Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Thanksgiving Ground Forest
Forty-five acres of ledge and giant glacial boulders on the west bank of Russell Mill Pond, named for the town's old Thanksgiving Day fox hunt.
Written for ages 3–12.
Researched from this park's own sources. Nobody's walked it yet.
Read this bit out
Every single Thanksgiving, the men of this town used to walk into these woods, meet up at a giant pile of boulders, and go hunting for foxes. That is how this forest got its name. Huge boulders the glaciers left behind are still here. Let's go find them.
One of your three free places, or the Explorer Pass. What that costs
Before you go
- Time there
- Plan on about an hour and a half at the park.
- Parking
- Small parking area at the end of Janet Road (40 Janet Road), with a second way in from Gary Road. Open dawn to dusk.
- Underfoot
- Mixed woods over enormous outcroppings of ledge and boulder. The trails run south into Great Brook Farm.
- Food
- There's a picnic area. No fires.
23 challenges written for this place
A game deals seven to fifteen of them, so no two visits are alike.
5 things growing, 4 creatures to look for and 4 things to spot.
Every game includes this one
Thanksgiving Forest Pond
Make it to Thanksgiving Forest Pond.
A few of the others
Walk To Another Town
Follow the trail far enough south that you cross into Carlisle and Great Brook Farm.
Where The Brook Comes In
Walk to the southern end of the forest, where the brook comes in, and look out across the pond.
Heron On The Water
Find a heron standing dead still at the water's edge.
Pollinator Garden
Find the pollinator garden. If anything is flying today, count how many different visitors you can spot.
Canoe Launch
Find the canoe launch, and work out how far somebody has to carry a canoe to reach it.
Hard Wood, Soft Wood
Find a tree with flat leaves and a tree with needles, growing near each other.
The rest are a surprise — that's the whole point.
Also around Chelmsford
Russell Mill Pond & Town Forest
Chelmsford
132 acres of alternating oak and pine with 3,000 feet of shore on Russell Mill Pond, and a big trail network shared with mountain bikers.
Cranberry Bog Reservation
Chelmsford
Wetland paths on causeways and peninsulas at the head of the old Carlisle cranberry bogs, with a wide, flat trail to a small dam and otters and herons.
Play this at Thanksgiving Ground Forest
Free. Works with no signal once you're there.