LocationsMassachusetts
Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Thanksgiving Ground Forest
Forty-five acres of ledge and enormous boulders above the west bank of Russell Mill Pond, named for the fox hunt the men of the town held here every Thanksgiving Day.
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. The boulders are still here — we can go and stand on the spot.
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
- Free. Trail access is from the end of Janet Road; there is a second way in from Gary Road.
- Underfoot
- Mixed woods over enormous outcroppings of ledge and boulder. The trails run south into Great Brook Farm.
23 challenges written for this place
A game deals seven to fifteen of them, so no two visits are alike.
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.
Play this at Thanksgiving Ground Forest
Free. Works with no signal once you're there.