Carlisle, Massachusetts
The Towle Land
A path over a little dam to an open field of rocky outcrops where bobolinks nest in late spring and summer, with Native stone piles in the woods.
Written for ages 3–12.
Researched from this park's own sources. Nobody's walked it yet.
Read this bit out
Some of the stones in these woods were put where they are on purpose, a very long time ago, by Native people who lived here. Some are piled up near water. In one place in the south of this land there are twenty-six stone piles together, and some stones are lined up with where the sun comes up on the shortest day of the year. If you find a pile of stones that looks like somebody meant it, look closely. Then leave it exactly as it is.
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 town conservation land. The main entrance and parking lot are on Westford Road and hold about twenty cars. There is a second marked trail entrance on Bingham Road with no parking.
- Underfoot
- Rolling fields with rocky outcrops in the northwest, reached from the lot by the main path heading southwest across the dam. The rest is wooded and hilly with swamps and streams. Trails are signed by the Carlisle Trails Committee.
22 challenges written for this place
A game deals seven to fifteen of them, so no two visits are alike.
4 things to spot, 3 photographs to take and 3 things to work out.
Every game includes this one
Out Into The Field
Take the main path from the lot, cross the dam, and get to the open field. Stay on the path around its edge.
A few of the others
The Little Pond
Find the small pond the dam made, and stand where you can see the whole of it.
In The Open
One photo of everybody on the path with the open field behind you.
On The Rock
Find a rocky outcrop and photograph everybody on or beside it.
Their Turn
Hand the phone to the youngest. They take one picture of whatever they want.
Somebody Made This Pond
The pond is here because of the dam you walked over. Work out what was here before it.
Field Or Forest?
Nearly all of this land is woods, and a bit of it is field. Work out why somebody keeps the field open.
The rest are a surprise — that's the whole point.
Also around Carlisle
Great Brook Farm State Park
Carlisle
A working dairy farm where a robot milks the cows, free weekend barn tours in season, an ice cream stand, and more than 20 miles of trails.
The Greenough Land
Carlisle
Carlisle's largest pond, made before 1930 to bring in ducks, set in 242 acres of woods, fields and wetlands that reach the Concord River.
Play this at The Towle Land
Free. Works with no signal once you're there.