Camp Nekon

Camp Nekon, Monks Hill Rd, Kingston, MA 02364, USA

Town of Kingston: 781-585-0500

https://sites.google.com/view/kingstonconservation/camp-nekon

Owned By: Town of Kingston

• Directions
• Trail Map

Kingston’s Camp Nekon is a 240-acre forested parcel with several ponds and wetlands, and at least 2 miles of trails and unpaved roadways. In addition, there is a small, undeveloped launch area for canoes and kayaks on Smelt Pond. The property offers direct access to the Kingston State Forest.

Smelt Pond is one of the Great Ponds of Massachusetts. Defined as a natural body of water larger than 10 acres, a Great Pond is held in trust by the state for public use.

Motorized vehicles are not allowed on this or any other Kingston Conservation property.

FISHING ADVISORY: It’s important to know that some of our freshwater fisheries are contaminated with mercury, PFAS and/or other concerning substances. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health maintains an online database with up-to-date advisories regarding fish consumption, sorted by location. We recommend you consult this valuable resource when planning a fishing excursion.

HUNTING: Hunting is allowed, in season, by licensed persons in compliance with Massachusetts law. Please be sure to understand state and local hunting guidelines before proceeding. Non-hunters, be mindful of hunting seasons, and wear bright orange if you’re entering the property during those times. Hunting is not permitted on Sundays.

Features

This property was once a Girl Scout camp, known as Camp Ne-Kon. In 1975, the Town of Kingston purchased it from the Plymouth Bay Girl Scout Council. In 2014, most of the land was transferred to the care of the Conservation Commission, with the remainder transferred in 2023. Through the years, additional parcels were added, through donations by the Wager, Glassford, and Tusing families.

The Conservation Commission has led an effort to minimize illegal off-roading activity on the property. Due to decades of unauthorized use, the trails and the delicate pine barrens ecology have been damaged significantly, but are now in a state of rehabilitation.

The colonial and precolonial history of the property is mostly unknown. On John Gray’s 1831 map of Kingston, the area is identified as “Barren Pine plain,” likely referring to soil of the pine barrens, which is not suitable for agriculture. According to local lore, Daniel Fuller, a 19th century hermit, lived in a tiny cabin near Smelt Pond, and supported himself with bounties on crows and woodchucks, and by selling freshly-killed ducks. Fuller passed away in 1894.

According to The Old Coast Road from Boston to Plymouth by Agnes Edwards, Monk’s Hill, where Camp Nekon is located, was known in earlier times as Mont’s Hill Chase, referring to a hunt in England. Because it is the highest elevation in Kingston, a beacon was placed atop the hill during the American Revolution. Lighting the beacon signified an invasion.

The Patuxet, members of the Wampanoag tribe, made their home in the area now known as Duxbury, Kingston and Plymouth. Numerous artifacts have been found throughout the region surrounding the Jones River. 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.

Local scout troops may rent the camping area at Camp Nekon for no fee. Please make arrangements through the Kingston Recreation Department for a permit and a key.

Trail Description

The trails here are mostly dirt roads through a hilly pine forest. There are at least 2 miles of trails.

According to the “Guide to Kingston Conservation Areas” storymap, Camp Nekon is a prime spot to access the long-distance “blue and green” loop trail that links Camp Nekon, the Kingston State Forest, and Muddy Pond Wilderness Preserve. The trail includes a wildlife tunnel under Route 44. The trail is a collaboration between the Town of Kingston and the Massachusetts DCR (Department of Conservation and Recreation).

Habitats and Wildlife

The forest is predominantly pine, oak, and maple, along with some pitch pine. According to the Town of Kingston, “this property is the northern terminus of the Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens, where pitch pine-oak forest gives way to white pine-oak forest.” Look and listen for such birds as Eastern towhees, Baltimore orioles, great crested flycatchers, pine warblers, and ovenbirds.

There are numerous vernal pools on the property, where spotted salamanders, wood frogs, and other amphibian and insect species breed. In addition, the 44-acre Smelt Pond is located here, as well as a few smaller Atlantic Coastal Plain ponds, including Rocky Pond, Pratts Pond, Little Pratts Pond, and Little Smelt Pond. Atlantic Coastal Plain Ponds are globally rare, and often contain rare plant species.

Smelt Pond is a natural pond, home to America eel, chain pickerel, catfish, and largemouth bass. The streams, ponds and swamps on this property flow to Smelt Brook, a tributary to the Jones River.

The Jones River finds its source at Silver Lake and other brooks and springs in Pembroke, Halifax and Kingston. It flows for 7.5 miles through Kingston, and drains into the Atlantic Ocean at Kingston Bay. Follow the Jones River Watershed Association for more information.