Tag Archives: flowers

March 9, 2017

Spring Bulb Show (The Botanic Garden of Smith College, Northampton, MA)

Dates Of Event: March 4 – March 19, 2017 (photos taken March 4)

Location: The Botanic Garden of Smith College, 16 College Lane, Northampton, MA

Hours: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM daily.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday extended hours 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM (members get in earlier at 9 .a.m)

Cost: Free ( a $5 donation is suggested)

Parking: unmetered parking is available on College Lane and additional parking is available throughout Northampton

Handicapped Accessible: Yes, from their website: There is one designated handicapped parking space in front of the Lyman Plant House. Two of the three front entrances to the Lyman Plant House and Conservatory are wheelchair accessible and the restrooms are accessible. There is a lift in the front of the building that goes between the lower level Church Exhibition Gallery and the Reception area. All but one of the greenhouses (the Fern House) are accessible.

Highlights: Avariety of flowers such as crocuses, hyacinths, narcissi, irises, lilies and tulips in full bloom or nearly in bloom at the Botanic garden of Smith College

Web Site: The Botanic Garden of Smith College

Believe it or not, spring, for most if us, is right around the corner. Soon enough, drab, colorless soil and grass and dead flowers and plant life will be replaced with the vibrant colors of spring and summer.

As an early celebration of the spring season, the Botanic Garden of Smith College is showcasing a colorful array of flowers as part of their Spring Bulb Show (which ironically ends the day before the Vernal Spring buds, get it?) .

There were a wide variety of flowers of display and I won’t even try to name or describe all of them, except to sayy they were very pretty.

The gaarden used works of art such as paintings and statues to highlight the beauty of the flowers. It was very well done and it brought out the colors of the flowers.

The people at the Botanic garden were kind enough to open the rest of the garden to us which showcased an impressive field of flowers and trees.

I also spotted a frog, fish and some other mysterious faces at the garden.

We also saw Kaezli, a beautiful 4 year old Burnese Mountain Dog, outside the Botanic garden.

Below is a video of a plant that closes when it feels pressure or weight and a video of a waterfall at the garden.

21 Comments | tags: art, dogs, flowers, Massachusetts, New England, Northampton, photographs, Photography, photos, plants, trees | posted in art, dog, flowers, Massachusetts, New England, Northampton, photographs, photography, photos, plants, Uncategorized

November 25, 2016

Happy Thanksgiving (Robinson Park, Agawam, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: November 24, 2016

Location Robinson State Park, 428 North St, Feeding Hills Rd (Agawam), MA

Parking: about 10 parking spots are avaiilable in the back entrance on Feeding Hills Rd. There is additional parking in the main entrance and by the beach area.

Cost: Free this time of the year when the park is unstaffed, $8 MA vehicle, $10 non-MA vehicles during “season”

Size: 1,025 acres

Handicap Accessible: Yes, but some parts of the main trail, which is paved, have sharp inclines.

Dog Friendly: Yes

Highlights: pretty views, wildlife, biking/hiking trails

Thanksgiving in Western Massachusetts. What could be more emblematic of New England? As it turned out, I’m not the only onr who feels this way.

As I approached the back entrance to Robinson State Park, every parking spot was taken (some spaces were parked 2 cars deep). I did find a spot just in front of the main entrance )the gates were closed on this holiday, however). Who knew a park would be so busy on a holiday? At least that is how I used too think. Now, it makes complete sense.

In the past, I never understood why people would spend Thanksgiving Day, or part of their Thanksgiving, at a park or some other outdoor attraction. People should be home with their family, watching football or the parade and stuffing their faces, the younger me would say to myself. But, now I get it. What better place to spend the early mornings of Thanksgiving? What better way and what better place to be thankful, especially at one of my favorite paarks. In fact, I like it there so much I have posted about Robinson Park in the past. But, I took a few different trails that I had never hiked on before this time. At 1,025 acres, Robinson State is so big it could take days to thoroughly walk or even bike all of the trails. So, I figured I would work up an appetite for my Thanksgiving dinner with a jaunt there.

The trees were barren and leaves carpeted the ground. Only a few months ago these brooks were teeming with frogs and other amphibians.

I always love to see that one plant that has survived the elements.

Theere is also a lot of eviddence of what the park used to be like. A beam stands in the Westfield River, a reminder of the railroad bridge that once ran through the area.

