Veterans Commemorative Town Forest – Pembroke

Veterans Commemorative Town Forest, School St, Pembroke, MA 02359, USA

Pembroke Conservation: 781-293-4674

Owned By: Town of Pembroke

• Directions
• Trail Map

Veterans Commemorative Town Forest in Pembroke features a network of about 3 miles of woodland trails, on a hillside overlooking Silver Lake. A section of the Bay Circuit Trail extends through this property.

Hunting is not permitted on this property.

Features

Prior to European contact, the Patuxet band of the Wampanoag tribe inhabited the Jones River watershed, and the area now known as Kingston, Plymouth and Duxbury. This property lies within the upper portion of the Jones River watershed, and was likely part of the Patuxet’s territory. To learn more about local Native American tribes, we encourage you to interact with their members. The Herring Pond Wampanoag and the Mashpee Wampanoag share information on their websites.

Trail Description

Access the trail network from the parking area on Route 27, or walk in from various points at the Pembroke Community Middle School. There are 1.8 miles of primary trails — many of these are wide cart paths. There is also another mile or so of secondary trails. Some are quite steep! Head downhill for views of Silver Lake. Don’t miss the Silver Lake Overlook in the northwest corner. A section of the Bay Circuit Trail extends through this property.

Habitats and Wildlife

The woods here are composed primarily of pine, with some oak and beech, and plenty of ferns. The wetlands along the shores of Silver Lake provide some diversity.

Silver Lake is a 640-acre lake bordered by Pembroke, Kingston, and Plympton. It was originally named Jones River Pond, but it became Silver Lake in the 1800s, in a marketing effort to sell more ice from it. The lake is the principal water supply for the City of Brockton. It is part of the Jones River Watershed.

The Jones River finds it source at Silver Lake, and extends for 7.5 miles through the town of Kingston. Follow the Jones River Watershed Association for more information.