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.

This is a nice site with woodland trails, boulders, ledges, and ponds. There is a sunnier area…read morewhere the utility lines cut through, and a nice variety of flora. No animals were visible or audible at the time of day we came, including birds, although the site is owned by Mass Audubon, Signage is good and while there are no bathroom facilities there is a Shaw's not too far away. There is no admission or parking charge. I took off a star because the entrance to the lot is very steep and angled. If you are not careful you will scrape the bottom of your car.

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

Lots of area here. On one side is a river and on the other a quarry with a good view of Mount…read moreWachusett. There are benches and well maintained trails. Currently there is ample parking but during the height of the pandemic sometimes the lot would fill up. The landscape is a mix of woodland and a few marshier areas by slower sections of the river. Amazingly there were no mosquitoes though you wouldn't think they would spray for them in a conservation area. Further down the road is a spot where you cam put kayaks and canoes in the water.

An easy, 4.5 mile loop exists at the Cook Conservation Area. The loop combines Farnsworth Trail,…read moreLancaster Trail, & Chapman Trail. Wide, relatively flat, and well cared for trails follow the Nashua River and passes by the remains of the Shoeshank Mill. Wildlife seen include wild turkey, white-tailed deer, tufted titmouse, & American robin. Plenty of shore fishing and two unofficial swimming spots complete with rope swings can easily be found. There are two picnic tables by the river. It would be pretty easy to walk a kayak down to the river edge though there is a kayak put in further up route 70 (towards Lancaster center). NO AMENITIES. Please carry out your trash (especially your bags full of dog poop). Sadly, there are a lot of poop bags and Dunkin' Donuts trash, especially near popular fishing spots as of late.

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!

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.

We went on a fantastic snowy walk here with our dog. The Acorn trail is open for hiking in the…read morewinter- dogs allowed. We parked in the lot for the ski touring, crossed the road, and were on our way. We did the North and South loop of the Acorn trail, totaling about 2.5-3 miles. The trail was decently traversed, but I would definitely recommend hiking/snowboots in the winter. It was very peaceful and beautiful here - tall pines and some big pastures.

One of my favorite places to go for the summer . They have great hiking and biking trails ! There…read moreis a delicious icecream place with animals as well . Such a beautiful scenic place definitely a summer must see

I truly enjoy this area--it's a beautiful spot for walks, and it's clear that many people feel the…read moresame. Unfortunately, a small percentage of owners choose to keep their dogs off-leash despite the posted leash regulations, which creates an unsafe environment for others. As a responsible dog owner, it's disappointing to see these rules ignored, especially when it leads to incidents. I've been approached aggressively by off-leash dogs twice now (in the last week alone), making it difficult to enjoy the space with my puppy. Most people are considerate, leashing their dogs when near others, but it would be helpful if there were stricter enforcement or penalties for those who disregard the rules to help maintain a safe, welcoming environment for everyone. It is really not a difficult task to leash dogs. And I have asked multiple times for owners to leash while walking by and they absolutely refuse to do so. And I was then attacked and so was my puppy. If you do plan to walk here, I'd recommend being prepared to be attacked by an off leash dog and I would recommend recording the incidents since these dog owners flee the area and blame you for their dogs attacking you. I know numerous responsible dog owners who are unable to walk there due to also being attacked by off leash dogs. I also use to run here as well, but had to stop due to being chased by these dogs. I'd say it is only 10% of the time and by a limited amount of people but it has happened enough to make me nervous.

Great local gem for walking and bike riding. The pond is a reservoir for the town of Hudson, so no…read moreswimming, just plenty of natural beauty seen by the 2 mile path that surrounds it. Access it from Taylor Road, off Rt. 62 in Hudson. Parking is limited. I'd consider it parking "in the rough."

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.