This looks like a damn or some other waterflow management system that is now dry save for a brook that dribbles on by below.

I came across this falcon during my hike. I was surprised at how close I got before the bird flew away.

I also came across lots of squirrels. This one was resting ona tree limb enjoying a snack

Robinson Park is a dog friendly paark. I saw and heard lots of cute dogs during my time there. All of the dogs I photographed happened to be rescues. It was very refreshing to see so many rescued dogs there.

Annie, a mixed breed rescue, struck a pose for me.

Jessie, on the left, is a 3 year old Lab mix. Shadow, on the right, is a 13 year old Lab mix as well. They are both rescues.

Daisy, a yellow Lab rescue from Tennessee, had fun playing with her stick.

I hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

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12 Comments | tags: Agawam, dogs, flowers, Massachussetts, New England, photographs, Photography, photos, trees | posted in Agawam, dogs, flowers, Massachusetts, New England, park, photographs, photography, photos, trees, Uncategorized

October 27, 2016

Silvio O. Conte National Fish & Wildlife Refugee – Fort River Division (Hadley, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Visit: September 7, 2016

Location: 69 Moody Bridge Rd, Hadley, MA

Hours: Open everyday, sunrise until sunset

Cost: Free

Parking: There is a lot at the entrance of the trail for about 20-30 cars

Dog Friendly: Yes

Handicap Accessible: Yes

Highlights: wildlife, easy trail, flowers

Web Site: Sylvio O. Conte National Fish & Wildlife Refuge

Named after Silvio Ottavio Conte, a 16 term Republican member of the U.S. House of Reprentatives from Pittsfield, MA, the Silvio O. Conte National Fish & Wildlife Refuge is and easy 1.1 mile trail dotted with trees, flowers and the occasional bird.

Broken into 9 divisions and 9 units across New England, the Sylvio O. Conte parks feature a variety of parks in Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire.

I chose to visit the Fort River Division in Hadley, Massachusetts during the week of the Labor holiday. So, the photos are not an accurate display of what the refuge looks like now. It is undoubtedly even more beautiful with all of the foliage this time of the year.

The refuge has mostly flat, well groomed trails with some raised platform walkways.

There are benches and lookouts along the way.

The views from the lookouts and on the trails are very pretty.

The flowers, plants and trees at the Sylvio O. Conte trail are also very pretty.

Although it was only the early part of September, I saw the signs of fall on the trail. Leaves covered parts of the trail and some of the leaves appeared to be turning color already.

As the name indicates, the Fort River runs through a portion of the trail.

The winding trails are very charming. They make you wonder what could be around the next corner. Even though it is only slightly more than a mile in length, the trail does provide a lot of surprises. One of the surprises you may find on the trail is wildlife. Deer, bobcats and coyote are said to populate the area. But, I didn’t see any of them during my visit. Oh, and then there are birds. There are lots of birds at Sylvio O. Conte trail. I photographed a few of them.

While it’s certainly not a challenging trail and you’re not likely to find too much wildlife or other surprises, I would still recommend this trail to anyone looking for a casual walk with some pretty scenery.

2 Comments | tags: birds, flowers, Hadley, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, Photography, photos, plants, trails, trees | posted in birds, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Uncategorized

October 6, 2016

Chestnut Hill Reservation (Allston/Brighton, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Visited: September 24, 2016

Location: Beacon St, Brighton, MA

Hours: open everyday dawn until dusk

Cost: Free

Parking: There is a free parking lot next to the reservation that accomodates about 100 vehicles, there is additional metered off street parking

Park Size:20 acres, 1.5 circular trail loop

Time To Allot For Visit: 1 to 2 hours

Trail Difficulty: Easy

Dog Friendly: Yes

Highlights: nice views, reservoir, easy circular trail, popular with cyclists, joggers and dog walkers, lots of birds and other wildlife, shoreline fishing is permitted

Lowlights: trail can get congested

Web Site: Chestnut Hill Reservation

Trail Map: Chestnut Hill Reservation Trail Map

Created in 1870 on marshes and meadowland to provide the city of Boston with an additional water supply, the Chestnut Reservior, the reservoir now acts as a pretty body of water encircled by a 1.5 mile circular trail loop. The reservoir was taken off line in 1978 and is no longer needed for a water supply for the city of Boston. But, it is still maintained as an emergency backup source for water. Now, a plethora of birds and other aquatic animals thrive in the reservoir.

