Ponkapoag Bog Trail - Canton, MA
Posted by: NorStar
N 42° 11.675 W 071° 06.057
19T E 326531 N 4673517
Ponkapoag Bog is a natural white cedar bog south of Boston that supports three types of carnivorous plants: pitcher plants, sundews, and blatterworts.
Waymark Code: WM7FE0
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 10/18/2009
Views: 18
NOTE: As with any fragile and rare landscape, when visiting the location, stay on the boardwalk through the bog, and disturbing or collecting at this location is prohibited!
In Canton, on Ponkapoag Pond within the Blue Hill Reservation, is a white cedar bog that is rarely found in Massachusetts. The bog has a boardwalk trail through the heart of it to the bog's edge in the middle of the pond. At the start of the bog on the west side of the pond, there is a sign that shows a profile of a bog and the transition of vegetation as you progress through it. The sign states that pitcher plants, sundews and bladderworts are present in that bog. I have seen, myself, the pitcher plants and sundews in my walks on the boardwalk. The boardwalk is a tricky and often impassable way through the bog. The boards are loosely placed there and often float when the water level is high. When I passed through in October, there were three points where the planks were floating and I ended up with wet feet. There are trees available for balance, but it can be floating so high that it would be treacherous to go on - so use your best judgement. The waymark is the location where I found the first sizable plot of pitcher plants, but small plants were found earlier.
There are several entrances to Ponkapoag's west side. The most accessible is the parking lot to the Ponkapoag Golf Course on Washington Street in Canton, at the intersection with Turnpike Street. There is a map of Blue Hill Reservation at the entrance to Maple Avenue, a tree lined paved path that goes through the heart of the golf course (not for public automobile driving). At the end of the paved path, turn left and follow the dirt path through the golf course, keeping Ponkapoag Pond to the right. There will be a path that intersects in the woods. Take the right path to the bog boardwalk entrance.
Parking Location: N 42° 11.517 W 071° 06.993
Type of Locality: Wild
Terrain Difficulty:
Drosera: yes
Sarracenia: yes
Utricularia: yes
Species Present: Not listed
Aldrovanda: Not Listed
Byblis: Not Listed
Cephalotus: Not Listed
Darlingtonia: Not Listed
Dionaea: Not Listed
Drosophyllum: Not Listed
Genlisea: Not Listed
Heliamphora: Not Listed
Nepenthes: Not Listed
Pinguicula: Not Listed
Triphyophyllum: Not Listed
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