Old Rockland Fireworks Loop Trail

Forge Pond Park, 245 King St, Hanover, MA 02339, USA

https://www.hanover-ma.gov/parks-and-recreation/pages/forge-pond-park

Owned By: Town of Rockland

• Directions
• Trail Map

The Old Rockland Fireworks Loop Trail, on the Hanover-Rockland town line, offers a glimpse of the area’s industrial past. The wide, partially paved, 1-mile woodland trail is tucked away in a remote area. Visitors can access it from trails within Hanover’s Forge Pond Park, Rockland’s Summer Street Conservation Lands, and the Satucket Road neighborhood.

This property is easily confused with the Hanover Fireworks trail system, across King Street from Forge Pond Park. The Old Rockland Fireworks Loop remains open, while the Hanover Fireworks property is closed due to unexploded ordinance within its boundaries (detonation/removal process is underway). In earlier times, the Hanover Fireworks served as a manufacturer of defense weapons. Heavy metals, contaminated soil/water, and unexploded ordinance make the property very unsafe for visitors. Please respect the “Trail Closed” signs.

Features

Concrete structures, some covered completely with graffiti, present a stark contrast to this otherwise wooded landscape. Small waterways run along both sides of the trail, and occasionally you’ll see a concrete pipe or culvert as well.

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

This loop trail is wide, flat, and graded, composed mostly of gravel, although some sections are paved. The trailheads are not marked, but are clearly denoted on the map (see link above). There are three access points.
• A metal gate at the western end of the Clark Bog Trail at Hanover’s Forge Pond Park.
• The “red” trail that extends for a mile through Rockland’s Summer Street Conservation Lands, from the French’s Stream Trail at Hanover’s Forge Pond Park.
• A trail that begins on Satucket Road in Rockland.

Habitats and Wildlife

The woodlands that surround this trail include maple, birch, holly, pine and hemlock, plus plenty of fern. There is rough is a network of canals on site, the remains of industrial pursuits.

The property lies within the watershed of the Drinkwater River, which flows from Forge Pond, through Factory Pond, and into the Indian Head River. The Indian Head River is a major tributary to the North River.