While the reservoir itself is only located in the Boston area, Chestnut Hill area of the park, which includes parts of Boston, Brookline and Newton, includes a swimming pool, skating rink.

The reservation has some beautiful views of the Brighton/Allston, Chestnut Hill and surrounding areas. The clouds provided a pretty, albeit threatening, touch. There are pretty flowers along the trail and, as you can see from some of the photos, the circular loop around the reservoir is very easy with only subtle, if any, inclines. You can see the two skyscrapers of Boston (the John Hancock Tower – the glassy blue colored building on the left – and the Prudential Tower – the brownish building with the long antenna on the right). You can also see the stylish top of one of the buildings of the Boston College campus in the first few photos of this group.

There is also an abundance of wildlife at the reservoir. Mallards, Cormorants, Canadian Geese and a variety of other birds inhabit the reservoir.

This Cormorant had just got his or her lunch. In the last photo the Coormorant had eith er lost the fish or just swallowed it (you can choose to believe whichever makes you sleep easier tonight).

Birds aren’t the only inhabitants of the reservoir. Turtles and other aquatic animals occupy the reservior as well. It’s a little hard to see butt at the bottom of the second photo there is a huge turtle.

Since it was such a nice day outside, there were a variety of dogs at Chestnut Hill Reservation.

ViVi, a 4 year old Beagle and Cocker Spaniel mix, showed off her talents of doing a pirouette and playing patty cake to beg for treats.

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Buster is a 9 year old English Lab and Retriever mix, or the best combination ever!

Bella is, appropriately enough, a 2 year old toy poodle. Doesn’t she look like a toy?

Luke, a 2 year old Lab, was a little shy but warmed up to the camera nicely.

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Similar Places I Have Visited In New England:

Dorrs Pond (Manchester, NH)

Borderland State Park (North Easton, MA)

The Nature Trail And Cranberry Bog At Patriot Place (Foxborough, MA)

7 Comments | tags: animals, birds, dogs, ducks, flowers, Nature, photographs, Photography, photos, reservoir, turtles | posted in birds, dogs, ducks, geese, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Uncategorized

September 29, 2016

Northwest Park (Windsor, CT)

By New England Nomad

Date Visited: September 10, 2016

Location: 145 Lang Rd, Windsor, CT (15 mins north of Hartford, CT and half an hour south of Springfield, MA)

Hours: Open everyday, sunrise to sunset

Parking: There is ample parking(about 100 parking spots) in the main parking area as you enter by the soccer and baseball fields. There is also a smaller parking area by the dog park on your right as you enter the park that can accommodate about a dozen cars.

Cost: Free

Size: 473 acres, 12 miles of trails

Trail Difficulty: Easy to somewhat moderate in some areas

Time To Allot For Visit: 2 to 3 hours

Dog Friendly: Yes

Highlights: dog park, ponds, trails, flowers, reservoir, ball fields, wildlife, animals, tobacco museum, venue for events during the spring and summer

Web Site: Northwest Park

Trail Map: Northwest Park Trail Map

Since summer is winding down, I decided to take in one last trip to one of New England’s more popular parks while the weather was still warm.

With over 12 miles of trails, a reservoir and miles of trails, Northwest Park is a scenic, family friendly park that is a great place to take your dog.

At the entrance of the park, there is a small, penned in dog park called the Windsor Dog Park.

In a way, it is odd to have a dog park in a park that is essentially a dog park. I do suppose the penned in dog park would be good for dogs that may be too aggressive to be around other dogs or might be too shy or not yet socialized.

Along the trail past the main entrance, there is a pond with an overlook. The pond is full of turtles, frogs and even Koi fish. One of the visitors at the park threw some bread into the pond. Who knew turtles liked to eat bread!

There is also an organic and community garden at the park.

There is also a barn with farm animals and other animals at the park.

One of the special parts of the park is the art scattered around the park.

The trails at the park are pretty much flat and easy to negotiate with some slight inclines.

There are several trails at Northwest Park. We took the Brookside and Rainbow Reservoir trails. The Brookside trail is heavily wooded without much to see except a few chipmunks. The name Brookside seemed a bit misleading as there really wasn’t a brook to be found from the trail.

Eventually, we found ourselves by the Rainbow Reservoir. The surface of the water was a strange shade of lime green.

