Recreation Park Drive Trail - North and South Rivers Watershed Association

300 Recreation Park Dr #5, Hingham, MA 02043, USA

Owned By: Town of Hingham

Hingham’s Recreation Park Drive Trail is named for the street on which it is located. This short loop trail (0.42 miles) extends through a hardwood forest, and connects Deerfield Road and Recreation Park Drive. There are several vernal pools on the property, as well as a scrub shrub wetland. It is very close to Route 3.

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

Look for the trailheads at the cul-de-sac at the end of Deerfield Road, and toward the end of Recreation Park Drive (just before the last building on the street). From Recreation Park Drive, follow the trail up a short steep hill. It soon levels out and extends through an open woodland, ending at Deerfield Road. Along the way, there is an intersection where a second trail loops back to the entrance. Altogether the trails here measure 0.42 miles. There are some moderate elevations.

Habitats and Wildlife

The woods here feature pine, oak, maple, beech, and birch trees, as well as some blueberries and flowering shrubs. There are several glacial erratic boulders on site, as well as some vernal pools.

A small stream on this property flows north to another small stream, which flows into the Plymouth River. The Plymouth River is a major tributary to Crooked Meadow River, which joins with Fulling Mill Brook to create the Weir River. The Weir River flows north through Hingham, with Tower Brook and Accord Brook joining it in its first mile. It 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.