Features

Stop and appreciate the water view from the observation platform at the end of the trail at Peirson Woods.

With its short, circular trail down to the edge of Blankenship Cove, Peirson Woods offers delightful scenery at every turn. At the end of the quiet, forested trail sits a bird observation platform, which you can climb to look out over the cove to Sippican Harbor and Buzzards Bay beyond. It’s a great walk for families with small children or active adults seeking some exercise and fresh air.

Trails

The Peirson Woods trailhead is located just past the Marion Golf Club on Point Road. A flat, narrow trail loops for less than a mile through the woods to the observation platform overlooking Blankenship Cove. Altogether, this walk takes less than half an hour – though you’ll want to budget a little more time to stop and enjoy the view. (Download trail map)

Habitats & Wildlife

Blankenship Cove is a protected inlet of Sippican Harbor, which attracts birds of all kinds throughout the year. In summer, ospreys nest on a platform just beyond the observation deck, while herons and egrets stalk the cove’s marshy shoreline for fish. It’s also a great spot to watch for migratory ducks on the water in winter.

Peirson Woods has another special resident: the protected diamondback terrapin, which lives in these salt marshes and shallows year-round.

Property Owned By

Sippican Lands Trust

The Sippican Lands Trust is a nonprofit organization founded in 1974 with the mission to acquire, manage, and protect natural areas in Marion for the benefit of the public. The land trust protects 1,350 acres that are open to all.