SCAN QR CODE TO ACCESS MAPS ON YOUR PHONE Welcome to the Walking Trails of Plymouth! Pictured is Center Hill Preserve Special Thanks and Acknowledgements Printing of these trail guides was generously sponsored by SHP Financial, Southeastern Massachusetts Pine Barrens Alliance (SEMPBA), Betsy Hall and Phil Leddy. Thank you to David Gould and Plymouth’s Department of Marine & Environmental Affairs and Patrick Farah for their valuable contributions. The artwork throughout the book was drawn by artist Heidi Mayo, and provided by SEMPBA. Trail descriptions written by Diane Griffiths Peck amended from the Take a Hike column in the Old Colony Memorial. Guide compiled by Andrea Dickinson in collaboration with the Open Space Committee. REDUCE WASTE BY PASSING THIS GUIDE ON TO OTHERS TABLE OF CONTENTS About Plymouth Open Space 1 Massachusetts Coastal Pine Barrens 2 Overview Map 3 Beaver Dam Conservation Area 5 Black Cat Preserve 7 Center Hill Preserve 9 Clear Pond Preserve 11 Crawley Woodlands Preserve 13 David E. Alper Preserve 15 Dixon Preserve at Hio Hill 17 Eel River Preserve 19 Hedges Pond Recreational Area & Preserve 21 Morton Park 23 Russell Mill Pond 25 Russell Sawmill Pond Conservation Area 27 Town Brook & Patuxet Preserve 29 Town Forest Conservation Area 31 Wheel Friendly Trails 33 Trails Under Construction 35 Tips for Reducing Litter 36 ABOUT PLYMOUTH OPEN SPACE As the largest municipality in Massachusetts by area, Plymouth currently has approximately 28% of our 65,000 acres designated as protected open space. Plymouth contains the third highest per square mile occurrence of rare, threatened and endangered species of any community in Massachusetts, 36 miles of coastline and 365+ inland ponds including 32 globally rare coastal plain ponds. The town also sits on the second largest sole-source aquifer in the state. Plymouth’s abundance of open space presents both a threat and an opportunity. Substantial development of currently vacant lands would strain the Town’s ability to provide services, maintain rural character, and protect natural resources. Successful open space planning will facilitate Plymouth’s efforts to control sprawl, maintain water quality , and protect natural resources. Open space preservation is also a key component of Plymouth’s efforts to attract tourism and provide recreational opportunities. PLYMOUTH’S OPEN SPACE COMMITTEE Plymouth’s Open Space Committee was established in 2002 with a mission to advocate for the preservation and maintenance of open space for current residents as well as for future generations in order to protect our aquifer, our environment, and the character of our town. The Committee carries out its mission by seeking opportunities to conserve natural and recreational open space, as well as working with partner groups to promote educational efforts and recreational outings on conserved land. The Committee meets twice monthly with meeting dates, times, agendas and meeting minutes posted on the Town website. Members of the public are always welcome whether they are generally interested in open space or concerned about a specific piece of land. Since 2002, the Open Space Committee has helped to conserve more than 360 acres. HOW CAN I HELP? • Explore, appreciate and help advocate for Plymouth’s extraordinary open space. • Pick up trash when you see it! • Call (508) 747-1620 ext. 10127 to report trail issues. • Volunteer for trash cleanups and trail maintenance projects. • Consider donating land to conservation. • Forgo single use plastics when you can to help reduce litter. • Get involved with local Town Forest sustainability initiatives. 