Federal engineers also discovered the land mine area of suspected unexploded ordnance buried near a bike trail, Boles said. Close to the Norwell entrance to the park is the highest point in Hingham: Prospect Hill. The nearly 3,600-acre park contains more than 110 now-filled storage bunkers, including - according to the sites historians - one that housed parts of the Navys first nuclear depth charge. Wompatuck State Park- Main Entrance204 Union Street, Hingham, Ma 02043, Size: 3,526 acresHiking: 40 miles of trailsParking: Along Union Street, Visitor Center area, Orchard Triangle, Mt. Have you hiked or biked the loop at Wompatuck State Park? The ammo dumps (bunkers) are to the north and east and have been completely destroyed. Before that can happen, another restricted area no longer in federal hands must be restored to public use. In 1966 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts took possession of the Cohasset Annex property. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Parking: Two informal roadside parking areas, each for 3-4 vehicles, on Prospect Street in Norwell, close to the Hingham town line. Dogs: Dogs must remain on leash. The U.S. Navy deactivated the Cohasset Annex and in 1963 the land was declared surplus by the Navy. You feel as though you are deep within a forest with intermittent areas of meadows and ponds. In 1967 the Massachusetts Department of Natural Resources purchased the 3496 acres to convert it to a public park. Water from Mt. It could have just been some junk making it look like two areas. Our main concern is public safety, he said. For mountain bikers, the park is home to one of the longest section of switchbacked singletrack in the state. Leavitt Street, which once connected Cohassets Beechwood Area to Hinghams Town Hall, extends into Wompatuck and becomes Doane Street at the Cohasset town boundary. There are 12 miles of paved biking trails in the park, and many more miles . The caretakers / local authorities have seen fit to seal up or backfill much of what was at Wompatuck in the last few years, but it is still a good place to visit. At trail marker NN6 the route turns right onto another trail. For more Wompatuck history check out our newsletters. Theyd use them as echo chambers, recalled Friends member Steve Cobble of Quincy. Turn right on the rail trail and take the next trail to the left into the woods. Follow the paved trail to NN7 into Whitney and Thayer Woods. Cleaning up contamination resulting from ammunition and fuel storage and disposal has been a long story for the park, Boles said. a little known fact that many dont know about. In 1655, Chief Josiah Wompatuck, leader of the tribe, deeded the land, we now call Hingham and Cohasset, to the settlers from England. The trail system is well marked and the trail map is a very good representation of the park. hi guys ive been to the wampatuck resivation and there were many explorable bunkers and sites to check out 10 years ago. It has stands of White Atlantic cedar, American holly, chestnut oak, shag bark hickory, mountain laurel, pink dogwood, white pine, American Beech, and hemlock, some estimated to be 175 years old. the dog but I have also ridden a great deal of the mountain bike trails.The trail system is well marked and the trail map is a very good . PO Box 43 Most hotels are fully refundable. 43 reviews of Wompatuck State Park "Wompatuck State Park is a huge (something like 4000 acre?) Water from Mt. When World War II ended, this area reverted to maintenance status only. In 1941, the U.S. Navy acquired from private landowners all of the property in order to expand the already existing Hingham Naval Ammunitions Depot. This park is also the site of a glacial erratic, the Burbank Boulder. Water features include Cohassets Aaron River Reservoir which was created by damming the Aaron which flows east from Holly Pond. Walking though the park during a recent history walk sponsored by FOW Looking at a 1950s map of Wompatuck next to an old military bunker . (214 South Street) You cant beat that. There will be signs for Wompatuck State Park along the way. The rail spur entered the ammunition depot at its northern boundary near Leavitt Street and served military warehouses, a cluster of which were in the area of the spur and Leavitt Street. (Until 1775 when Cohasset was established as a separate town, it was part of Hingham.) Love Massachusetts? Land was acquired from private homeowners for the purpose of expanding the Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot nearby. A boat ramp allows access to Aaron River Reservoir for non-motorized boating. Many