Connecting with God’s Creation is as simple as walking out the door and paying attention to the beauty around us. Getting out of the busyness of life with a walk in the woods is even more connecting. Here’s a wonderful list of places that are just a few minutes away where you can wander through the trees and watch the streams or go searching for wildlife. **Notes provided by the LaRochelle Family
If you travel somewhere new that you want to add to this list – send it along with your rating!
Hiking Path | Town | Rating | Notes |
Faun Lake | Bedford | ***** | LOVED this one; saw LOTS of wildlife – turtles, water snakes |
Cranberry Bog | Carlisle | **** | Lots of dog poop [map] |
Bartlett Woodlot | Chelmsford | ***** | Very short; waterfall |
Roberts Field Woods | Chelmsford | **** | Short but fun. Trail is in the wildlife sanctuary next to the field. Friendship Park children’s playground is also here. |
Crooked Spring Reservation | Chelmsford | ***** | One of our favorites! [map] |
Lime Kiln Quarry | Chelmsford | **** | Love this hike [map] |
Storywalk at Sunny Meadow Farm | Chelmsford | *** | Nature walk with a story. Storywalk is behind the community garden |
Thanksgiving Forest Reservation | Chelmsford | **** | Can be a short or long walk; lots of rocks to climb; connects to Carlisle State Park [history] |
Bill Edge Deep Brook Reservation | Chelmsford | **** | [map] |
Danforth Falls | Hudson | [map] | |
Nashoba Wetlands | Littleton | *** | Nice, VERY short walk |
Nashoba Woodlands (Yapp Conservation Land) | Littleton | **** | Very muddy – kids loved it; saw ducks, geese, and a garter snake; path leads down to Long Lake across from the public beach |
White Tail Woods | Littleton | ***** | Great walk; well marked; no wildlife except birds; has some Munzee scavenger hunt spots |
Long Lake Park (main loop) | Littleton | ***** | LOVED this one; lots of mud; tons of birds but no other wildlife; really well marked [map] |
Cloverdale Conservation Land | Littleton | **** |
VERY muddy – tons of birds – lots of boardwalks over some wet places – pretty – short and easy – close to Great Road so a bit loud on one side of the loop
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Sarah Doublet Forest | Littleton | **** | 1.75 miles of pretty forest hiking – mud to jump over – huge rocks to climb – no wildlife but birds – well marked |
Prouty Woods | Littleton | ***** | LOVED this one! Water and woods! |
Stone Arch | Westford | ***** | Great walk; very busy though; connects to other Westford Conservation Trust sites |
Abbott Trail | Westford | *** | Short, not that much to see. Trail starts at Abbott elementary School. |
Stony Brook (East Boston Camps) | Westford | ***** | Loved it! Lots of nature and fun stuff to see |
Cider Mill | Westford | **** | Waterfall; lots of big rocks to sit on; ruins of the mill; lots of ticks |
Peace Trail | Westford | ***** | LOVED this one; part of the path is washed out so you can’t go the whole way; saw a big northern water snake & beaver!!! |
Beaver Brook | Westford | ***** | LOVED this one, although it was also washed out and cut off; saw a beaver!!! |
Mystery Spring | Westford | *** | Short; not much to see |
Lakeside Meadows | Westford | ***** | LOVED this one; saw a swan, turtles, fish; built a turtle house; skipped rocks in the lake |
Nashoba Brook Watershed | Westford | ***** |
Muddy – kids loved it; great paths to walk but NOT well marked; rock skipping; ENORMOUS and connected to a MA Audubon Society reservation; no wildlife except birds
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Grassy Pond | Westford | ***** | Lots of frogs and one snake; short, easy walk with fitness “stations” along the path; well marked |
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