1 THE MASSACHUSETTS COASTAL PINE BARRENS EARTH, WIND, FIRE AND WATER! • The interaction of fresh and saltwater, sand, vegetation and fire differentiate these Coastal Pine Barrens from all other ecoregions. • In places hundreds of feet beneath and filtered by a mantle of sand left by the glaciers, immense, priceless reservoirs of water have accumulated. • Above the sand, fire has always been a critical element, and many plants and animals have evolved to withstand, and even thrive after each conflagration. • And unique to Coastal Pine Barrens is the ocean: both buffer and border. AN IRREPLACEABLE ECOREGION! The second largest remaining ecoregion of its kind in the world, providing coastal and inland habitat for over 220 of Massachusetts’ rarest species, including the Northern Red-bellied Cooter, Barrens Tiger Beetle, Piping Plover, and Plymouth Gentian. THE SUM OF ITS PARTS Equally unique are the smaller ‘natural communities’ that comprise this ecoregion, including one of only three Maritime Grasslands in the nation, primordial Atlantic White Cedar Bogs, Sandplain Grasslands, Coastal Plain Ponds and – the signature community of the ecoregion – the globally rare savannahs of the Pitch Pine-Scrub Oak Community. Mature Pitch Pine From Duxbury and Plymouth in the north, Marion and Mattapoisett to the south, across Cape Cod and the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, the Massachusetts Coastal Pine Barrens stand apart, a legacy from our past that speaks urgently to the future. Young Pitch Pine Information provided by the Southeastern Massachusetts Pine Barrens Alliance 2 This product is for infoTrhmisa tpiorondaul cptu irsp foosre isn faonrmd aisti onnoat ls puuitrapboles efos ra nd is not suitable for legal, engineering, or lseugravle, yeinnggi npeuerrpinogse, so.r Tshuerv Teoywinng opfu Prplyomseosu.t hThe Town of Plymouth (!35 (!35 makes no warranty, remparekseesn ntaot iwoanr, roarn gtyu, arerapnretesee notfa atinoyn ,k oinrd guarantee of any kind regarding either any mreagpasr doirn ogt heeithr einr faornmy amtiaopns p oror voidtheedr hinefroerimn aotrion provided herein or Plymouth BaPylymouth Bay the sources of such mthaep ss our roctehse ro ifn sfuocrmh amtiaopns. Tohr eo tThoewr nin ofof rmation. The Town of KINGSTON KINGSTON Plymouth assumes noP lyiamboiliutyth f oars asnumy ersr onros ,l ioambiilsitsyi ofonrs a, noyr errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in the infionramccautiroanc iperso vinid tehde rinefgoarrmdaletsiosn o pf rtohvei dceadu sreg oafrdless of the cause of such or for any decisisounc mh aodr efo, ra actnioy nd etackiseino,n o mr acdteio, na cntoiot nta tkaekne nb,y or action not taken by the user in reliance upthoen uasneyr mina rpesli aonr cinef ourpmoant iaonny p mroavpidse odr hinefroerimn.a tion provided herein. (!40 (!40 Warren Warren ID ID Site Name Site Name Size (Acres) Size (Acres) (!31 (!31 Cove Cove 1 Bay Farm Driv1e ConBsaeyr Fvartmio nD Arirveea Conservation Area 25.0 25.0 (!30 (!30 2 Beaver Dam C2onseBrveaatvieorn D Aarmea C /o Cnasreorlvyant iDorniv Aer eCao n/ sCearrvoaltyino nD Arirveea Conser1v6a3ti.o0n Area 