of these bunkers have been backfilled, but some remain exposed, including one which housed parts of the Navys first nuclear depth charge in the 1950s. Rich in history, this land was originally the property of Indian chief Josiah Wompatuck who deeded the land to English Settlers in 1665. The Friends of Wompatuck have made it a little easier to navigate with a downloadable map on your device that has a GPS locator. The materials disposed of consist of small arms ammunition, machine gun bullets, flares, incendiaries, irritants (gases), and grenades, Charette said. You can find it in a shed with an adjacent parking area, on Union Street in the park, between markers E14 and E1, not far from the Transfer Station area. Parking: Explosives such as TNT loaded depth charges, bombs, fuses, projectiles, and cartridges were produced and stored along with the assembly of rocket motors. There are several old military buildings on the property, as well as an abandoned railroad. More about park features and permitted uses can be found at mass.gov/locations/wompatuck-state-park. Remnants of buildings can often be found clustered near abandoned rail spurs. Both park users and officials look forward to a time when the burning grounds will be declared safe and the closed area will be open. There are ponds for fishing, and hunting is permitted in season. This 3,500-acre Massachusetts state park served as the Hingham Naval Ammunition Annex from 1941 to 1965. You will pass a raised area, which is the foundation for an old warehouse on the left side and follow the road as it turns to the left and stays left at a fork in the road. The water is tested frequently for safety. They're the ones who restored it and give tours, from what Ive heard. During the 1800s, families maintained woodlots to heat their homes. Inicio; Servicios. A risk assessment will determine how much remediation is needed. Whether youre bringing a tent, R.V., or trailer, you'll find plenty of space to enjoy the outdoors. For this hike, you will also go outside the park to Triphammer Pond and Whitney & Thayer Woods. Scattered throughout Wompatuck State Park are remnants of bunkers, railroad tracks, fences, and light posts. Follow the path along Triphammer Pond. Massachusetts prohibits the transportation of firewood into or out of any DCR campground. Read Expedia's guide to find out everything you need to know about visiting South Shore Art Center! Twelve miles of paved bicycle trails, in addition to miles of wooded bridle paths and hiking trails, offer lots of riding options. When the state restored the Greenbush line, local mitigation for building a new Cohasset station included constructing a rail trail from the station through the Whitney Thayer Woods to Wompatuck. Thus, any way you choose will be a great hike. Hingham, with its immaculately preserved homes from a bygone era lining Main Street, Central Street and the town center, seems worlds away from nuclear ammunition, bunkers and machine gun shells. In 1969 the park opened for limited outdoor recreational use, and in 1973 it was dedicated as Wompatuck State Park. Explosives such as TNT loaded depth charges, bombs, fuses, projectiles, and cartridges were produced and stored along with the assembly of rocket motors. Read more about camping at Wompatuck State Park. On the north, Whitney and Thayer Woods and Town land in Cohasset form the boundary. Email: info@nsrwa.org, Public Office Hours: The park's campground offers 262 campsites, 140 of which have electrical service. This entrance features a new ADA trail that connects via a boardwalk and a crushed stone pathway to established trails within the park. This park is said to contain approximately 600 acres. In addition to a large campground and an extensive trail system, the park is noted for the free spring water that can be obtained at Mt. Camping is open from mid-April until mid-October. The park is popular with campers and has more than 250 wooded campsites (some with electricity). This entrance features occasional benches and interpretive signs. . Compare 2,301 hotels, room rates, hotel reviews and availability. Avoid riding on the trails in wet conditions. Campsite fee is $17/night for Mass . The park is built on the former Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot Annex (known by natives as the "Cohasset Annex"), which was in use from 1941 until 1965. There are over 250 bird species in the park, including : blue jay, great blue heron, goshawk, red tail hawk, yellow warbler, ruffed grouse, and quail. Union Street, the main road through the park, begins in Hingham and extends south, all the way through the park, becoming Mount Blue Street as it enters Norwell. Among the most common are Swamp Azalea, Solomons Seal, While Geranium, ladies slipper, and Sheep Laurel. Many of these roads go back to colonial times. Although you can hike here, mountain biking is also quite popular. