Marshfield Town Landing

1176 Ferry St, Marshfield, MA 02050, USA

https://www.marshfieldpolice.org/harbormaster/pages/public-launch-ramps

Owned By: Town of Marshfield

• Directions
• Trail Map

This boat ramp provides access to the South River for both paddlers and motor boats. It is owned by the Town of Marshfield. Across the South River is Humarock, part of the town of Scituate.

Tide Math: High tide at the Marshfield Town Landing is about 30 minutes after the Boston high tide. Set off from here to go clamming!

Shellfishing Update: Effective March 15th, 2023, the North River shellfish beds in Marshfield and Scituate are temporarily closed, due to a sewer discharge event in Rockland. They will remain closed for at least 21 days. Check this space for updates. The clam flats in both the North and South Rivers are typically open from November 1 to May 31st. If there is a Red Tide, they may close sooner. (In 2023, some areas opened on January 1st and others will open on March 1st.) See this recent update on North River Shellfishing for locations.

Features

Launching ramp and town float on the South River near Humarock.

You can set off from here to go clamming downstream on the South River (clamflats can be accessed two hours before and after low tides). Trail Guide link above shows the areas available for recreational shellfishing in the South River. The clam flats in both the North and South Rivers are open from November 1 to May 31st. If there is a Red Tide, they may close sooner.

The South River, like the North River, is a beautiful tidal estuary where wildlife abounds! Paddling or boating on this estuary allows you to go shellfishing, fishing or just exploring. Downstream there are salt marshes and numerous creeks, host to egrets and blue heron. You might even see a bald eagle! Soft shell clams, better known as “steamers,” hardshell clams, as well as razor clams can be found in the tidal flats, and can be harvested with a permit between November 1ts and May 31st.

This land is within the region of the Massachuseuk (or Massachusett) Native American tribe.

Trail Description

No trails.

Drift upstream with an incoming tide for a short paddle up to the back side of Rexhame Beach, or ride the incoming tide all the way up to the Francis Keville Footbridge. Motorboats put in here to go out to Massachusetts Bay. Upstream the river has less motorboat traffic and is more conducive to paddling.

Habitats and Wildlife

This property is located directly on the South River. The South River originates deep in Duxbury. Its source is in the Round Pond area, and from there it winds unobtrusively through the woods for several miles. Although one can view it from Route 3, and also from both the South River Bog and Camp Wing conservation areas, it remains a narrow and mostly un-navigable stream until it makes its first “public” appearance at Veterans Memorial Park in Marshfield. From there it flows under Route 3A, through South River Park, and behind the playground of South River School, emerging again at Willow Street. But due to fences, dense vegetation, traffic, and relative navigability none of these are ideal places to access the river by boat.Here at the Keville Bridge the river is wider, and navigable at most tides. Its course continues as it winds through the marshes, running parallel to Route 139, all the way to Rexhame. From there the river turns northward. It flows for 3 miles between Humarock and the mainland to Fourth Cliff, where it joins the North River at its outlet to the sea.