Two Brooks Preserve - North and South Rivers Watershed Association

70 Prospect Rd, Plympton, MA 02367, USA

Owned By: Town of Plympton

Plympton’s Two Brooks Preserve is a 135-acre conservation property with 2 miles of trails through woodlands and wetlands, and along old cranberry bog access roads. The two brooks referenced in the name — Sawmill Brook and Whetstone Vineyard Brook — are both tributaries to the Winnetuxet River. Horse-friendly.

Bow hunting is permitted only in the Millstone Woods, in season. Bicycling and motorized vehicles are not permitted.

Features

In earlier times the area that is now Plympton was known as Wenatuxet. This is where the Winnetuxet River gets its name.

This land is within the region of the Wampanoag. To learn more about local Native American tribes, we encourage you to interact with their members. The Mashpee Wampanoag and the Herring Pond Wampanoag share information on their websites.

In recent history, this area was cranberry farmland. Eugene Wright’s Tales of Old Plympton indicates that there were mills nearby, including the c. 1849 California Mills on the east side of Prospect Road, and an earlier up-and-down sawmill at the same site, for which Whetstone Vineyard Brook was dammed in two places.

The Town of Plympton purchased this property in 2018, with support from private donors and Community Preservation funds. It opened to the public in 2022, after volunteers established the parking area, boardwalks and trails.

Trail Description

A 1-mile loop trail begins at the informational kiosk at the property entrance. The Sawmill Trail goes to the right and the Whetstone Trail goes to the left. They both pass through forest, and cross brooks and wetlands, before meeting in the center of the property where there is a cranberry bog, a reservoir, and additional wetlands. Cranberry bog access roads continue farther into the property, providing another mile of walking trails. Be mindful of poison ivy.

Habitats and Wildlife

Two Brooks Preserve features upland forest, low hills, wetlands, two brooks, a cranberry bog and a reservoir. It has been identified by the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program as one of the state’s Core Habitats as well as a Critical Natural Landscape. On the property, you’ll find pine, oak, beech, holly, and maple trees, along with sweet pepper bush and blueberry. Around the cranberry bog, look for such species as red-winged blackbird, red slider turtle, egret and great blue heron, along with ducks, geese and swans.

Sawmill Brook and Whetstone Vineyard Brook flow through the property. Both are tributaries to the Winnetuxet River. The Winnetuxet River originates in Carver, near the Cole Mill site, and flows west through Plympton and Halifax to the Taunton River.