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. Wompatuck State Park Trails. 100,000 Approximate number of people visiting the park each year. Because there are 40 miles of trails on 3500 acres, there are many intersections. Below the dam, the river continues to flow through Cohasset. A rail spur known as the Whitney Spur formerly connected the Ammunition Depot to the Old Colony Railroad's Greenbush Line. The episode led the 100-member Friends group to christen their annual bike race fund-raiser the Landmine Classic. Most of it was never developed or utilized until the 1800s when families began using the land to graze their farm animals and harvest woodlots. It was reactivated for the Korean conflict and once again went into full military operation. Land and water creatures abound in the park. After leaving Uber amid scandals in 2017, Kalanick sailed around Tahiti in a $70 million The 1.5mile long Whitney Spur Rail Trail was constructed in 2003 on land owned by the Department of Conservation and Recreation from the MBTA Cohasset Commuter Rail Station parking lot to Wompatuck State Park. There are still bunkers all over the property, but most are locked up. Please log in if you don't want to post Trails in Wompatuck State Park consist of wide non-motorized paved roads, paved bike paths, and dirt foot trails. The trail leads to a paved road, which is Leavitt Street, at marker NN12. Soon after it exits the pond, it flows into the Weir River. In addition to being open to the public for . The road will take a deep turn to the left and the State Park will be on the right. . For some off-road fun, explore the many single-track trails through the woods. Due to the number of trails, a map is necessary to explore the park. hiking trails of abingtonAmes Nowell State Park. Blue Street, Norwell. For mountain bikers, the park is home to one of the longest section of switchbacked singletrack in the state. Here you can locate several hikes that will also provide a GPS navigator. Since then, 725 acres have been added. 2000 ft. Map by Lars Ahlzen / FOW Data from OSM , MassGIS and USGS . It remained in use until 1965, and served both World War II and the Korean Conflict. Wompatuck State Park is located south of Boston in a small town called Hingham. Travel is my life and writing about it is a dream. Wompatuck State Park Address: 204 Union St., Hingham MA 02043 Phone: 781-749-7160 . What a treat! Peter Pan Bus Lines also services this route once daily. A third watershed in Wompatuck is Brass Kettle Brook which flows from the base of Turkey Hill to the east along the north border of Wompatuck to Lilly Pond and on to Bound Brook. Today the parks munitions storage history survives in events such as the Landmine Classic bike race, which passes through an area once thought to have the explosive devices. 0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic. Parking: Limited; heed posted signs regarding parking as the school bus uses the circle for turning around and police will ticket drivers parked during school hours Dog Restrictions: Allowed hey - how come you guys havenet been to Wompatuck state park at teh intersection of Norwell, Hingham, Scituate etc, in MA? Its helpful to know that the trail from the parking lot leads to marker S27. For thousands of years, the land that encompasses what is today Norwell was inhabited by indigenous people. Wompatuck State Park Trail Map; Wompatuck State Park Trail Reports; Share. View campsite map, availability, and reserve online with ReserveAmerica. The route turns right on the rail trail and left onto a road with an open area on the right after the turn. Many cement bunkers were constructed and the area became a huge ammunitions storage depot. Book Plymouth County Weir River Farm hotels and get the lowest price guranteed by Trip.com! Park trails include 12 miles of paved bicycle routes as well as trails for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. Begun three years ago, the project to study and propose solutions for the contaminated area, about one to two acres, where the military disposed of old munitions and weapons materials during and after World War II, raises hope that all of the parkland property acquired by the state more than 40 years ago will finally be open to the public. However, I fell in love with Wompatuck very