Bare Cove Park is a 484 acre park designated for wildlife and public recreation.[1] It is located in Hingham, Massachusetts, on the Weymouth Back River across from Great Esker Park.
History
Until 1906, the land now established as Bare Cove Park was privately owned. The U.S. Navy then established the Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot, also known as Hockley Hollow at the time, because of its close proximity to Boston Harbor.[2] The depot stored munitions for aircraft and ships until it was decommissioned in 1961,[3] and the land was given to the towns of Hingham and Weymouth in the early seventies. Hingham's portion of the land was transformed into Bare Cove Park and opened its gates to the public in 1974.[2] The town of Weymouth created Great Esker Park with their land.
Park features
Bare Cove Park Features multiple paved paths and trails that are often used for walking, jogging, and biking.[1] The park consists of acres of woods, marshes, wetlands, fields, and river shoreline and is also scattered with retired naval bunkers. Many of the bunkers which have been demolished since the depot was decommissioned, leaving wide and open fields in their place.
Dog walking
Bare Cove Park is very popular for dog walkers. Dogs must be leashed unless the dog owner has an Off-Leash Dog Walking Permit for the park. There is signage around the park designating where dogs may be off-leash.[4]
USS YF-415 Memorial
There is a memorial stone and flagpole located in the park,[5] memorializing the crew of the USS YF-415, who were lost in an accident on May 10, 1944.[6][7][8]
Wildlife
The park provides a sanctuary for diverse wildlife including minks, foxes, raccoons, and rabbits. Birds, including ospreys, double-crested cormorants, snowy egrets, and great blue herons, are seen significantly more by park-goers. [2]
Gallery
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A decommissioned naval ammunition bunker -
Two people walking on a path -
Mooring posts from former Navy base -
Egret in Back River -
Route 3A bridge over Back River, viewed from the park -
A beautiful snowy path through Bare Cove
References
- ^ a b "Bare Cove Park". Hingham, MA. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
- ^ a b c "Bare Cove Park". North and South Rivers Watershed Association. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
- ^ Whitfill, Mary. "Half century after Hingham depot closed, Army Corps still searching for munitions". The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
- ^ "Bare Cove Park - Hingham - South Shore Trails - Dog Friendly!". South Shore Trails. 2017-10-09. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
- ^ Google (4 February 2024). "USS YF-415 Memorial" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
- ^ "Hingham's Military, Veteran and War Memorials". Hingham Town Hall. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ Rose, Jim (2019). "75th Anniversary of Depot Tragedy" (PDF). Friends of Wompatuck (51). Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "2012: JB Mills memorializes crew from 1944 depot tragedy". Hingham Unity Council. 30 January 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
External links
- Bare Cove Park Town of Hingham
- Bare Cove Park facilities Town of Hingham