What’s New at Wildlands
A Leaf Peeping Guide to Wildlands
Hikers at Hoyt-Hall Preserve in Marshfield
By Mya Cusson, Communications Coordinator
While we may be biased, we believe that New England, and more specifically Massachusetts, is the best place to enjoy the fall season. From apple and pumpkin picking to trips to Salem and other spooky sites, there is so much to love about a Massachusetts autumn. At Wildlands, getting outside and appreciating nature in this time of transition is our favorite part of the season. In celebration of the changing leaves that will soon reach peak color, we wanted to give you a leaf peeper's guide to Southeastern Massachusetts.
First, a bit of biology: why do the leaves change color in the fall? Leaves get their green hue from chlorophyll, a molecule that allows plants to complete photosynthesis; turning sunlight into food. Chlorophyll is depleted consistently throughout the growing season, and in the fall, before a tree drops its leaves, almost all of its chlorophyll will be gone. When the green pigment from chlorophyll fades, other pigments in the leaf become visible, including carotenoid (yellow) and anthocyanin (red). The result of this chemical process? Forests full of vibrant, warm colors that draw visitors from all over the country. [1]
According to predictive maps, Southeastern Massachusetts will see its peak foliage colors between late October and early November, with inland towns reaching their peak before coastal areas. This means there's still ample time to plan and execute the perfect leaf peeping excursion at your local Wildlands preserve. [2]
To help you get started, here are some of our favorite spots to take in the foliage:
With an assortment of deciduous trees and a scenic loop around Long Tom Pond with plenty of lookout spots, Hoyt-Hall Preserve is the perfect place for a leaf peeping hike. While enjoying the fall colors, appreciate the history of the preserve as you walk a section of the original Pilgrim Trail.
While Halfway Pond serves as a perfect outdoor haven year-round, it shines in the fall. Its beautiful oak and beech trees are already beginning to turn color, so now is the perfect time to visit. Keep an eye out for bald eagles during your hike, as they can often be spotted from the shores of the pond.
Great River Preserve’s variety of habitats make it a great destination for viewing nature at every scale and in every season. In the fall, its river access and sweeping fields allow for picturesque views of fall colors. Because hunting is permitted at Great River Preserve, visitors should stay safe by wearing bright orange or red and follow MassWildlife guidelines.
[1] The Science of Leaf Color Change - Harvard Forest
[2] Plymouth County, MA Fall Foliage Forecast 2026 | Peak Color Dates
Staff Picks: Where to Explore This Fall
If the arrival of September in Southeastern Massachusetts has you dreaming of brisk mornings, cozy sweaters, and leaves crunching underfoot, you’re not alone. We at Wildlands Trust are already planning our autumn hikes, paddles, rides, and picnics.
Are you looking for new places to explore this fall? Our staff and volunteers have you covered! Read on for a selection of our favorite autumnal landscapes, where you just might find us leaf peeping, migratory bird watching, or spooky story telling this season.
A note on safety: hunting season begins in the fall, so please take care to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your pets while on the trails. Consult our hunting safety guidelines before you head out. (Spoiler alert: wear blaze orange!)
Happy fall from all of us at Wildlands! Please share your fall nature photos with us at communications@wildlandstrust.org. Explore our trails across Southeastern Massachusetts at wildlandstrust.org/trails.
Hoyt-Hall Preserve, Marshfield
Photo by Jerry Monkman.
Trail map & property description: click here.
Rachel Bruce, Chief of Staff: The many deciduous trees show off their fall colors around Long Tom Pond, and a two-mile hike is perfect for a fall afternoon.
Tess Goldmann, Land Protection Assistant: I really enjoy Hoyt-Hall for its beautiful views of Long Tom Pond and its variety of different ecosystems you get to walk through. Plus, you can see all the red maples changing colors in October.
Great River Preserve, Bridgewater
Photo by Jerry Monkman.
Trail map & property description: click here.
Marilynn Atterbury, Key Volunteer: As the leaves begin to turn, there’s no place I’d rather be than Great River Preserve. In the fall, the landscape transforms into a landscape of color. The meadows are dotted with Joe-Pye weed, jewel plants, and goldenrod, creating a stunning display. The meadows also become a haven for monarch butterflies, which lay their eggs on the milkweed that thrives there. Meanwhile, the maples and oaks along the Taunton River put on a breathtaking show of scarlet and gold. It’s this vibrant tapestry of nature that makes Great River Preserve my favorite fall destination.