quickly and found that if I memorized a couple of the upcoming intersections, I would not have to look at the map so often. There are many rocky outcroppings and glacial erratic boulders throughout the park. Blue Spring is open seasonally, featuring water drawn directly from a natural aquifer. The sites are: Read the full Friends of Wompatuck Newsletter to learn more about Native American stonework in Eastern Massachusetts. new york state standard deduction 2022; Sign Up. Sorry, we The land was originally the property of Native American chief Josiah Wompatuck, who deeded the land to English settlers in 1655. The Whitney Spur Rail Trail was built as part of the Greenbush Commuter Rail reconstruction project in 2003. You can find it by navigating to S30 and S31 on the trail map. According to the website, there's 262 campsites (140 w/ electricity) though I can't comment on the camping since I have yet to camp here. Were looking to complete the remedial investigation for the site, Charette said. The Mount Blue Spring is currently closed. theres a path up to it, this place is well worth the trip. This section was opened to the public in 2014. By Steve Maas Globe Correspondent,August 22, 2013, 12:00 a.m. Ann and Ray Coughlan of Quincy visited the ammunition depot museum at Bare Cove Park in Hingham earlier this summer. I did not make it far into the other area, for I believe that I saw some people out there and it was only a few days ago that it was confirmed that homeless people had been living there. Thanks for the info, we'll just have to add it to our ever growing list. The terrain of the park is extensively shaped by the glacial period. Wildflowers and flowering shrubs also grow in abundance. Stop in the Visitor Center to see more. Of those 600 acres, 88 of those acres contain Cleveland Pond. Fish commonly found in the 136-acre Aaron River Reservoir include bass, pickerel, sunfish, and perch. Avoid parking directly in front of the gates.Noise level: You will hear a few cars in the distanceDogs: YesDay Hiking OnlyCamping: Designated campground with 260 sites; tent and RV; with and without electricity. Explosives such as TNT-loaded depth charges, bombs, fuses, projectiles, and cartridges were produced and stored here. Wompatuck State Park, Hingham: See 119 reviews, articles, and 40 photos of Wompatuck State Park, ranked No.2 on Tripadvisor among 20 attractions in Hingham. A lock icon ( The park site served as the Cohasset Annex until 1962. Season: Any time between late spring and late fall. u have to see it to belive how big it is. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. The land was later granted back to the state of Massachusetts to create the state park. The land was originally owned by Chief Joseph Wompatuck, thus the name. The Gulf River flows into the ocean at Cohasset Harbor. Pump Track multi-use trail ; Overview; Photos (1) Videos (0) Reports (8) Comments (0) Ride Logs; Leaderboard; Stats; Jumps; 3D Tour; Add / Edit. it is quite spread out and goes on for miles. With so many trails, a map is definitely needed to navigate. Stroller-friendly in some sections. Via Car Use the address of Faneuil Hall as a guide for GPS directions: 1 Faneuil Hall Square, Boston, MA 02109. The streams powered Stockbridge Mill, which was used to make shingles. There are 12 miles of paved bike paths, plus off-road trails for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and cross-country skiing. I used to skateboard in the correct spot to the northeast with my friends in the 80's when I was a teen. During World War II the Depot was the main ammunition supply for the North Atlantic naval forces. Its also great spot to begin a mountain bike ride through the park. Thus, there are no real designated loops outside of the 1-mile Heart Healthy Loop. Land was acquired from private homeowners for the purpose of expanding the Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot nearby (now Bare Cove Park). | Save on popular stays in Accord, Hingham from NT$3,233. This land that we call Wompatuck State Park was originally the property of the Indian chief Josiah Wompatuck. From Cohasset, you can access the park via Doane Street or Whitney Woods. The dam that holds the reservoir in place was constructed from 1976-1978. This left most of the land untouched until 1941. The road continues to the right past another foundation and follows a trail to the right. Among the most common are Swamp Azalea, Solomon's Seal, While Geranium, ladies slipper, and Sheep Laurel. Offering an over 250 site campground, 12 miles of non-motorized roads and 40 miles of forest trails, the