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From Route 3, take exit 14 and follow Route 228 north for 6.5 mi through Hingham. Turn right onto Route 3A east and follow for 2 mi. to entrance and parking area on right opposite Sohier Street. To get to Turkey Hill, turn right onto Leavitt Street off Route 228 just before reaching Hingham Town Hall. Follow for 0.6 mi and bear left onto Turkey Hill Lane. Continue on Turkey Hill Lane until it dead ends into Turkey Hill. Entrance and parking area on left.
General Description: 824 acre Whitney and Thayer Woods is a property of the Trustees of Reservations. The Trustees is a non-profit organization whose mission is "to preserve, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts." The pleasant woods roads here will take you far from the bustle of nearby Boston. This was originally the “Common Lands of the Hingham Planters”, referring to the colonists who settled here after 1634. The Milliken Memorial Path travels through a “wild garden” of flowering shrubs created in the 1920s by Mabel Minott Milliken. Dramatic glacial erratics dot the landscape. Some have names such as Ode’s Den, Bigelow Boulder and Rooster Rock. From the 187 ft. summit of Turkey Hill there are spectacular views of Cohasset Harbor and the South Shore. Combined with adjacent Weir River Farm and Wompatuck State Park visitors have access to the largest contiguous tract of open space on the South Shore (5,000 acres).
The Trails: The 10 miles of well-maintained carriage roads make Whitney and Thayer Woods an excellent place for novices and more experienced bike riders, who just want to spend a relaxed afternoon in a beautiful wooded environment. Many ride options of varying lengths are possible, including a loop of the entire property. Any climbs are short and moderate. Navigation is easy, thanks to the trail intersection markers which are indicated on the map (available at kiosks or as a download at the Trustees website). The property is open year-round and is a great place for a winter ride. If snow covered, there is cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. There is also easy access to the miles of trails, for all skill levels, at Wompatuck State Park. The smooth riding at Whitney and Thayer Woods can also provide a welcome break after riding some of the singletrack at Wompatuck.
Historical Note: Odie's Den, a glacial erratic boulder named for Theodore “Ode” Pritchard, who lived under one of the boulders after losing his home in 1830. The cinderblock NIKE building was once part of the anti-missile radar control station used to thwart any potential attack by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
For more information: Whitney and Thayer Woods Phone: (781) 784-0567 Website: Whitney and Thayer Woods
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