Noon Hill (reservation)
Encyclopedia
Noon Hill is a 204 acres (82.6 ha) open space preserve located in Medfield, Massachusetts
and centered around 370 feet (112.8 m) Noon Hill, a prominent summit and scenic vista. It is managed by the land conservation non-profit organization The Trustees of Reservations
and offers 4.5 miles (7.2 km) of trails available for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and cross country skiing. Oak-hickory forest
, wetlands, vernal pools, steep ravines, boulders, and rocky ledges characterize the preserve. Noon Hill is a link in the 200 miles (321.9 km) Bay Circuit Trail
. Holt Pond, a constructed mill pond, is located on the property.
Noon Hill is part of a larger area of protected open space including land owned by the town of Medfield and The Trustees of Reservations' Shattuck Reservation located to the northwest of Noon Hill along the Charles River
.
during the last ice age
through glacial plucking and scouring. Holt Pond, the dammed flow of Sawmill Brook, was constructed circa 1764 to service colonial era mills. Other parts of the property were used as pasture land.
Noon Hill was acquired in 1959 as a gift of W. K. Gilmore & Sons; additional land was given by other donors in 1960, 1963, and 1978.
. Within the Noon Hill reservation, the Bay Circuit Trail passes over the summit of Noon Hill, where open ledges offer views of the landscape of neighboring Walpole
, Norfolk
, and Great Blue Hill
.
The property trailhead is located on Noon Hill Road in Medfield.
Medfield, Massachusetts
Medfield is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,024 according to the 2010 Census. Medfield is an affluent community about 17 miles southwest of Boston....
and centered around 370 feet (112.8 m) Noon Hill, a prominent summit and scenic vista. It is managed by the land conservation non-profit organization The Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees of Reservations is a non-profit land conservation and historic preservation organization dedicated to preserving natural and historical places in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is the oldest regional land trust in the world and has 100,000 dues-paying members...
and offers 4.5 miles (7.2 km) of trails available for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and cross country skiing. Oak-hickory forest
Oak-hickory forest
The oak-hickory forest is a general type of North American forest ecosystem with a range extending from southern New England and New York, west to Iowa, and south to Northern Georgia. Smaller, isolated Oak-Hickory communities can also be found as far west as North Dakota, south to Florida and...
, wetlands, vernal pools, steep ravines, boulders, and rocky ledges characterize the preserve. Noon Hill is a link in the 200 miles (321.9 km) Bay Circuit Trail
Bay Circuit Trail
The Bay Circuit Trail or Bay Circuit is a Massachusetts recreational trail which, when complete, will form an arc through the outlying suburbs of Boston from Plum Island in Newburyport to Kingston Bay in Duxbury, a distance of . of the trail were complete as of 2007...
. Holt Pond, a constructed mill pond, is located on the property.
Noon Hill is part of a larger area of protected open space including land owned by the town of Medfield and The Trustees of Reservations' Shattuck Reservation located to the northwest of Noon Hill along the Charles River
Charles River
The Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...
.
History
The rugged, rocky terrain of Noon Hill was formed via glacial actionGlacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
during the last ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
through glacial plucking and scouring. Holt Pond, the dammed flow of Sawmill Brook, was constructed circa 1764 to service colonial era mills. Other parts of the property were used as pasture land.
Noon Hill was acquired in 1959 as a gift of W. K. Gilmore & Sons; additional land was given by other donors in 1960, 1963, and 1978.
Recreation
A network of trails span the property and connect with the abutting Shattuck Reservation and town conservation land. Most notable is the Bay Circuit Trail, a long distance hiking trail that forms a 200 miles (321.9 km) arc around the suburban belt to the west of BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. Within the Noon Hill reservation, the Bay Circuit Trail passes over the summit of Noon Hill, where open ledges offer views of the landscape of neighboring Walpole
Walpole, Massachusetts
Walpole is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located about south of Boston and north of Providence, Rhode Island. The population was 24,070 at the 2010 census. Walpole was first settled in 1659 and was considered a part of Dedham until officially incorporated in 1724...
, Norfolk
Norfolk, Massachusetts
Norfolk is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States with a population of 10,460 people in 2,818 households at the 2000 census. Formerly known as North Wrentham, Norfolk broke away to become an independent town in 1870.-History:...
, and Great Blue Hill
Great Blue Hill
Great Blue Hill is a hill of 635 feet located within the Blue Hills Reservation in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Massachusetts, 10 miles southwest of Boston. It is the highest point in Norfolk County...
.
The property trailhead is located on Noon Hill Road in Medfield.