Pingree Woodland

Stunning forested upland and large expanses of freshwater wetlands surround trails winding along glacial eskers and wide ancient cart paths. An extensive trail system links to Harvard Forest and other land nearby.

The property features extensive woodlands of mixed hardwoods and pines and is crisscrossed by an extensive trail network. Some trails traverse the many significant eskers found throughout the area.

These eskers are actually remnants of riverbeds formed beneath melting glaciers more than 10,000 years ago.

The wide paths, lined with horse jumps, are a popular place for hiking, trail running and skiing. A portion of the trail is part of the Bay Circuit Trail, a 230-mile trail that traverses Eastern Massachusetts from the mouth of the Merrimack River to Kingston Bay.

Algonquian-speaking Indigenous people known as Eastern Woodland Indians trapped beavers and muskrats here in Black Brook and other tributaries of the Ipswich River. During the seventeenth century, beavers nearly became extinct in eastern Massachusetts because of demand for their waterproof pelts in the European fur trade.

Black Brook flows along the edge of the property, and along its length you may see several "beaver deceivers," a pipe and fence combination that prevent extreme flooding while allowing the present-day beaver population to remain active in the area.

Sumner Pingree and his bride Mary Weld moved to 500 acres here in 1927 and built one of the “great estates” established in this area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the 1940s, they worked with the Town of Hamilton to preserve the house and protect the property. Fifty acres and the house were set aside to create the Pingree School, and Pingree Woodland is a part of the estate forever protected for public enjoyment.

Flora includes a forest of mature white pines, beech and oak trees and mature hemlock stand. A red maple swamp boasts vibrantly colored leaves in the fall, and Black Brook offers a diverse riparian corridor along the eastern boundary.

While the return of beaver to the woods and wetlands has helped to improve wildlife habitat, their natural instinct to dam flowing water presents challenges. Culvert exclusion fences on the property prevent beaver from blocking culvert openings with sticks, allowing water to flow freely through, helping to keep trails from flooding.