I wasn't impressed with this site. It's in the eastern half of the state and you hear almost…read moreconstant noise from planes, a train, and automobiles. We took the Chasm trail but the trail off it to the chasm itself was closed for repairs. Hit the Summit trail and didn't see an overlook at the top, just an ugly concrete water tower. My now my knee was bothering me as I am not a spring chicken, so we went back down to the parking lot. Looked at the map and saw it was quite a ways beyond the water tower to the lookout. I probably could have made it to the outlook and back if I hadn't gone off on the chasm trail. Maybe this is a better site for younger folks, though they did have reading glasses at the kiosk for older folks like me, which I've never seen anywhere before and which, along with clearly marked trails, got them a second star.

I came and did the yellow trail counterclockwise starting at the trailhead off oak hill rd. The…read moretrails were really well marked and easy to follow. The 3.3 mile trail was pretty easy and took me an hour to complete. When I came at 3:30 on a Thursday there were only 2 cars in the parking lot. When I left at 4:30 there were 7 cars at the trailhead. Nice place. I was staying at the minuteman campground and it was only a 5 minute drive from there.

Love this little hike onto a small summit that overtakes a spectacular view. My pup loved it even…read moremore.

I really enjoyed the view at the top, even enough to nap up there. The one downside I saw were…read morethese Boy Scouts who were chasing each other near the end of the top. This is how "accidents/tragedies" happen! The path up was pretty straight forward...I went straight until I hit the top. There are on markers, that I could see. But you can follow other hikers up and back down if you get lost. Love the workout, but next time I'm bring BottleS of bug sprays because they just refuse to leave you alone!

It was a damn fine day to be at the Wachusett Reservoir Dam, in the low 80's and partly sunny. This…read moreis a beautiful spot, with hundreds of steps to conquer if you want to go to the bottom of the dam and back up. There is also a picturesque fountain with a pool at the bottom of the dam, a great spot to picnic as there are shade trees around the fountain. There are many trails around the reservoir, boasting great views of the pristine waterfront. You can't walk on top of the dam however, as it's been closed off for security reasons. There are many aprking spots around the reservoir, and near the busy dam, you can park on the side of the road. Be careful crossing, it's busy there. We've been here multiple times, and would be happy to return.

It is not a business, it is run by the government. Totally roped off for safety concerns. So you…read morecannot go onto the top of the reservoir but can view Wachusett reservoir from the sidelines. Beautiful view, nice hike and street parking.

This site is near a major road and has free parking. The trails to the quarry and kiln are short…read moreand could easily be done with a young child. If you're more ambitious there are longer sections I went on with typical New England woodland plants. I and my hiking partner were the only ones there, so social distancing is not an issue. I did have to pee in the woods because there are no bathrooms.

Nice local place to take a walk, learn about the environment, and geocache. The trails are…read morerelatively flat but are not well marked as there is heavy geocaching traffic. The dirt parking lot is just off of 117 and there are maps and booklets to borrow during your trip. The booklet teaches you about fauna & flora found off the trails. Additionally, you can see the old lime quarries and lime kiln. Nice place to visit if you're a local.

I went kayaking on Assabet River twice. It is very nice to…read morebe on the water and listen to birds. Assabet River is calm and doesn't have strong currents, so it is good for casual kayaking. You can see geese, hawk, ducks, and a lot of turtles. There are many cattails. It is fun kayaking some narrow marsh portion, it is like a maze. Spring and fall is the best to kayak here.

I've been visiting quite a bit lately. It's at the southern terminus of the northern portion of the…read moreAssabet River rail Trail. Decent sized parking lot. You can ride your bike north all the way to the South Acton T station. You can ride the bike trails at Assabet. Or you can ride the dirt road along the river down to CIA headquarters. Crow Island Aviation. I have not been lucky enough to see any planes, but CIA is also the home to Revolution Trapeze, and it's pretty awesome to be able to watch the trapeze practice. There are plenty of walking trails. A canoe/kayak launch. And Ronda of amazing wildlife

Nice ride, free parking, benches and sculptures along the way. Safe ride from Ayer Culver DR to…read moreSmith Street acess.... I put that on Google maps years ago! Spot off at the library, continue to Salt and light downtown and even down to CVS or Shaws plaza. Safer than going main Rd the whole way and pretty views.

On a beautiful 68 degree day I came here to walk the rail trail with friends but would've loved it…read morejust as much had I run, biked or rollerbladed. There were many families out doing the same but because everyone is courteous and follows etiquette of passing and staying on the right or left, it remained quite enjoyable. The trail itself is a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. The locals are friendly, and the trail itself is flat and well maintained. Yet much of the landscape remains untouched and there is plenty of wildlife (great for bird watching), plants (native, non-native, and unfortunately invasives too), and interesting rock formations to observe. I like to take advantage of the tranquility offered only by nature (the sound of the streams, melodic bird songs, the stillness, and even the smell of the great outdoors). We also stopped by the little ice cream shop in Pepperrell which was a lovely break and a bit of a reward for all the excercise we all got. The only downside, as someone who is highly allergic to insect bites, is the highly aggressive mosquitoes. But just make sure you wear plenty of bugspray and bring enough to reapply. Also don't forget your hat and sunscreen!

I often stop by to admire the beautiful gardens at Beaver Brook. I'm not a hiker, so I can't speak…read moreto the inside of the property. I am, however, a (home) gardener and nothing gets me happy and smiling more than flowers -- annuals and perennials -- everywhere around me. All was good until a number of years ago when I read in a local newspaper that BBA had released rabbits on their property. I was floored then and wondered why that would be so. Then more recently, last spring to be more precise, I looked out my window at my newly planted and/or emerging plants and (gasp!) there was a rabbit eating away at my new zinnia plants. They were young (and succulent, I surmised while watching them be devoured) and stripped down to their stalks by the time I could get the hose so I could spray away the rabbit. It took 2-3 tries last year, and I hope I don't have to repeat that experience. Why?

This is a large network of trails with woodland and marsh habitat. The access roads are dirt and…read morewatch out for rocks on them. This might be due to heavy rains this year. Some trails were also damaged but passable. Saw a salamander and lots of flora including fall foliage. They have ample parking and a portable toilet.

Very short hike to witness beautiful waterfalls. If you are in the area, it's worth a stop.read more

Beautiful walk into nature and waterfalls. We went in the fall and it was absolutely beautiful.read more

Great place to get outside and walk around a little. There are a ton of benches to rest of read a…read morebook. Lots to see.

Beautiful conservation land in Acton. Largish parking lot on Taylor street at 27…read more The area by the parking lot has some formal gardens - a Day Lilly garden, hosta garden, butterfly garden, etc. all surrounding a large open field with plenty of shade trees, picnic tables and benches. You see lots of people relaxing, lunching, reading, moms with kids etc in this area. There is also a paved wheelchair accessible trail in this area. The back area is woods complete with streams and a bog. The trail overall is 1-1/2 miles (including the handicap accessible portion). A leisurely 30-40 minute walk.