Whitney Spur Trail | Cohasset, Massachusetts
When:
Monday, Jun 02, 2025 7:00a -
Wednesday, Jun 04, 2025 7:00p
Monday, Jun 02, 2025 7:00a -
Wednesday, Jun 04, 2025 7:00p
Where:
Whitney Spur Trail
125 Chief Justice Cushing Hwy
Cohasset, MA 02025
Admission:
FREE
Categories:
Accessible Spots, Date Idea, Good for Groups, Nature, Outside, Seasonal, Sports & Active Life
Event website:
https://www.nsrwa.org/listing/whitney-spur-rail-trail/
The 1.5-mile Whitney Spur Rail Trail connects the Cohasset MBTA station with Whitney and Thayer Woods, Turkey Hill, and the 3500-acre Wompatuck State Park. Composed of graded crushed stone, it is suitable for bicycles and wheelchairs. Stroller-friendly.
Get there via the MBTA Commuter Rail:
- Closest Commuter Rail station: Cohasset (Greenbush Line)
- Start your adventure right at the station. The Whitney Spur Trail begins in the Cohasset Station lot and leads straight into Wompatuck State Park.
Features:
The Whitney Spur, a railroad spur, once connected the Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot (now Wompatuck State Park) to the Old Colony Railroad’s Greenbush Line. In 2003, the DCR sold the land for the Cohasset commuter rail station and parking lot to the MBTA, in exchange for the construction of a rail trail on the former rail spur. The 1.5-mile Whitney Spur Rail Trail now connects the Cohasset MBTA station to Wompatuck State Park.
The 3,500-acre Wompatuck State Park stretches into four towns – Hingham, Cohasset, Scituate and Norwell. It features numerous seasonal campsites, plus fishing and non-motorized boating on the Aaron River Reservoir. There are 12 miles of paved bike paths, plus 40+ miles off-road trails for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and cross-country skiing. Trails are stroller- and wheelchair-friendly in some sections.
Trail Description
This particular trail is about 1.5 miles in length. It begins at the MBTA Commuter Rail station in Cohasset, and is paved up until the point where it meets Route 3A. On the other side of 3A, all the way to Wompatuck proper, it is composed graded crushed stone. The trail is wide, and relatively flat, with a slow but undemanding uphill climb. It connects in several places with trail networks in the park as well as in Whitney and Thayer Woods and Turkey Hill.
Wompatuck State Park offers numerous woodland trails for hiking, dog-walking, horseback riding, cycling, and cross-country skiing. For mountain bikers, the park is home to one of the longest section of switchbacked singletrack in the state. The Wompatuck Trail is ADA accessible.
Habitats and Wildlife
The lower portion of the Whitney Spur Rail Trail lies within the watershed of Hingham Bay. This includes the Great Swamp, which drains to a stream called Turkey Hill Run. The upper portion of the trail lies within the watershed of the Aaron River and Cohasset Harbor.
The trail extends through forest and the Great Swamp wetlands. Look for maple, oak, beech, pine, hemlock, yellow birch and greenbrier. There are also some rocky outcroppings and the occasional glacial erratic boulder. Streams run along both sides of the trails.
Historic Site: No
Park: Yes
Beach: No
Boat Launch: No
Lifeguards: No
Size: Trail is 1.5 miles / Park is 3526 acres
Hours: Dawn to Dusk
Parking: Designated free parking at the Cohasset MBTA station, 110 Chief Justice Cushing Highway (Route 3A), Cohasset.
Cost: Free
Trail Difficulty: Easy
Facilities: Benches, trail receptacles, informational kiosk.
Dogs: Dogs must be leashed at all times. Please clean up after your pet!
Boat Ramp: No
ADA Access: Yes
Scenic Views: Yes
Waterbody/Watershed: Great Swamp (Hingham Bay watershed), Aaron River (Gulf River watershed)
