Parking
There are no pets allowed in this park, so we left the dogs at home and drove out to Assabet River Park. Though the visitors center was closed due to COVID restrictions, there was ample parking. Drive slowly – on the approach we had to stop for Blanding’s turtles crossing the road – very cool to see endangered species close up.
Hike
We set out randomly strolling the Patrol Road – wide enough for social distance and deserted. An interesting feature of the walk were WWII ammunition bunkers with sides and roof molded with earth to camouflage them from aerial view. The whole area was seized by eminent domain in 1942 and used for ordnance testing, chemical dumping, and troop training even after the war.
As the path curved to the right it opened out to a beautiful peaceful expanded part of the Assabet river. There’s a bench to picnic and take in the silence at the river’s edge before tracing the same path back. With several stops, we were back in 60-90 minutes
Here’s a trail map
Other Recommendations
This is also a great place to cycle with the family, with wide roads and limited traffic.
