Indian Head River Coalition Completes Work on Multi-town Hiking Trail Loop

By Amy Markarian, Senior Copywriter

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The Indian Head River Trail, a popular recreational trail system spanning the towns of Hanover, Hanson, and Pembroke, just received a 3-year makeover and it's ready for spring hiking season! The latest improvements welcome new and returning visitors with an enhanced trail experience for all.

In 2017, a group of landholding entities—the Pembroke, Hanover, and Hanson Conservation Commissions, Plymouth County, North and South River Watershed Association, and Wildlands Trust—formed the Indian Head River Trail Coalition (IHRTC) to preserve the historic and natural qualities of the Indian Head River and its surrounding lands, while also encouraging passive recreation in and around the river.

In 2018, the coalition was awarded a 3-year Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Recreational Trails Program grant to expand and improve the Indian Head River trail system. Following completion of this work in late 2021, the area currently boasts six continuous miles of trail, connecting 325 acres of conservation land along the river. The neighboring trail systems of Wildlands Trust’s Tucker Preserve and Hanover’s Iron Mine Brook are now linked with the Indian Head River Trail, offering one complete loop incorporating the various conservation properties around the river.

The DCR funding supported both trail blazing and maintenance of existing trails to create the loop. In addition, it allowed for the installation of several new features, including: map holders and trail markers to improve navigability; signage providing ecological and historical information; 800 feet of “bog board” walkways over areas of trail deterioration; benches at scenic viewpoints; informational kiosks to welcome visitors at several entrances to the trail; and printed trail maps reflecting the newest changes to the expansive trail system.

In conjunction with the Indian Head River Trail Coalition, local volunteers provided critical assistance throughout the project. Led by Wildlands Trust’s director of stewardship Erik Boyer, volunteers from The Town of Hanover, Wildlands Trust, REI, the New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA), and a Hanover boy scout troop assisted with trail clean up, installation of trail enhancements, ongoing trail monitoring (through Wildlands’ Adopt-a-Preserve program), and guided hikes to introduce new visitors to the trail system. Assistance with historical content pertaining to the Mattakeeset Tribe was provided by Dr. Larry Fisher.

Wildlands Teams Up with Sierra Club for Volunteer Service Week

By Stewardship Manager, Erik Boyer

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Sierra Club volunteers and Wildlands staff pose for a group photo at Myles Standish State Forest.

This past August, twenty-four volunteers from the Sierra Club joined Wildlands Trust for a week of service on some of our trails on the South Shore. The group consisted of volunteers from all over the country who dedicated their time from August 5 – August 9 and helped improve the trails at Wildlands’ Tucker Preserve and the Equestrian Loop at Myles Standish State Forest. This is the fourth year of this partnership, which focuses primarily on volunteer work at Wildlands but has included service projects with the town of Plymouth and the Friends of Myles Standish.

This year, for the first time, we spent a day outside of Plymouth on the Indian Head River in Pembroke and Hanover. The first day, the group spent the day cutting back trails on the Indian Head River Loop (IHRL), a trail that passes through the towns of Pembroke, Hanover, and Hanson. A good portion of this work took place on Tucker Preserve, which is one of the entry points to the IHRL. A group also assisted a local Boy Scout for his Eagle Scout project, where they opened up the trails at the town of Hanover’s Iron Brook Mine Trails.

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Sierra Club volunteers working together on a trail in Plymouth in 2017.

At the end of the week, the group worked with the Friends of Myles Standish and helped cut back vegetation on portions of the Equestrian Loop. Volunteers cut back the dense understory scrub oak and bayberry from the trails and cleared fallen trees with handsaws. Over 3 miles of trails were cleared over the course of two days!

Thanks to the efforts of Zehava Rosenberg and Madeleine Zember, two Sierra Club volunteers, over 20 volunteers come to Plymouth for a weeklong service trip each year. Due to the help of the volunteers this year, hikers will be able to enjoy these trails this fall. If you would like to learn more about the Sierra Club’s service trips, check out: content.sierraclub.org/outings/volunteer-vacations. For information on how you can volunteer with Wildlands Trust, visit our website at wildlandstrust.org/volunteer.