Wild Turkey Paddlers

Hi, I don't know that I've paddled with anyone on this group but I've lurked on the forum for a bit. I live in MA and paddle all over but with restrictions, I technically can't park at boat ramps in RI, NH, ME. So I'm looking for MA locations to paddle; It's getting boring just paddling for fitness locally on the Charles. I saw mention of Hingham and I paddled there once a few years ago. I was hoping to ask for some local info. There's that beach and boat ramp more or less where the link below points. Does anyone know if the parking is open and how early you need to get there on a Saturday or Sunday to get a parking spot in the non-trailer spots? I thought I might want to try a few hour paddle sometime but it's an hour drive for me so I'd hate to drive down, not get a spot, and have to turn around and come home.

https://www.google.com/maps/search/hingham+harbor/@42.2463844,-70.8877387,357m/data=!3m1!1e3

I just drove out there to confirm for myself that Bathing Beach in Hingham is open. It is indeed open. It's a very big parking lot so if you come in the morning you should be able to find a space. I've never had to go home because I couldn't park there.

I also checked out the launch site on the Driftway in Scituate (into the Herring River and out to the mouth of the North and South Rivers) and the parking area at the Scituate lighthouse - both are open. Hull, however, remains restricted to residents only.

Kate

I have not paddled out of Hingham very often on a weekend since we go out there every other Thursday night, but I can't imagine the boat ramp parking lot getting filled up completely, even on a weekend. There are 2 parking lots, the one at the boat ramp and the bathing beach lot. We normally use the one at the boat ramp and if you're lucky you can get a spot right against the beach and not have to carry your boat across the parking lot. I'm guessing in a normal year, they'd ask you not to launch a boat from the bathing beach since they normally have a swimming area roped off where they do not allow boats to paddle through. Who knows what their rules will be this year.

We had no issues launching from the boat ramp parking lot on the Thursday evening a couple weeks ago. Lots of people use the boat ramp parking area for bathing and sitting on the beach, but there were still plenty of spaces along the sand to park. 3 of us went out and had a nice 7.5 mile evening paddle along the coast toward Weymouth.

In the past, there were port-a-potties near the swimming beach and near the coffee shop but there was nothing there this year. It looks like they have built a new building at the bathing beach lot but it was not complete yet and I don't know if it will be rest rooms or something else. Its hard to find rest rooms these days with all the restrictions and take-out only restaurants.

Norm