LocationsThe South Coast
3 parks · 69 challenges · Massachusetts
Outdoor things to do with kids in The South Coast
In Fall River, Fairhaven and New Bedford.
A whaling city, a Revolutionary fort across the harbour, and five hundred acres of woods with a cart path running through the middle.
Finish all 3
Play every park here and your family are Explorers of the South Coast.
Where to go, and what to expect
Copicut Woods
Fall River, Massachusetts · 22 challenges
Five hundred acres of quiet woods with vernal pools, an abandoned farm settlement in them, and a cart path nearly a mile long lined with stone walls that were built a hundred and fifty years ago.
About an hour and a halfStroller in places
Underfoot. Shady trails through mixed woodland, past vernal pools and the old farm settlement. There is an accessible discovery trail as well. Allow at least an hour.
Parking. Free to everyone, sunrise to sunset. Parking for twelve cars on Indian Town Road, with roadside space as well, and a trail map on the kiosk. IMPORTANT: the Trustees warn that satnavs send people down unmaintained roads around here that need a high-clearance four-wheel drive. Follow the written directions on their page rather than your phone.
Fort Phoenix
Fairhaven, Massachusetts · 22 challenges
One of the smallest state parks in Massachusetts and one of the most crammed: the stone remains of a Revolutionary War fort, a beach below it, and a hurricane barrier you can walk out along into the Atlantic.
About an hour and a halfStroller in places
Underfoot. A small park with the fort remains on a rise, a beach below that is universally accessible, and the hurricane barrier to walk out along.
Parking. Free, with free parking in the lot on Green Street. Sunrise to sunset.
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
New Bedford, Massachusetts · 25 challenges
Thirteen blocks of a whaling city you can walk in an afternoon — a sailors' chapel, a customs house, and the street where Frederick Douglass chose his own name.
About an hour and a half
Underfoot. Thirteen blocks of city streets, some of them cobbled and steep down toward the water.
Parking. The visitor center is at 33 William Street. Free to walk the park; the whaling museum charges its own admission.
Play all 3 around The South Coast
Free. Works with no signal once you're there.