It Happens Here: Popularity Of Hingham's World's End Skyrockets In Pandemic
HINGHAM (CBS) - World's End is a special piece of land in Hingham making this community famous.
At the tip of town, this is a spot where many, like Stacey Shipman, find peace and space.
"During the pandemic it's really been a sanctuary place to go when you can't go anywhere else," she told WBZ-TV.
Nestled between Hingham Harbor, Nantasket Beach and the Boston skyline World's End has a lot of offer.
"This is a beautiful park, 251 acres and 4-and-half miles of beautiful walking trails," said Anne Smith-White, a member of the Trustees, which owns and runs the land.
Snuggled into the end of a quiet Hingham neighborhood, this place was wildly popular way before the colonists arrived.
Smith-White said people have used this park for thousands of years in several ways, including farming and fishing. The spot is actually part of the Boston Harbor Islands and the National Park Service and it's charm starts with it's location.
"If you walk to the top of Planters Hill you have 360 degree views with Boston and over Nantasket to the ocean you can see Hingham, the woods, it's an extraordinary view," she told WBZ.
And as beloved as it is, thanks to the pandemic, its popularity has skyrocketed. Visits are up 178-percent in the last year because World's End was made for social distancing. But it's value also could have made it vulnerable to its own destruction.
Originally plotted as a 162-home subdivision, it was saved. In the 1960s neighbors and the Trustees bought the land and kept it as is, ensuring a vacation spot is safe right in our own backyard.
Because of COVID-19 you do have to plan your visit and book a time. If you're not a member of the trustees it will cost you $10 per vehicle and $15 on weekends.
For more information visit the World's End website.