Ipswich open space: Nichols Field

Deer watching at Nichols Field

Nichols Field is a nature reserve located southwest from the point where the Labor In Vain Creek meets the Ipswich River. 

Butter-and-eggs flowers of the snapdragon family (native to Europe and Asia, introduced to North America)

Forest alongside Ipswich River

A loop trail, less than a half mile long, allows for a gentle hike around open grassland. Alongside the Ipswich River, you will find a stretch of forest. A short spur trail leads down to the shoreline of the Ipswich River and the Labor In Vain Creek.  Here, you can watch the river and marshland scenery with its boat traffic between Ipswich and Little Neck.  

Mud and marsh where the Labor in Vain Creek meets the Ipswich River

Near the trailhead, you will find a bronze plaque on a granite block that honors Ipswich resident Robert K. Weatherall, who volunteered for more than a decade as a Nichols Field land steward. 

Non-motorized and motorized traffic on Ipswich River seen from the forested river bank at Nichols Field

Address and map 

Nichols Field trailhead: 60 Labor in Vain Road, Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts 01938.

Map: https://ipswich.files.wordpress.com/2020/03/nichols-field-trail-map.pdf.

Grassy section of the Nichols Field loop trail

References and more to explore

Nichols Field - Ipswich - MA. Massachusetts Trails. URL: https://www.mass-trails.org/towns/Ipswich/nicholsfield.html.

Open Space. Historic Ipswich. On the Massachusetts North Shore. URL: https://historicipswich.org/ipswich-open-space/. 

Robert K. Weatherall Honored. Ipswich Massachusetts Bridging History. URL: https://www.ipswichma.gov/368/Robert-K-Weatherall-Honored.