Whip Hill Park

Among many estates donated to governments for use as public land is Whip Hill Park in Stoneham, Massachusetts. Unlike Stonehurst in the Storer Conservation Area, the manor at Whip Hill is a relatively new structure to be preserved as a public site, built in 1930. The owners, the Crocketts, made their fortune in the local rubber industry. Sometime after James Crockett’s death, his wife Angie donated the land and family home to the town in 1968. The historical significance of the site is somewhat limited to this story, but the home is a beautiful manor built in the constantly revived Tudor style. It is only open for holiday events, but still nice to look at from the outside.

The land nearest the house is surrounded by what appear to be planted rhododendrons and other shrub varieties, resembling somewhat the landscaped private mansions of Massachusetts today, but the further you get from the house, the more the native forest of Massachusetts begins to take over the park, culminating in the relatively wild state of the next door Middlesex Fells Reservation, which is directly accessible via connected trails.

Near the home and the parking lot sits a small swampy pond, which seeps into the nearby ground and freezes over in the winter. Views of the pond are accessible on three sides. Interestingly most maps of the site don’t show this pond, including Google, but it sits directly west of the lot. In addition to this discrepancy, many online maps don’t show the local trails either. Luckily the site is relatively small, making it difficult to get too lost in the woods, and many of the adjacent Middlesex trails are more clearly documented.

Despite its proximity to a busy highway and various neighborhoods, the park is extremely tranquil and calm, particularly in the winter when I visited. The air is still and quiet, and only by listening very closely can you make out the small hum of cars on interstate 93. It’s an incredible oasis from the surrounding bustle.

The park is named for the nearby Whip Hill, whose peak sits in Middlesex Fells. There are some interesting maps of the location, some of which show two peaks called Whip Hill, one in the estate park and one in Middlesex Fells. It’s unclear if these two peaks are considered part of a single hill or not.

Going to the tops of hills in this area is often fascinating because of the dwarfing effect seen on trees at the top elevations. Whip Hill’s taller summit is no different in this regard. The top is dominated by old glacial rocks that are often seen at these elevations, and the trees become more shrub-like in the areas where they grow around breaks in the rock surface. This is in part a consequence of the lack of soil availability in these areas.

Who is this park a good destination for? Anyone living in the area who wants to escape the city for a bit. People with a fascination of Tudor architecture. And someone who wants to check out hill-based variations in local ecosystems. Maybe not a showstopper for your general tourist population, but a nice nature park nevertheless. There is an onsite parking lot a short walk from the mansion. There may be mosquitoes in the summer and some snow and ice on the ground in winter, so be sure to plan accordingly and bring bug spray and winter footwear as needed. Spring and winter provide the mildest conditions for hiking in this area.