Scott MacFaden, Director of Land Protection: The Great River Preserve is a fall favorite of mine. While it shines at any time of year, it is particularly luminous in autumn because of its juxtaposition of open fields, woods, and the Taunton River. I like to leisurely hike along the edge of the fields before spending some time at the viewing platform overlooking the river—one of the most peaceful and contemplative locations in all of Southeastern Massachusetts.
Indian Head River Trail – Pembroke, Hanover, Hanson
Photo by Andrew Lederman.
Trail map & property description: click here.
Amy Burt, Programming Coordinator: My favorite preserve is the Indian Head River Trail, a four-mile loop that encompasses Wildlands' Tucker Preserve. This time of year, you can get a great view of the river with the leaves falling while walking down a cathedral of color. Year-round, I enjoy channeling my inner goat and climbing the rocks.
Great Neck Conservation Area, Wareham
Photo by Rob MacDonald.
Trail map & property description: click here.
Skip Stuck, Key Volunteer: I like Great Neck because it has a little of everything. Uplands, ocean, marshlands, a pond full of waterfowl in the fall, and vernal pools surrounded by red swamp maples.
Kyla Isakson, Membership Manager: I love the diversity of the landscapes at Great Neck. You get a little bit of everything: ponds, farmland, pine forests, and ocean views. An underrated showcase preserve that is great year-round.
Wyman North Fork Conservation Area, Bridgewater
Photo by Rob MacDonald.
Trail map & property description: click here.
Thomas Patti, Communications Coordinator: As one of our newest public preserves, Wyman North Fork Conservation Area (a partnership between Wildlands and the Town of Bridgewater) remains a hidden gem… for now. This fall, visitors will hear bluebirds and goldfinches rustling in the meadow’s native grasses and gaze at the secluded woodlands’ vibrant foliage, hanging from the branches and reflecting off the glassy surface of the Taunton River.
Waddling Out of 2022
By Rachel Bruce, Director of Special Projects
There is much to reflect on and be grateful for this year as it comes to a close. Not least of all was the triumphant return of our annual Post Feast Waddle on Friday, November 25. Our cry to opt outside on Black Friday was heard, and nearly 40 people gathered at Wildlands Trust to take a walk in the woods with us.
The morning was gloomy with the threat of rain constantly looming, but that didn’t stop dozens of people and their dogs and families from helping make our 7th Annual Post Feast Waddle one to remember. Since its beginning in 2016, this program has always been a popular way to “skip the shopping lines and line the trails.” However, Covid in 2020 and then downpours in 2021 brought the momentum for this walk to a screeching halt. With Covid and rain still looming over us this year, we were not sure what to expect, but our community showed up.
We had a great time hiking and chatting about our trails and mission with everyone who came, including the many who had never been to Wildlands before. Along with our regular monthly hikes and a few key events including Spring Opening Day in May, programs this year have provided us with both fond memories and new momentum for 2023.
Programming is Back!
By Amy Markarian, Senior Copywriter
Say hello (again) to the Conservation Barn at Davis-Douglas Farm and our new Programs & Outreach Manager, Claire Johnston
As we say goodbye to summer on the South Shore, we look forward to an exciting fall filled with programs. Along with the rest of the world, Wildlands’ programming team took a step back from in-person events in 2020 due to COVID-19. But now, with safety precautions in place, we are excited to resume—and expand—our programs!
In late September, the board of directors at Wildlands Trust approved the re-opening of our Conservation Barn for events. There will be a cap on the number of attendees allowed at each event, determined by the nature of the activity. All participants will be required to follow Wildlands’ COVID-19 guidelines and fill out corresponding safety agreements. With these protocols in place, we are optimistic that programming will be able to continue, despite the dropping temperatures looming just around the corner. We can’t wait to welcome members back into our community gathering space! Keep an eye on our website for lots of upcoming classes and events!
