Before it was protected land, this property was known locally as the Nunes Farm and was headed for a very different future — developers had already begun clearing the land for house lots when it was acquired by the state in 1999. The reservation's main trail still loosely follows the original farm driveway, and the clearings once meant for houses are still visible if you know where to look. More than two decades later, nature has largely reclaimed the land, leaving well-worn walking trails in place of what would have been another subdivision.

The reservation connects to the wider trail network too — the Shaw Farm Trail links it to the Mattapoisett Rail Trail, which continues on into Fairhaven and New Bedford, part of a coastal trail system that now runs some 14 miles end to end.