470 Liberty Street, Braintree, MA, USA
https://www.pondmeadowpark.org
Owned By: Town of Braintree, Town of Weymouth
The 320-acre Pond Meadow Park is located in Braintree and Weymouth. A popular spot for jogging, bike riding, cross country skiing, fishing, camping and non-motorized boating, it features two miles of paved trails around a pond plus additional woodland paths. Look for the boat launch beyond the picnic area. Horses welcome. Stroller- and wheelchair-friendly. Seasonal ice fishing, ice skating and cross-country skiing.
Vehicles are permitted only in designated parking areas and on the road to the dam. Check the park’s website for a full listing of prohibited vehicles (including e-bikes, e-scooters, ATVs, snowmobiles).
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 is not allowed on this property.
Features
Pond Meadow Park was created in the early 1970s as part of a flood control system for the Towns of Braintree and Weymouth. The Army Corp of Engineers built the flood control system in 1976 to prevent Smelt Brook from flooding Weymouth Landing. The system includes a dam, a 20 acre pond, and a series of culverts.
By the late 2010s, efforts were underway to make some of the over-engineered aspects of the system more friendly to fish and other wildlife. This very promising project is ongoing. In 2025, funds were secured by the Town of Weymouth for the permitting, design and construction of a fish ladder on Smelt Brook, to restore passage for rainbow smelt (currently impeded by a 3-foot perched culvert). In addition, park personnel have made an effort to restore the property’s natural conservation environment. In the early 2020’s they developed a detailed Forestry Management Plan, and then got to work tackling two key challenges: invasive species and a crucial need for pollinator and meadow habitats.
Stop by and check out the recently-revitalized 4-acre meadow, where – after mowing, clearing, leveling and harrowing to set the stage for new life – native wildflower seeds were sown. It will take a few seasons for wildflowers to re-establish themselves, but eventually, the meadow will become a haven for pollinators. In addition, significant progress has been made in combatting such stubborn invasive species as buckthorn, multiflora rose, and bittersweet, aggressive plants that encroached upon the meadow but have now been mitigated. As funding becomes available, the next step will be the introduction of a variety of native, pollinator-friendly bushes and trees in the meadows and on their borders, to enhance the park’s biodiversity.
This land is within the region of the Massachusett (or Massachuseuk). To learn more about local Native American tribes, we encourage you to interact with their members. The Mattakeeset band of the Massachusett and the Massachusett tribe at Ponkapoag share information on their websites.
Trail Description
A 2-mile wide, paved loop trail surrounds a 20-acre pond. It is mostly wide and flat, but some sections are steep and winding. Granite posts mark every half mile. Climb the stairs near the dam for far-reaching views of the pond. The park offers several additional color-coded trails through woods, meadows and wetlands. Motorized vehicles are prohibited.
Habitats and Wildlife
The forests at Pond Meadow Park are composed of maple, pine, beech, cedar, sumac, sassafras, birch, plus fern, greenbrier, and bittersweet. Look for old stone walls in the woods. This diverse habitat is a haven for migrating birds. You might see turtles in the pond and glacial erratic boulders along the trails. Fish commonly found here include sunfish, bass, bluegill, pickerel, eel and bullhead.
Smelt Brook runs through the park. It is part of the Fore River watershed. In 2019, a portion of the brook in Weymouth Landing was restored, to encourage smelt and other migratory fish to swim farther upstream. That same year, an eel ladder was installed on the dam at Pond Meadow Pond, to facilitate upstream passage.
Smelt Brook and the Monatiquot River flow together to form the Fore River. The Fore River serves as the boundary line between the towns of Weymouth and Braintree. It flows for about 3 miles, into Quincy, where it meets Town River, and then flows for another 2 miles into Hingham Bay. In its final few miles, the Fore River is nearly a mile wide in some places. Follow the Fore River Watershed Association more information about the Monatiquot and Fore Rivers.
Historic Site: No
Park: Yes
Beach: No
Boat Launch: Yes
Lifeguards: No
Size: 320 acres
Hours: Dawn to Dusk.
Parking: Limited on-site parking lot via Liberty Street in Braintree. Additional entrance, with parking, on Summer Street in Weymouth.
Cost: Free
Trail Difficulty: Easy, Medium
Facilities:
Two full-time park rangers. Benches, two shaded picnic areas, trash and dog waste receptacles, fishing piers and platforms. Kayak/canoe launch. Geocache location.
Dogs: Dogs must remain on leash. Always clean up after your dog!
Boat Ramp: No
ADA Access: Yes, including restrooms. A crushed stone path provides access to the picnic area and fishing dock. The paved path has some steep grades and sharp curves.
Scenic Views: Yes
Waterbody/Watershed: Smelt Brook (Fore River watershed)