Town Forest
I am thankful for the willingness of Holliston residents to invest in and have the foresight to protect large expanses of land and devote it to Conservation and Town Forest. I spend at least a few hours each weekend going off with my family into these areas to give us and our dog some fresh air and much needed exercise.
It wasn’t until the Town used some CPA funds to purchase land previously owned by NSTAR that I became aware of the huge expanse of Town Forest along the Holliston/Hopkinton/Milford town lines. I had gone rock climbing at College Rock off Route 85 numerous times, but never realized the majority of those woods were in Holliston and connected all the way through to Adams Street, Route 16, and down to 495 in Milford. After discovering this network of Trails so close to home, we started walking there frequently. We would access the Town Forest off of Adams Street, but it was nearly impossible to make it up the rocky and rutted hill and park in the grassy ”lot” (I used the term loosely) in a regular low clearance car. That meant leaving your car at the bottom of the hill, on an already narrow road.
To my delight, a few weeks ago I pulled in to see that the access drive had been redone and the parking lot was improved with gravel and stone. They did a spectacular job. It’s my understanding that the Conservation Commission had a contractor come in and complete this work. I have already seen a lot more cars at this trail head, so it’s appreciated by many. Thanks to the Conservation Commission and the residents of Holliston for continuing to invest in the Town’s open space and Town Forest.
The New England Mt Bike Association ( NEMBA ) owns 47 Acres that Abutts the Fairbanks Parcel. To the Mt Bikers the Area is Know as Vietnam. While the Town has a Map ,NEMBA has a far better one. that you can download here . http://www.bvnemba.org/vietnam_map.htm
John Goeller | 2012-03-12 17:23:21
Yes, the Town Forest and the Fairbanks Conservation Land are Holliston's best kept secret. The trails are a great place to take a short hike or a long , all- day trek through Holliston, and parts of Milford and Hopkinton. Not only are the the trails fantastic, but do you know, that the land is filled with geological gems like perched boulders - the Balancing Rock on Washington Street is not the only glacial landmark if its kind - and also there's many examples of early quarrying. The numerous balanced boulders are amazing, rock piles are curious and the split boulders intriguing - and see, if you happen to wander along the trails just across the town line into Milford, if you can find the Circle of Stones, and the Rock House, as well as Holliston's other great balanced boulder - David Fairbanks was fascinated by these landmarks and by all of this land and had intended to write a book about it - go see why he spent years researching and surveying here - it won't take you long to find out why he did.
Joanne | 2012-03-09 09:00:14
It's great to have convenient parking and easy access to this enjoyable natural area and trail system. A portion of it will be lost if the proposed Milford Casino is built. The Casino will abut the Fairbanks parcel off the end of Dunster St. Yet another impact this proposed casino will have on our community.
John Vosburg | 2012-03-06 20:15:03
Just an FYI. For anyone looking to do a bit of local woods exploration, I have found a great way to find new spots is using Google Earth. A lot of people aren't familiar with using it. Great arial photos, so check it out!
James Read | 2012-03-05 22:54:08
There are maps and information on the town forests on the town website (click on Town Departments, then Town Committees, then Town Forest Committee). Altho the website needs updating (the 5 listed members of the committee are no longer on the committee) there is a lot of information and the maps are downloadable. The committee needs new members. If interested call Paul at 508-429-0608
john | 2012-03-05 09:08:39