Wildflowers & Upper Shawme Pond Dam

On the way home from Sandwich one day, we made a quick visit to the Shawme Pond Dam.  The upper pond is a bit higher up than the lower pond, which is seen here from the short trail that leads to the dam.

There was an old, and small, dam between the ponds but it was completely redone in 2008, including a herring run.  This is looking at the lower pond from the top of the dam.

Mom & Dad swans with their five cygnets.

The wildflowers are spectacular.

 The little waterfall.

Upper Shawme Pond, which is actually really large but we didn't feel like hiking down the trail to the viewpoint, as I'd hurt my ankle over a month ago and it's still bothering me.

Trail off to the right goes downhill to where you can see the upper pond.

One of these days I will take this trail which goes down to Quail Hollow, near the old elementary school.

 

Finding the Dam & Herring Run

Many years ago when I was in high school, Liz & I took their little sailboat around Upper Shawme Pond one beautiful summer day.  She maneuvered the boat into this little cove to show me the little dam and waterfall between the upper and lower ponds.  I never forgot that day, because it wasn't a place that was really accessible to most people.  I never got to see it again.

A few years ago the town spent about a million dollars to rebuild the whole thing, putting a large dam, walkway and herring run between the two ponds.  I finally found the access road off Grove Street, although you can also use a trail that runs behind Quail Hollow out near the elementary school.

You can't see the waterfall anymore although you can hear it under the bridge.  That's the new herring run, or fish ladder, going into the lower pond.

Wildflower seeds were scattered all over the hillsides.  It looks amazing in person.

Dock in the upper pond.

Never knew it was called the Cook Farm Dam or that it was built in 1812.

I headed down the path into the woods a little way and went down to the upper pond's edge.  We got married on the other side last August.

Totally worth the detour off the main road to see this!