Sadie’s hammock overlooking Scarborough Marsh at Blue Point Preserve
After long busy days working at Scarborough Land Trust, it’s been important to find times to rest and relax while still enjoying the outdoors. Within my first week of working with SLT I began to notice some excellent places to hang my hammock. I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite places I’ve found so far!
Broadturn Farm is one of our least populated preserves. But when I explored a short way down the trail for a property audit, I found a gorgeous cascade. When I first spotted this area, I was determined to come back and see if it was a good hammocking spot, and it definitely was. I was able to listen to the roaring brook while I sat down and ate some lunch.
When I walked a little further down the (unofficial) river path at Broadturn Farm a calmer river that meanders around lots of sand banks, bends, and trees began to emerge. At the end of this path there is a nice grassy area where I perfectly hung my hammock over the river. This is one of the most secluded spots I have found so far as no one seems to travel this far down the path, so there is no one around except the birds and bugs. I set up here for a bit and wondered if I would see any fish swimming around (unfortunately I did not).
Hammocking next to Fuller Farm Preserve’s waterfall
Fuller Farm has one of the best waterfalls out of any of the preserves. This is one of our most popular trails where I can almost always find friends along the path. This was a great spot for hammocking, listen to the flowing waterfall, and people watching. When I sat here, I was greeted by two friendly golden retrievers after they had taken a well-deserved swim in the water on a particularly warm day.
As you may be able to tell by now, I’m a big fan of hammocking by the river. But Sewell Woods is one of my favorite locations with a forested area with plenty of trees big enough to hold up a hammock. This was the first location I spotted at SLT and thought the combination of secluded forest, singing hermit thrushes, and lots of shade made for the perfect hammocking area. I was able to carefully step off the trail and find a perfect spot where my hammock wasn’t in the way but still in the middle of the beautiful woods.
Blue Point Preserve is located right next to the Scarborough Marsh, and luckily it provides lots of views. There is a small lookout point along the trail that makes for a perfect hammocking spot where I’ve been able to spot unique wildlife like egrets, herons, glossy ibis, muskrats, mink, and so much more. One time we were observing the property and a deer ran right through the marsh!
A hammock lunch by the brook at Broadturn Farm
Images and writing: Sadie Gray, Stewardship Intern