There were some boats in the water and even a water skier.

The trails are full of pretty trees, colorful flowers and a few abandoned barns.

You ever notice what the inside of an abandoned barn looks like? Then, wonder no longer. It’s actually pretty boring. The video below gives a better look inside.

There were also a lot of critters to see along the trails. This chipmunk thought she could hide from me.

This squirrel wasn’t any better at hiding.

This bird was a bit better at hiding.

Finally, on our way out of the park, we decided to check out the tobacco museum. The museum shows the history of the tobacco crop industry and the tools and machines they used.

Northwest Park is a great place to take your dog. The trails are not very hard to walk and there are lots of open spaces for your dog to roam. I found two very friendly dogs to photograph during my visit.

Tally is an 11 year old Shephherd mix.

Lada is a 1 year and 7 month old German Shepherd.

Below is a video of the water skier I saw at Rainbow Reservoir and a video of the inside of the abandoned barn I saw along the trails.

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6 Comments | tags: animals, connecticut, dogs, flowers, frogs, New England, Park, photographs, Photography, photos, trees, turtles, windsor | posted in connecticut, dogs, New England, photographs, photography, photos, pond, Uncategorized, windsor

September 18, 2016

Bridge Of Flowers (Shelburne Falls, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Visited: September 6, 2016

Location: 22 Water St, Shelburne Falls, MA (1 hour west of Springfield, MA, 1.5 hours east of Hartford, CT and about 2 hours west of Boston)

Hours: Open April 1 – October 30, 24 hours a day

Cost: Free

Parking: There is available off street parking (the 2 hour unmetered parking limit on Bridge St is strictly enforced) and a free parking area off Baker Ave with about 30 -40 free spots (take care not to park in the spots reserved for businesses and other tenants in the area) and additional off street parking. Parking is difficult during peak times.

Size: 400 feet long, 18 feet wide

Time To Allot For Visit: 30 minutes an hour.

Dog Friendly: No

Highlights: pretty flowers, scenic views, memorials, works of art, a master gardener is available on the bridge during peak weekends to ask questions about your own plants and gardens

Lowlights: bridge can get congested since it is narrow

Website: Bridge Of Flowers

Built in 1908 for a measley $20,000 (roughly $500,000 in current day’s money) by the Shelburne Falls and Colrain Street Railway, the Bridge of Flowers is now home to a wide variety of flowers, trees and even some works of art.

Originally, the bridge was used as the main mode of transportation for the community. However, once cars became more popular, the train was used less and the company went out of business. Since the bridge could not be destroyed because it carried a water main between the towns of Colrain and Shelburne Falls, it was decided to do something with the bridge. Then, in 1929, the Shelburne Women’s Club sponsored Antoinette Burnham’s idea to transform the bridge into a garden.

More than 35,000 people visit the bridge ever year. Yet, it is still something of an unknown attraction, even in New England.

Much to the consternation of my company, I can be very particular about my photos (although my guest on this day didn’t complain). I tried my best to take photographs of the bridge without any visitors on the bridge or with as few people as possible on it and wow did it take a while to get those shots which just goes to show how much foot traffic it can get. But, I did eventually get my shots of an empty or close to empty bridge.

This post is photo-heavy. As much as I tried, it was very hard to choose flowers to include and which ones to not include.

The hardest part of this photo shoot was selecting the best photos to post. The flowers are so pretty and the view nothing short of jaw dropping. The flowers are also beautifully arranged. I especially liked how the flowers complimented the landscape.

Birds and bees like the flowers, too.

Flowers and trees aren’t the only attractions at the Bridge Of Flowers. Memorials and art are scattered throughout the bridge.

One of the works of art at the Bridge of Flowers is a stained glass window designed by Nancy Katz and created by Mark Liebowitz at the Garden House. It is illuminated during the evening.

This water fountain is also at the area past the bridge.

I noticed this in one of the flower beds. What is it? A coded message? A plan for a secret rendezvous?

Also, and not least, there are war memorials on the bridge. This memorial honors the veterans of World War I and World War II of the Buckland and Shelburne areas. While it honors all of the veterans of these wars, the names of those made the supreme sacrifice from these areas are engraved on the plaque on the stone.

This memorial honors the veterans of Korean and Vietnam wars. The names of the peolpe from the community who lost their lives in these wars are engraved on the plaque on the stone.

