Get Outdoors | Mass Audubon – Your Great Outdoors

You never know what you’ll find when exploring Boston’s Metro West. Mass Audubon Metro West Wildlife Sanctuaries—Drumlin Farm in Lincoln, Habitat in Belmont, Broadmoor in Natick, and Waseeka in Hopkinton—host miles of trails meandering through wetlands, fields, animal exhibits, and a few surprises. Don’t miss these hidden gems on your next visit.

1. For When You Want to Go on an Adventure

This hidden gem isn’t off the main parking lot at Habitat Education Center & Wildlife Sanctuary in Belmont. You’ll need to follow Lees Way trailhead off of Somerset Street in Belmont to the Weeks Trail area. Along Lees Way, look for what’s known to staff as “The Tree of Resilience”—a tree whose main trunk is dead and hollowed out, but still has two branches very much alive growing outside of it.

Continuing down the trail, you’ll come across Weeks Pond, where you may find a mother duckling leading her young, bullfrogs peeking through the tiny floating leaves, or damselflies skimming the surface. In the meadow, you may even catch our small herd of goats grazing.

2. For When You Need to Relax

With more than 600 acres, Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary in Natick is filled with spots that, when you find them, make the rest of the world melt away.

*The red circled binoculars indicate where this hidden gem is. See full the full trail map* here.

Relax on the log bench perched on top of a rock outcropping overlooking the Indian Brook Marsh. When entering through the parking lot, cross the boardwalks, and turn right at signpost #3, instead of hopping onto one of the main loop trails.

This spur trail, made specifically for this scenic outlook, offers a wonderful view of Indian Brook Marsh. Look and listen for Belted Kingfishers, Wood Ducks, Red-tailed Hawks, Great Blue Herons, and more. The longer you linger, the more you’re likely to see.

3. For When You’re Feeling Mysterious

While not on Drumlin Farm’s property, and definitely not natural, if you travel to the outskirts of the crops fields where we grow our food, you can find yourself next to one of Lincoln’s most mysterious and unexplainable pieces of local lore. Ponyhenge—as it’s known to the locals—is a collection of broken-down rocking horses, plastic ponies, and other horse figurines that have spontaneously started holding court along Old Sudbury Road, since sometime in 2010.

The collection has grown steadily since then, and stranger still, their configurations are known to change periodically, as if by magic. You may visit and see them in a circle, lined up like racehorses, or strewn about haphazardly. To see for yourself, take the Boyce Field Loop trail down to Old Sudbury Road. Along the way, you’ll see where Drumlin Farm’s CSA and farmstand vegetables are grown.

*Please note Ponyhenge is on private property but can be viewed from the fence on Drumlin Farm’s edge. Please stay on the trails and do not walk through growing fields during your adventure.

X marks the spot! Follow the Boyce Field Loop through our crop fields to Ponyhenge. See the full trail map here.

4. For When You Need a Turtle Fix

There is a place in the Metro West where turtles can go to just get away from it all. Understandably, sometimes you just want soak up the sun, and our turtle rafts at Habitat do just that. Take the Pond Loop Trail around the aptly named Turtle Pond for a glimpse at these sunbathing reptiles.

Painted Turtles sunbathing on a log at Turtle Pond ©Justin Miel

In reality, they’re doing more than just lounging about—sun-basking serves many purposes, including helping to promote muscle activity and digestion, encouraging leeches and other parasites to drop off, and triggering the production of vitamin D, which is essential for strong shells. A pair of snapping turtles were recently at the pond, a new sighting among all the more usual painted turtles that enjoy their favorite basking spot.

5. For When You Want to Take the Trail Less Traveled By

Have you been to Waseeka Wildlife Sanctuary in Hopkinton before? This little-known sanctuary offers all the benefits that come with being off the beaten path: limited trail traffic, spectacular views, and the ability to take your time and make your own adventure. The sanctuary features a hidden pond with standing dead trees and snags that provide nesting sites for Eastern Bluebirds, Pileated Woodpeckers, Great Blue Herons, Ospreys, and the occasional Great Horned Owl.

View of the Pond at Waseeka Wildlife Sanctuary, Hopkinton

Unlike the other Metro West wildlife sanctuaries, this site can be easy to miss. Look for the small parking lot along Clinton Street in Hopkinton, on the right about 2 miles up from turning onto it via Route 135.

