Signal Hill, Canton

Maggie's been having some trouble with the heat wave so yesterday she stayed in the air conditioning while I climbed Signal Hill in Canton. This is another Trustees of Reservations property. It's an unusual 150 acres that was donated to them in 2005. Some one looking for a day hiking could combine this property with the Bradley Estate reviewed last week or enjoy this property and then head to the restaurants in Canton Center.

Getting to Signal Hill is easy. Drive up Bay Road through Canton Center and take a left onto Dedham Street. Dedham Street goes by the golf course. Cross the bridge near the old Cumberland Farms plant, and take a sharp left onto University Drive. Many of you have probably been driving by University Drive for years since Dedham Street is a well known "backway" to Rt. 128 north.

This is a strange place for a conservation property. It seems to be in an industrial park and the sounds of Route 95 can be heard through the trees in the lower part of the park. Bear with me though, this is a cool spot for a hike and more.

Signal Hill is only 188 feet high, but as you can see from this photo it has some interesting red rocks. These rocks are part of the Wamsutta Formation. This is an interesting grouping of rocks that include both igneous and sedimentary rocks. A little sliver of this formation runs through Easton, but most of it is buried out of sight. The red rocks where Route 24 meets Rt. 128 are part of this formation also. For this old geology minor these alone are worth a trip back.

Information is scant, but a Paleo Indian site was excavated here which means that Native Americans visited around 10,000 to 11,000 years ago. In colonial days a series of beacons could be set afire on hills to call out the militia-hence the name Beacon Hill. Great Blue Hill was a key part of this system and Signal Hill still has a great view of Great Blue to the north and Moose Hill to the south.

The car in the center of the photo is the gentleman who rents canoes on weekends and holidays. The spot to the left of the car is a small cattail swamp located in a depression. I'd recommend a pair of binoculars to check out the bird life in the swamp and hawks from the summit.

The area at the base of the hill and a path through the field is mowed. This is a little controversial among some naturalists because it opens up a habitat for human interference, but it also opens that habitat for study. Without the path people would be tromping around stepping on the wildflowers instead of standing on the path to check out the flowers and the butterflies. Mowing the base of the hill creates a great vista.

The path leads into the woods and an old cart path takes you up to the summit. Too many statins have made even a gentle slope a challenge for me-I wished that I had Sherpas and oxygen-but for normal folks its a short pleasant walk to the summit.

The view is definitely worth it. This should be a prime spot for leaf viewing in the fall or a picnic anytime (please respect the pristine summit). At first glance it looks like you'll have to turn around to go back down the hill, but take a look at the sign.

It took me a couple of minutes to find the trail down. A couple of hints. First, the cart path really does turn into a trail. Second, here's what the trail looks like once you start down it:

Once you reach the bottom of this trail you can turn left and in a few steps be back at the parking lot, or you can turn right and pick up another cart path. As you travel along a red maple swamp is on your left and through the trees I-95 while on the right is the slope of the hill with a mesic forest. You'll shortly come to the canoe landing.

According to the canoe rental guy, there are fish in this part of the Neponset River, but "the Russians" have taken the big fish. The Russians are immigrants who fished out the carp which are also immigrants. The trail wraps around back to the field and parking lot although there is another trail that leads back to the Neponset.

Admittedly, it was 95 degrees, but the canoe rental guy and I were the only people on this wonderful property. In fact, there were very few signs of people or dogs. Imagine a hundred and fifty acres of varied habitat and deep history all to yourself only a few minutes away from restaurant row in Canton Center.