Another great thing about the bridge is they plant flowers each month and it is “peak season” for different flowers at different times (their planting schedule is on their web site). So you’re sure to see something new and pretty any time you go. However, I would suggest going during the summer or, preferably, the fall.

Similar Places I Have Visited In New England:

Glacial Potholes And Salmon Falls (Shelburne Falls, MA)

Eindsor-Cornish Bridge (Windsor, VT and Cornish, NH)

Wiggly Bridge (York, ME)

17 Comments | tags: attractions, birds, bridge, Bridge of Flowers, flowers, Massachusetts, Nature, New England, photographs, Photography, photos, trees | posted in art, attraction, bridge, flowers, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Uncategorized

September 15, 2016

Glacial Potholes & Salmon Falls (Shelburne Falls, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Visited: September 6, 2016

Location: Deerfield Ave, Shelburne Falls, MA

Hours: Open everyday, 24 hours a day

Cost: Free

Parking: There is off street parking with a 2 hour limit and police do take notice

Dog Friendly: Yes

Highlights: waterfall, glacial potholes, flowers, birds, shops, attractions

The Salmon Falls and Glacial Potholes attraction in Shelburne Falls, MA, is a beautiful “two-fer.” “Three-fer” if we include the bowling alley adjacent to the Salmon Falls and Glacial Potholes attractions. IN fact, it is more accurately described as a “many-fer”s there are many attractions and beautiful attractions to the Salmon Falls area.

Although it may be best known for The Bridge Of Flowers (post to come shortly), beauty and grandeur abound Salmon Falls/Glacial Potholes area on Deerfield Ave.

The glacial potholes were ground out of granite during the high water of the Glacial Age. The whirlpool action of the waves and the gyrating stones created the prominent holes in the stones. It is said some of the grinding mills can still be seen in the smaller potholes. Over 50 potholes exist in the confined area known as “Salmon Falls” when the the Native Americans resided here. The potholes vary in size from 6 inches to 39 feet in diameter. The 39 inch diameter pothole is considered the largest pothole on record. And you thought the potholes on our roads were bad.

Salmon Falls, as it was dubbed by the Native Americans, was a common area for hunting and fishing. The waterfall still gives some pretty views against a once industrialized scenery as the backdrop.

What makes the Salmon Falls and Glacial Potholes area are the small shops and antiquated buildings that give the area a very old fashioned small town feel. This is true for pretty much the entire community of Shelburne Falls.

There is a bench for sitting, feeding the birds and just taking in the beauty around you.

Almost as a prelude to the much heralded Bridge of Flowers (which is located only a short walk or drive from the Salmon Falls and Glacial Potholes area), flowers and trees bound the Salmon Falls area.

If you’re lucky you might even find a feathered friend to photograph.

Deerfield Ave, the road that leads to Salmon Falls and the Glacial Potholes, still has the old town feel that adds tot he charm of the area. In fact, the entire Shelburne Falls area still has many “mom and pop” shops and independent businesses rather than chain stores. It was nice walking around without being bombarded by convenience stores and restaurant chains that seem to scar so many other towns.

The Shelburne Bowling Alley is one of the oldest bowling alleys in the country. In operation since 1906 (and yes it is still open for business currently), the Shelburne Bowling Alley could easily be mistaken for a barn or some other structure from a different time.

There is also a variety of art throughout the area. Some of the art I noticed looked different from the art I have seen in previous visits. So it appears they do change it up every so often. The art honors the history of the area and gives information about the area.

Below is a video of the falls at Salmon Falls. It was an overcast and somewhat windy day when we first arrived at the Falls so you may hear the wind in the video. But, most of the sound is from the rushing waters of the Falls.

Similar Places In New England I have Visited:

Wadsworth Falls State Park (Middletown, CT)

Cascading Waters (Worcester, MA)

Bash Bish Falls (Mount Washington, MA)

25 Comments | tags: art, attractions, birds, flowers, glacial potholes, Massachusetts, Nature, New England, photographs, Photography, photos, potholes, rocks, scenic, trees, views, water | posted in art, birds, flowers, glacial potholes, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, Uncategorized, waterfall

September 14, 2016

Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary (Pittsfield, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Visited: September 3, 2016

Location: Holmes Rd, Pittsfield, MA (it is not clearly marked – it is about 2 miles down the road on the right hand side if you coming from the east)

Cost: Free but donations are appreciated

Parking: There is room for about a dozen cars (see photo below)

Trail difficulty: Easy

Park Size: 253 acres, 3 miles of trails

Time To Allot For Visit: 1 to 2 hours

Dog Friendly: No, dogs aren’t allowed on MA Audubon trails.

