Town of Hanson Conservation Recreation Areas- Smith-Nawazelski

SMITH-NAWAZELSKI CONSERVATION AREA

Access: there is a small parking area at 482 Elm Street just at the power lines and across the street from the Burrage Pond Wildlife Area access road. Follow the power lines up the hill and bear left  away from the power lines to follow the Bay Circuit Trail to East Bridgewater and over the Board Walk the crosses Poor Meadow Brook. There are also trails to the left of the power lines behind the old Stillman farm to explore the old farm pathways and cart paths. As well as trails off to the right the traverse the area adjacent to the Hanson Rod and Gun Club.

Hanson’s largest conservation property. Trails through woods and wetlands. Rustic boardwalk over Poor Meadow Brook at the rear of the property. Popular with horseback riders.

More information at: https://www.nsrwa.org/

FEATURES

The Town of Hanson acquired this property in 1989 for conservation and water supply protection purposes. Within you will see occasional old stone walls, and also a very large pile of stones, probably the result of the hard work of clearing agricultural fields! Probably the most intriguing feature is the boardwalk over Poor Meadow Brook, at the rear of the property.

TRAIL DESCRIPTION

There are at least 2 miles of trails here — mostly wide cart paths but also sometimes narrow footpaths. Follow the main trail from the parking area, away from the road. It extends past some farm fields and a power easement. One side trail, which heads off to the right, leads off the property toward the Rod & Gun Club. There is more to see if you continue on the main trail and then turn left into the woods at about 0.21 miles, where there is an unmarked trail network that forms a rough triangle with a few short spurs. A portion of the Bay Circuit Trail runs through the property as well. It is marked with white blazes. However if you continue along the power easement downhill, and all the way to the rear of the property, there will be another opportunity to turn left into the woods at about 0.46 miles. Look for a spur from this trail off to the right. This leads onto a boardwalk that crosses Poor Meadow Brook, to East Bridgewater. You can continue along the power easement to the left, through the meadows, and eventually back into the woods, where the trail returns to the boardwalk spur, but there are occasional washouts and wet sections that may be difficult to traverse.

HABITATS AND WILDLIFE

The forest here is primarily pine, blueberry, and oak, with maple, cedar, beech, and also a stunning grove of holly. There is a fair amount of red maple swamp on the property as well. Look for the occasional glacial erratic boulder. Deep within the property there is at least one vernal pool.

Poor Meadow Brook runs through the rear portion of the property. It is part of the watershed of the Satucket River, a significant headwater tributary to the Taunton River.

Some of the animal species commonly observed here include white-tail deer, wild turkey, grouse, otter, mink, plus a variety of songbirds.