163.0 3 Black Cat Pres3erveBlack Cat Preserve 64.0 64.0 (!10 (!10 (!12 (!12 4 Bloody Pond 4ConseBrlvoaotdioyn P Aonreda Conservation Area 92.0 92.0 5 Boot Pond Co5nservBaotoiotn P Aonreda Conservation Area 28.0 28.0 (!3 (!3 6 Briggs Estate 6 Briggs Estate 386.0 386.0 7 Briggs Estate 7/ BudB'sr iFgigesld Estate / Bud's Field 26.0 26.0 (!18 (!32 (!18 (!32 8 CenterHill Pre8servCee, BnateyrsHidilel Preserve, Bayside 25.0 25.0 (!28 (!28 (!19 (!19 9 CenterHill Pre9servCee, WntesrHt ill Preserve, West 67.0 67.0 (!36 (!36 10 Clear Pond C1o0nserCvaletiaorn P Aonreda Conservation Area 0.3 0.3 (!34 (!34 (!24 (!24 10 Clear Pond B1e0ach ACrlear Pond Beach Area 0.8 0.8 (!17 (!17 11 Comassakum1k1anit CPoremsaesrsvaekumkanit Preserve 69.0 69.0 12 Crawley Woo1d2landCsr aPwrelseeyr Wveoodlands Preserve 68.0 68.0 (!26 (!26 13 DavCida Ep. Ael pCe1or3 Pdre BsDearvCyieda Ep. Ael pCeor Pdre Bsearvye 45.0 45.0 (!5 (!5 (!2 (!2 14 Davis/Bloody1 4PondD aPvriosp/Belrotyody Pond Property 35.0 35.0 15 Dixon Preser1v5e Dixon Preserve 88.0 88.0 16 Don Quinn P1ro6pertDyon Quinn Property 351.0 351.0 (!25 (!25 17 Eel River Pre1s7erveEel River Preserve 60.0 60.0 18 Fava Conserv1a8tionF Aarveaa Conservation Area 119.0 119.0 (!6 (!6 19 Foothills Pre1s9erveFoothills Preserve 128.0 128.0 (!39 (!39 20 Garland Prop2e0rty Garland Property 97.0 97.0 (!7 (!7 21 Gunning Poin2t1 SubGduivnisniionng GPiofitnetd S Oupbedniv Sispioacne Gifted Open Space 36.0 36.0 CARVER CARVER (!15 (!15 22 Hedges Pond2 2PreseHrevdeg -e Csa Pmopn dD Pernenseenrve - Camp Dennen 108.0 108.0 Myles StandisMhyles Standish (!9 (!923 Herries Prop2e3rty Herries Property 36.0 36.0 State Forest State Forest (!8 (!284 Holmes Pres2e4rve Holmes Preserve 40.0 40.0 14 14 (! (!16 (!(!37 (!16 (!37 25 Indian Brook2 C5onseInrvdaiatino Bnr Aoroeka Conservation Area 50.0 50.0 26 Little Island P2o6nd CLoitntlsee Irsvlaatniodn P Aonreda C, oBnrisgegrsv Easttioatne Area, Briggs Estate 122.0 122.0 (!4 (!4 27 Little Sandy P2o7nd RLdit.t laen Sda Lnivdiyn Pgsotnodn RDdr.i vaend Livingston Drive 26.0 26.0 (!33 (!1 (!33 (!1 28 Little South P2o8nd CLoitntlsee rSvoauttiohn P Aonreda Conservation Area 8.0 8.0 29 Long Duck Po2n9d PrLeosnegrv Deuck Pond Preserve 131.0 131.0 (!29 (!29 30 Morton Park30 Morton Park 198.0 198.0 (!13 (!13 31 Patuxet Pres3e1rve Patuxet Preserve 2.5 2.5 (!22 (!22 32 Plymouth To3w2n FoPrelysmt outh Town Forest 276.0 276.0 33 Preserve at H3a3lfwaPyr ePsoenrdv eC oant sHearlvfwataioyn P Aonreda Conservation Area 28.0 28.0 34 Rocky Pond C3o4nserRvoactkioyn P Aonreda C /o Knisnegrsv Patoinodn WAroeoad /l aKnindgs Pond Woodland33.0 33.0 35 Russell-Sawm35ill CoRnussesrevlal-tSioanw Amriella Conservation Area 55.0 55.0 (!27 (!27 36 Russell Mill P3o6nd CRounssseerlvl aMtiolln P Aonreda Conservation Area 68.0 68.0 (!21 (!21 37 Simmons Pro3p7ertySimmons Property 27.0 27.0 38 Sol Joseph Ro38ad CoSnosl eJorvsaetpiohn R Aoraeda Conservation Area 21.0 21.0 39 Talcott 39 Talcott 270.0 270.0 40 Town Brook 40 Town Brook 6.0 6.0 (!11 (!11 (!38 (!38 WAREHAM WAREHAM BOURNE BOURNE (!20 (!20 BOURNE BOSUARNNDEWICH SANDWICH Dogs are allowed on all conservation lands and preservesPrepared fo butr the PtheyPrleypmao ruetdh fOorp tehne SPplyamceo uCtho mOmpeitnte Sepace 0Committee 10.5 1.35 3 6 Miles 6 Miles PlymoushouldPthl yOm bepo leashedeunt hS Opin aaccordancepceen PSrpo withapcee thert iP etown’srsop eleashJanrutaire yby-law.