Access & Circulation Carolina Hill Reservation provides a wide range of recreational opportunities for Marshfield residents. Some come to walk and run, others come to ride mountain bikes and horses and walk dogs. Input from two public meetings indicated that citizens share concerns about the illegal use of off-road vehicles, after-hours partying, campfires, and poor signage throughout the property. A lack of routine patrolling and trail management make some visitors feel that the area is unsafe. Trails can be accessed from numerous neighborhood entrances and private properties bordering the site.
School, provides space for about six vehicles, and several horse trailers and cars can park off Ferry Street at the intersection with the Bridle Trail. Signs at entrances have been placed out of reach to discourage vandalism at several gateways.
According to members of the New England Mountain Bike Association who routinely record GPS coordinates as they cycle, CHR has about 14 miles of unmanaged trails. Some of these multiuse trails include erosion-prone slopes over 15% in open and wooded areas that have developed over many years and traversing a variety of conditions.
Trail management should be in the forefront of initial efforts to improve water quality. Duplicate trails need to be eliminated, clear trail signs need to be added, some areas need to be blocked and re-vegetated and other areas need maintenance. There are several Elements and Tool Box sheets in this document (19 to 23) that help plan these important steps.
Carolina Hill Access and Circulation
Existing parking facilities and trails do not comply with universal access standards because the improvements were made prior to the 1990 adoption of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act regulations.
Numerous duplicate and dead-end trails fragment wildlife habitat, making migration, escape from predators, and the search for food and water more challenging and stressful. A lack of signs and trail markers makes navigating the site difficult. Three informal parking areas serve the Reservation. The entrance off Route 3A to the west can accommodate three cars. Eames Way, near the Elementary
Legend Trail markers directing visitors are randomly placed and lack clarity.
The entrance from Route 3A has room for 3 or 4 cars to park and enables access from the west side of CHR.
Entrance Parking Karen Dunn | John C. Lepore | Susannah Spock
The Conway School
Spring 2011
Carolina Hill Reservation: A Framework for Conservation Land Management, Marshfield Conservation Commission
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