Wompatuck State Park

Wompatuck State Park is a state-owned, public recreation area of about 3,500 acres (1,400 ha) in size located primarily in the town of Hingham with portions in the neighboring towns of Cohasset, Norwell, and Scituate, Massachusetts, in the United States. 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. Blue Spring, which has been in operation since the mid-19th century.[4] The park is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation[5] which protects forests of the northeastern coastal forests ecoregion.[6]

Wompatuck State Park
Black-and-white warbler in Wompatuck State Park
Location in Massachusetts
LocationHingham, Cohasset, Norwell, Scituate, Plymouth, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States
Coordinates42°12′14″N 70°50′41″W[1]
Area3,579 acres (14.48 km2)[2]
Elevation131 ft (40 m)[1]
Established1969[3]
Named forIndian chief Josiah Wompatuck
Governing bodyMassachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
WebsiteWompatuck State Park

History

The land was originally the property of Indian chief Josiah Wompatuck, who deeded the land to English settlers in 1655. 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. It contains over 100 decommissioned military bunkers, many of which have been backfilled, but some of which remain exposed, including one which housed parts of the Navy's first nuclear depth charge in the 1950s.[7] Several old military buildings can be found on park property as well as an extensive network of abandoned railroad. Most buildings have had their roofs and windows removed and are open to the elements.

Whitney Spur

A rail spur known as the Whitney Spur formerly connected the Ammunition Depot to the Old Colony Railroad's Greenbush Line. In 2003, the DCR sold the land for the Cohasset commuter rail station and parking lot to the MBTA in exchange for the construction of a rail trail on the former rail spur.[8] The station opened with the rest of the Greenbush Line on October 31, 2007.[9] The 1.5-mile (2.4 km) Whitney Spur Rail Trail opened from the station to the park around the same time.

Whitney Spur Rail Trail in March 2014

However, a gate blocked access from the trail to the northwest section of the park, which still had several dangerous abandoned buildings. After years of requests, demolition of the buildings began in April 2014.[10] The northwest section opened in November 2014 and the gate was removed.[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]

Activities and amenities

The park's campground offers 262 campsites, 140 of which have electrical service. Camping is open from mid-April until mid-October. A boat ramp allows access to Aaron River Reservoir for non-motorized boating. Park trails include 12 miles of paved bicycle routes as well as trails for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing.[5] Upland game bird hunting is allowed in season in the South Field area.

References
  1. "Wompatuck State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. "2012 Acreage Listing" (PDF). Department of Conservation and Recreation. April 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  3. "History of Wompatuck". Friends of Wompatuck State Park.
  4. Thompson, Amanda C. (December 28, 2015). "THE LIST: What to know about Wompatuck State Park". The Hingham Journal. Archived from the original on March 23, 2020. Retrieved 2020-03-23.
  5. "Wompatuck State Park". MassParks. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  6. Olson, D.M., Dinerstein, E.; et al. (2001). "Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth". BioScience. 51 (11): 933–938. doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0933:TEOTWA]2.0.CO;2. Archived from the original on 2011-09-07. Retrieved 2010-09-27.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. "Wompatuck News" (PDF). Friends of Wompatuck State Park. Winter 2007.
  8. McIntyre, Eileen (October 10, 2016). "Walk in newest section of Wompatuck". Wicked Local Norwell. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  9. Belcher, Jonathan (December 30, 2016). "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA District 1964-2016" (PDF). NETransit.
  10. Trufant, Jessica (April 26, 2014). "Demolition work will open up trails at Wompatuck State Park". Wicked Local Hingham. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
  11. "Bike trail to come to Wompatuck State Park". Patriot Ledger. November 24, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  12. Holt, William (November 9, 2014). "Openings and closings south of Boston". Boston Globe. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  13. Bradley, Garrett (October 29, 2014). "Rep. Bradley secures free parking for Cohasset trail". Hingham Patch. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
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