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Forest Trails

Triphammer Pond Conservation Area

21 Triphammer Rd, Hingham, MA 02043, USA

781-741-1445

Owned By: Town of Hingham

A 19-acre pond surrounded by woods with a 1-mile walking trail around the perimeter, occasional stone walls, and numerous glacial erratics. Try ice skating here in the winter. Watch for migrating fish (in the fish ladder) in the spring. Links directly to Wompatuck State Park.

Features

According to interpretive signage on site, the Matthew Curtis family built the first mill at this location c. 1700. A sawmill, it was used by the family for over a century, producing various lumber products. It burned down in 1823. Later a new mill was constructed on site. It made products for the maritime industry.

Originally the pond was known as Saw-Mill Pond. Later, due to the presence of a triphammer at the mill, it became known by its present name.

Triphammer Pond was acquired by the Town of Hingham in 1945. Triphammer Woods, an adjacent woodland, was acquired in 1995, protecting the entire shoreline of the pond. Walk across the dam and look for the remains of an old mill below. Non-motorized boating is permitted on the pond.

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

Trail Description

A rugged, unmarked trail extends for just over a mile around the pond. It is mostly on Hingham Conservation land, but passes briefly through Wompatuck State Park (between markers N16 and N11). The trail is sometimes rocky and rooty. There are two short boardwalks and several spots where the trail extends close to the water, where you can pause to enjoy the view … often while standing atop a large rock.

Habitats and Wildlife

The forest here is primarily pine and oak, as well as some beech, holly and hickory, plus sweet pepper bush, green brier, and ferns. Red maple dominates the swampy areas, The terrain is rocky in places, with a number of glacial erratic boulders and the occasional rocky outcropping. Deer hunting is permitted here between October 19 and November 28, with a special permit from the Town of Hingham.

Triphammer Pond was created when Accord Brook was dammed in the 1600s to provide power for a sawmill. Accord Brook flows from Wompatuck State Park, through Triphammer Pond, and eventually into the Weir River. Formed at the confluence of Crooked Meadow River and Fulling Mill Brook, the Weir River flows for a mile or so north through Hingham. Farther downstream, it turns northeast and flows for another 1.4 miles, through Weir River Farm and eventually into Foundry Pond. The Weir River Estuary, designated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as an Area of Critical Concern, begins just below the manmade dam at the pond. The mile-wide estuary forms the border between Hingham and Hull, and empties into Hingham Bay. For more information about the Weir River, follow the Weir River Watershed Association.

21 Triphammer Rd, Hingham, MA 02043, USA

Historic Site: No

Park: No

Beach: No

Boat Launch: Yes

Lifeguards: No

Size: 98 acres

Hours: Dawn to Dusk

Parking: Limited on-site parking. Look for the gravel/dirt driveway between #75 and #128 Popes Lane. Continue driving about 1/4 mile beyond the conservation area sign.

Cost: Free

Trail Difficulty: Easy, Medium

Facilities:

Informational kiosk, boardwalks, trailside picnic table, and two benches overlooking the pond. Simple launch area for canoes, kayaks and other small boats.

Dogs: Dogs must remain on leash. Scoop the poop!

Boat Ramp: No

ADA Access: No

Scenic Views: Yes

Waterbody/Watershed: Accord Brook (Weir River watershed)