Bradford Torrey Bird Sanctuary

Bradford Torrey Bird Sanctuary is a genuinely substantial property, over a hundred acres with more than three miles of trails, centered on a 2.5-mile yellow-blazed loop with numerous blue-blazed spur trails branching off. The Town of Weymouth acquired it through a series of land donations dating back to 1937, and it is named for local ornithologist and essayist Bradford Torrey (1843-1912), who grew up nearby and helped popularize birdwatching and the outdoor "nature ramble." Expect a mix of terrain here -- rocky outcroppings, bubbling streams, groves of beech and pine, and plenty of glacial erratic boulders -- with entrances off Main Street (Route 18), behind Weymouth High School, and through the adjacent Arbor Hill Conservation Area.