LocationsChelmsford
3 parks · 69 challenges · Massachusetts
Outdoor things to do with kids in Chelmsford
All of it in Chelmsford.
Three pieces of one town: a forest full of glacial boulders, a mill pond with three thousand feet of shore, and an old cranberry bog you can walk straight out into.
Finish all 3
Play every park here and your family are Explorers of Chelmsford.
Where to go, and what to expect
Russell Mill Pond & Town Forest
Chelmsford, Massachusetts · 22 challenges
A hundred and thirty acres of oak and pine with three thousand feet of shoreline on Russell Mill Pond, and a trail network the mountain bikers made their reputation on.
About an hour and a half
Underfoot. Densely wooded, alternating oak and pine, with three thousand feet of pond frontage. The trail network is popular with mountain bikers.
Parking. Free. Park behind the soccer fields on Mill Road — there are two more ways in from Noble Drive.
Thanksgiving Ground Forest
Chelmsford, Massachusetts · 23 challenges
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.
About an hour and a half
Underfoot. Mixed woods over enormous outcroppings of ledge and boulder. The trails run south into Great Brook Farm.
Parking. Free. Trail access is from the end of Janet Road; there is a second way in from Gary Road.
Cranberry Bog Reservation
Chelmsford, Massachusetts · 24 challenges
Three hundred acres of old cranberry bog, with paths running out across the water on causeways and peninsulas.
About an hour and a half
Underfoot. A wide, flat trail out to the dam, with more running along causeways across the water. Much of it is wetland, so expect wet ground right beside the path.
Parking. Lot at 60 Elm Street. Open dawn to dusk.
Play all 3 around Chelmsford
Free. Works with no signal once you're there.