park is a great place to get into nature. brought back to life again :P, last time i was there biking most of them were sealed but i found about three way out of the way ones that were opend to pansy to go inside (i was by my self), Here's whats left (and theres not much) of the old Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot Annex located in Wompatuck State Park. Many cement bunkers were constructed and the area became a huge munitions storage depot. These natives grew crops, foraged, hunted, and fished in the Assinippi and North River areas. The rest of the park contains a great many hiking trails. Project manager Carol Ann Charette said that after munitions and diesel fuel were burned and disposed of, the residue was buried in spots that were then bulldozed, spreading some contaminants over an area of several acres. Get more stories delivered right to your email. Nightly rate: $30. (214 South Street) Visit Massachusetts State Parks Locations, Snowmobile Trails in State Parks Locations, Includes level, packed-surface campsite, pedestal grill, accessible picnic table. The route continues past the foundation of another warehouse on the right. The Doane Street creates a direct connection between East Street in Hingham and the Beechwood area in Hinghams second parish (Cohasset). Many of the roads inside the park are . embed Pump Track trail on your website; By Hornblower7 . In addition to being a popular camping location, Wompatuck is a favorite among hikers, bicyclists, kayakers, and those who like to fish. Days stayed: 5. Book hotels from Trip.com and get fantastic deals and exclusive discounts! Thank you! Scattered throughout the property are over 100 decommissioned military bunkers, which were used to store ammunition. If you are lucky, you may see a deer or fox. Check out historicaerials and you can see where soem bunkers were removed or flooded for the reservoir at the other end of the property. The Wompatuck Trail is ADA accessible. Most buildings have had their roofs and windows removed and are open to the elements. Email: info@nsrwa.org, Public Office Hours: The route continues on the road straight past NN10 and turns right onto a dirt trail. Some cool old bunkers (unfortunately some graffiti - seems like it is a trend around the area to tag historical stuff - such a shame) Date of experience: March 2020 Ask debbies556 about Wompatuck State Park According to a former supervisor of Wompatuck, there are three sites in Wompatuck State Park which are believed to have been used by Indigenous people. Most hotels are fully refundable. Geocache locations. [11] With the trail now serving as usable access to the park, 20 spaces in the station lot were dedicated for park users.[12][13]. The park falls inside the area bound by land in Hingham and Norwell in the west, Hingham and Cohasset in the north, Cohasset and Scituate in the east and Norwell in the south. Friday: 9:00am-5:00pm. 1941 Navy acquired the land for an ammunition depot. I know I am dredging up an old post, but we just visited Wompatuck and had our camera with us. Blue Spring was commercially bottled. Among the most common are swamp azalea, solomons seal, white geranium, ladies slipper, and sheep laurel. The 1.4 mile route begins at the entrance at the end of Leavitt Street and loops around the northwest corner of Wompatuck park, an area that abuts the Whitney Spur Rail Trail. PO Box 43 You can also join our Abandoned States of America Facebook group and share any of the photos you have. In addition, Accord Brook flows northward along the western edge of the park, eventually into Triphammer Pond. The feedback will only be used for improving the website. Wompatuck State Park spans 3,526 acres of forest, streams and ponds. Corps officials are studying a report received in May on the projects analysis of the contamination and a range of proposed solutions, which range from removing contaminated soil to simply posting warning signs and taking down the wire fence that bars people from the site, not far from the parks campground. Dogs Allowed. . Circa 1617, there was a major outbreak of disease from European settlers that decimated an estimated 90% of the native population in New England, including the Massachusett and Wampanoag tribes that inhabited this area. Much of the park is undeveloped and is heavily wooded. But if you wandered off the trail, you might have a blast of another kind.. Exploring some building ruins. Check out some of the older satt. Wompatuck kind of spoiled us a bit, as it was our first introduction to RV camping at a state park. Please limit your input to 500 characters.