Highlights: pretty plants and flowers, a lot of wildlife, ponds, home to a community garden

Lowlights: Park is a little hard to find, some trails may be inaccessible or difficult to hike particularlywhen it rains

Web Site: Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary

Trail Map: Canoe Meadows Trail Map

I am always surprised at how some of the more beautiful areas to visit seem to be tucked away in the most unlikely places. It’s almost as though they are meant to be kept a secret for just the few people who are adventurous enough to find it. Such is the case with Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary. Tucked away on a busy side street in the otherwise sleepy town of Pittsfield, MA, Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary (ironically, you can’t launch a canoe or any watercraft there) is a haven for birds, the occasional water faring mammal or amphibian and beautiful flowers.

The paths at Canoe Meadows are clearly defined and there are benches, bridges and boardwalks along the trail.

What stood out most to me about Canoe Meadows are the colorful plants and flowers and the trees. The colors of the plants are so vibrant and the trees are nothing short of majestic. I love the mix of pink, purple, white and yellow flowers as you can probably tell by my photos.

There are also a lot of bees at Canoe Meadows pollinating this time of the year. There is a bee inside this flower. You may be able to barely see the bees sticking outside of the flower.

There are plenty of birds at Canoe Meadows. They do like to hide. So it is hard to get good photos of them.

I spotted this heron as he was flying away. I just wish I saw the bird earlier.

I also saw this chipmunk, one of the more common residents of the meadow.

There were also lots of frogs at the meadow.

Unfortunately, I did not see any of the otters, beavers and other critters that are said to inhabit this meadow (although I did see evidence of their existence there). If you go early in the day or are very quiet, you may have better luck. Good luck if you do try!

Similar Places I Have Visited In New England:

Dorrs Pond (Manchester, NH)

The Nature Trail And Cranberry Bog At Patriot Place (Foxborough, MA)

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2 Comments | tags: birds, ducks, flowers, Massachusetts, Nature, New England, photographs, Photography, photos, pond, scenic, trees | posted in birds, Massachusetts, New England, photographs, photography, photos, scenic, Uncategorized

September 5, 2016

Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary (Natick, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Visited: August 13, 2016

Location: 280 Eliot Street Natick, MA

Hours: Tues-Fri, 9 am-5 pm
Sat, Sun, & Mon holidays, 10 am-5 pm
Closed Mondays

Trails:
Tues-Sun, & Mon holidays, dawn to dusk
Closed Mondays

Cost:

(MA Audubon) Members: Free
Nonmembers:
$5 Adults
$4 Children (2-12)
$4 Seniors (65+)

Parking: There are about 50 0r so parking spaces in the parking lot

Trail Difficulty: Easy to moderate

Size: 9 miles of trails

Time To Allot For Visit: 2 to 3 hours

Highlights: abundant wildlife, clearly defined trails, lookouts and bridges, several pond areas

Lowlights: One of the ponds (Little Farm Pond) is only accessible via motor vehicle and is not accessible from the sanctuary, according to one of the staff workers at the sanctuary

Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary Web Site

Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary Trail Map

From the moment I drove into the parking lot for Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary (a MASS Audubon sanctuary), I could tell it was going to be a special place. The pretty trees and stocks of grass reminded me of some rural, country farm.

The 10 trails at Broadmoor are fairly easy to negotiate (the Charles River Loop is probably the most challenging). There are a few trails that cross over ponds and marsh land.

Overall, the trails are easy with a few moderately difficult trails such as The Charles River Loop. The trail on the Charles River Loop is somewhat narrow in some places and it can be hard to follow the trail (look for the yellow and blue marked trees).

There was a lot of activity, such as turtles, in the ponds. Can you spot the turtles in this photo? There are three.

What if I get closer?

How about now?

Broadmoor is teeming with wildlife. I found these critters during my hike.

There is also a lookout area where you can sit and look out upon the pond where I found this heron hiding.

There is a lot to see at Broadmoor. There are lots of turtles, butterflies, birds and evidence of other wildlife.

