street to the intersection with the T1 trail, near Charles Street. It passes over some rolling hills, but nothing especially steep. Narrower side trails that extend into more remote parts of the property present opportunities to explore sharper inclines.

Habitats and Wildlife

The forest here is mostly pine, spruce and beech, with some oak and maple trees, wild blueberry bushes, and lush stands of ferns (in season). Beware of poison ivy! There is at least one vernal pool along the main trail, some maple swamplands, and a narrow stream.

Fulling Mill Brook flows through the northern portion of the property. Downstream, it flows together with Crooked Meadow Brook to form the Weir River, which flows north through Hingham, with Tower Brook and Accord Brook joining it in its first mile. The Weir River gradually turns northeast and flows for another 1.4 miles, through Weir River Farm and eventually into Foundry Pond. The Weir River Estuary, designated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as an Area of Critical Concern, begins just below the manmade dam at the pond. The mile-wide estuary — with numerous acres of undisturbed salt marsh — forms the border between Hingham and Hull, and empties into Hingham Bay. For more information about the Weir River, follow the Weir River Watershed Association.