What’s your favorite hidden gem at one of our Metro West wildlife sanctuaries? Share in the comments.

As more and more people discover the power of spending time outdoors, we’re doing everything we can to offer more opportunities to experience nature. In fact, one of the main goals in our new five-year Action Agenda is creating inclusive and equitable access to nature by opening more than 50 miles trails, creating three new urban sanctuaries, and protecting and restoring 17 urban green spaces. And three recent openings are prime examples of how we are accomplishing this goal.

New Pathways in Natick

Mass Audubon President David O'Neill speaks with sanctuary supporters on the new bridge, which is surrounded by trees and water to the left. — Mass Audubon President David O’Neill speaks with sanctuary supporters on the new bridge.

Over the years, Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary‘s well-loved trail system has been compromised by heavy use, flooding, and erosion. Many trails were old cart paths, not designed for large numbers of visitors, and others have been impacted by beaver activity. Heavy storms due to climate change have also affected many locations.

To ensure safe, accessible, and enjoyable connections to nature for all people, while protecting the habitats for the plants and animals, we launched an effort to improve our trail system following a comprehensive study completed by Peter Jensen, a nationally recognized trail-development expert. The plan addresses all nine miles of trails making reroutes, creating scenic viewpoints, adding puncheon and bog bridges, and much more. Improvements began in 2019 engaging volunteers, school groups, Mass Audubon campers, and others in the process.

In May 2021, we untied the ribbon on the first phase of the project, which included the opening of a new trail and scenic bridge overlooking Little Farm Pond, replacing an unsafe and often flooded plank walkway. The event, which welcomed Mass Audubon President David O’Neill, Mass Audubon Board Chair Beth Kressley Goldstein, Metro West Director Renata Pomponi, Project Lead Elissa Landre, Mass Audubon staff, Board members, volunteers, and partners, also served as a wonderful opportunity to launch the Action Agenda.

Easier Access in Attleboro

Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary in Attleboro, located right on Park Street, has long been a center for the community. Now, with the opening of the new Knoll Stroll Trail, the sanctuary is accessible via public transportation, reducing a barrier to enjoying this nature oasis in the city.

Connecting to the GATRA bus has long been a priority for the sanctuary. Thanks to the acquisition of the 26-acre Dorrance property in 2019, the vision became a reality. Now, visitors can walk 50 feet from the bus stop and be immediately immersed in nature via the new “Knoll Stroll” and the almost two miles of trails including a loop around Lake Talaquega.

To celebrate the trail opening, David O’Neill joined South East Director Lauren Kras, Attleboro Mayor Paul Heroux, State Representative Jim Hawkins, State Senator Paul Feeney, longtime sanctuary supporter Ted Leach, and Brian Hatch of Hike Attleboro.

An Accessible Barn in Lenox

Matthew Keator of Mass Cultural Council, Lenox Select Board Chair Neal Maxymillian, West Director Becky Cushing Gop, David O'Neill, Allyce Najimy of Mass Cultural Council, and State Rep. William “Smitty’ Pignatelli cutting the ribbon — Matthew Keator of Mass Cultural Council, Lenox Select Board Chair Neal Maxymillian, West Director Becky Cushing Gop, David O’Neill, Allyce Najimy of Mass Cultural Council, and State Rep. William “Smitty’ Pignatelli

For more than 90 years Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary has welcomed visitors and served the community as a vibrant hub of conservation, environmental education, and outdoor recreation in the Berkshires.

Our creative nature-based programming is seen as a vital community resource that supports curiosity, scientific exploration, and self-discovery. But the sanctuary’s aged facilities lacked the accessibility and amenities needed to support collaboration, creativity, and expansion.

In order to welcome and accommodate the diverse needs of modern visitors, the sanctuary launched and completed the $1.125 million Opening Doors to Nature campaign. The centerpiece of this effort, an energy-efficient and universally accessible addition to its 18th-century barn, is now open for all to enjoy.

The opening celebration was an opportunity to thank donors and supporters, including Mass Cultural Council for their generous $300,000 in support. Also joining West Director Becky Cushing Gop and President David O’Neill to cut the ribbon were Lenox selectboard chair Neal Maxymillian and State Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli.

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Category Archives: Get Outdoors

5 Hidden Gems in the Metro West