I found this beautiful swan as I was walking along the park.

All that swimming and looking for food can make you tired. So, she decided to take a nap.

There are also beautiful views of the park. The flowers, plants and trees make for a beautiful backdrop.

Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary is the perfect visitors of all ages (I even saw some visitors in strollers). It can be buggy but, as lucky would have it, that won’t be a problem for much longer in New England as fall descends upon us.

Similar Places I Have Visited In New England:

Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary (Topsfield, MA)

Borderland State Park (North Easton, MA)

9 Comments | tags: birds, butterfly, ducks, flowers, Massachusetts, Nature, New England, Park, photographs, Photography, photos, pond, sanctuary, trees | posted in birds, massachusetts, New England, park, photographs, photography, photos, swan, Uncategorized, wildlife

September 4, 2016

Bear Brook State Park (Allenstown, NH)

By New England Nomad

Date Visited: August 27, 2016

Location: 157 Deerfield Rd, Allenstown, NH

Cost: $4 for adults, $2 for children (ages 6-11), children 5 and under get in for free, NH residents 65 and older are also admitted free of charge

Hours: Open daily, sunrise to sunset, campground schedule: May 6 -Oct. 29 (2016), Sun-Thu 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., Fri 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Size: 10,000 acres

Time To Allot For Visit: 2 to 3 hours

Parking: There are about 50-60 parking spaces in the main parking area (see photo below)

Additional parking can be found at Hayes Field (see attached map)

Dog Friendly: Yes

Highlights: Very popular with cyclists, several large ponds and marshes, teeming with wildlife, campgrounds, archery target area, fishing (fly fishing only)

Lowlights: too big to hike or bike all in one day

Bear Brook State Park

Bear Brook State Park Trail Map

A haven for cyclists and nature lovers, Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown, New Hampshire is the largest developed state park in New Hampshire. Boasting 10,000 acres, over 40 miles of trails, several ponds and other bodies of water and marsh lands, Bear Brook is the biggest state park I have hiked.

Although there were many frogs and turtles visible at Bear Brook, birds, deer and other wildlife proved to be more elusive.

Bear Brook also has a fishing area, two of them actually. There is the Archery Pond, which also has an archery target area. Only fly fishing is allowed in the pond.

The archery target practice area is to the right of the pond.

Across the paved road from Archery is a kids fishing pond for children 12 years old and younger. A fishing pond for children! How cute is that?

What my visit to Bear Brook lacked in deer, birds and other more typically photographed wildlife, it made up for in smaller critters.

I did see a few runners and hikers but the overwhelming majority of the visitors at Bear Brook were cyclists. The trails vary from flat and easy to steep, rocky and challenging. I would consider some trails to be very challenging even for the advanced cyclist and I did not see any cyclists on some of the more steep and rocky trails.

You never know what you’ll find at Bear Brook State Park. While walking along the main trail, I came across this grave site for an unknown soldier from the Civil War. There is no marker for the Union or Confederacy. The only flag or designation displayed is an American flag.

There is also a stream running under a bridge at the entrance

There are also several ponds, marshes and creeks.

There are also beautiful, vividly colored trees, plant life, spiderwebs (ok, maybe that’s not so beautiful) and a sign that summer is soon ending.

Speaking of beautiful trees and plants, one that thing is hate to see at parks is the cutting down of trees or, as the parks call it”sanitation timber harvest.” However, in the case of Bear Brook, and most state parks, there was good reason for this sanitation. Because of an infestation of red pine scale, many of the red pine plantations had to be cut down. The sanitation began in 2013 and was completed in 2014. For whatever reason, it’s always sort of sad to see so many open spaces and stumps.

The trail for Hayes Farm does not lead to a farm but rather what used to be a farm. You can see remnants of the stones which surrounded the farm from the trail.

This is my only gripe about the park. There are long swaths of land without much there. It’s very pretty and largely untouched by humans. In fact, it is such a big park that I was unable to get to one of the bigger attractions, Catamount Trail that is supposed to have pretty scenic views. But, after 6 hours of hiking and photographing the park I didn’t have the energy for that hike. But, keep it in mind if you do go.

There is also a campground with a place to park your camper or rent one of their own. Check their website for fees and availability.

There were not many dogs at Bear Brook. In fact, Jack, a 9 year old rat terrier from Rhode Island, is the only dog I saw during my trip.