Hinsdale Park & Discovery Playground

Hinsdale Park, located on Old South Road, is a multi-use area dedicated to outdoor play, fitness and community gathering. It consists of a playground, mowed athletic fields, a labyrinth, and a trail system.

Constructed in 2019, the Discovery Playground is the newest addition to the Land Bank’s Hinsdale Park property. This inclusive, STEAM-based (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) playground was a collaborative effort between the Land Bank and Maria Mitchell Association, with support from the Nantucket Cottage Hospital, Community Health Initiative, and the Town of Nantucket/Community Preservation Act. With multiple climbing structures, zip lines and adult fitness equipment, this playground has something for everyone.

A dirt trail begins from the playground parking area and proceeds north. Continuing straight on the trail leads to a playing field and the labyrinth. Bear left to access a single-track trail system through the forest, which includes a connection to the Milestone Road bike path, and the Land Bank’s Sheep Commons property on the north side of Milestone Road.

The trees on the Hinsdale property are primarily pitch pine, which are native to the eastern United States, but were most likely introduced to Nantucket in 1847 by Josiah Sturgis who planted them along the Milestone Road to serve as a windbreak. This species is now one of the most common trees on Nantucket and provides critical habitat for the northern long-eared bat, which is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.