And, with so many activities filling the calendar this fall, Wildlands is also thrilled to welcome our new Programs & Outreach Manager, Claire Johnston. Claire joins Wildlands Trust from Seattle Washington, where she has spent the last 4 years working in the Outdoor Industry. She is passionate about community engagement and loves exploring. She is an avid mountain biker, hiker, climber, skier, and more! If you have any programming questions, concerns, or ideas, she is available at cjohnston@wildlandstrust.org, or (774)343-5124, ext.108, and she’d love to hear from you!
Two Days, Twelve Hikers, Twenty-three Miles Trekked
By Outreach and Education Manager, Rachel Calderara
You may not think of long-distance hiking when you think of Southeastern Massachusetts, but here at Wildlands Trust we have a unique opportunity to showcase the potential for such an adventure. Two major factors make longer treks possible in our area: connectivity of protected lands across Plymouth County that weave a trail-studded landscape and “Trail Guy” Malcolm MacGregor who maps and hikes these long-distance routes. This year, Wildlands hosted our second annual “Big Ramble”, a two-part hike of 20+ miles. Last June, we traversed a 22-mile hike from the Plymouth Town Forest to Maple Springs Wildlife Management Area in Wareham. This year, Malcolm led us through 23 miles of trails in Plymouth from the top of the geographic Pine Hills to Abner Pond in the Myles Standish State Forest.
Day One: Sunday, June 10, 2018
The Day One crew begins a series of steep hills in South Plymouth
On a beautiful spring day with temperatures peaking in the mid 60s, 11 hikers and three Wildlands Trust staff members set forth from the Cleft Rock parking area atop the geographic Pine Hills for a 12-mile trek to the Davis-Douglas Farm (DDF), Wildlands Trust's headquarters on Long Pond Rd. While it is “all downhill from here” at the top of route 3A, we were in for a series of ups and downs as we got closer to DDF. First, we traversed the trails atop the Pine Hills, hitting the highest point in Plymouth and the second highest point on the eastern coastline. From there, we descended into the Town of Plymouth’s newly acquired “Tidmarsh West” conservation area off Beaver Dam Road, then across the road into Mass Audubon’s newest preserve, Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary. These two large tracts of land are important links for cross-town treks, not to mention one of the biggest ecological restoration projects in Massachusetts’ history.
From Tidmarsh, a quick jaunt through a subdivision brought us onto the trails at the Town of Plymouth’s Beaver Dam Conservation Area, a wooded preserve along the shores of Little Island and Great Island Ponds, and lead us to Old Sandwich Road. About 8 miles in at this point, the hills begin. Steep inclines and declines characterize the next 2-3 miles, bringing us to Ship Pond Road, over Route 3 and onto the trails of Wildlands Trust’s Emery Preserve. The last mile was leisurely as an exhausted group finally arrived at Davis-Douglas Farm and gave thanks for the perfect weather and company.
The Day One crew atop the geographic Pine Hills
Day Two: Sunday, June 17, 2018
Mother Nature was not so forgiving on this day, one of the last of spring and one of the first to break 80 degrees. A smaller group hit the trails this time, 5 hikers and 3 staff, for the final 11 miles starting at Davis-Douglas Farm and ending at Abner Pond at Camp Cachalot in Myles Standish State Forest. From DDF, the group started with an easy walk on some neighborhood roads to get to Halfway Pond Conservation Area, 400+ acres owned and managed by Wildlands Trust. Hiking up the trails at Gallows Pond, across Mast Road and halfway around Gramp’s Loop, a sudden left brought us into Myles Standish State Forest. From here on, we were immersed in true pine barrens, a plant community characterized by gnarly pitch pine and scrub oak that offered little shade for the next 7-8 miles.
The Day Two Crew finds relief in the bits of shade that White Pines provide
Hiking through a breathtaking landscape of historical significance, the group made their way south through the pine barrens, around pond shores, along open cutter fields and onto the Mass. Division of Fish and Game lands at Camp Cachalot. At the end of these hot, tiresome 11 miles, Malcolm was ready to turn around and hike back. The rest of us found relief in the air-conditioned environments of our cars as we drove off, tired but accomplished, looking forward to a summer of adventure on the trails.
The Day Two Crew at the end of 11 miles for the day and 23 miles overall. Trail Guy Malcolm MacGregor is on the far right.
Without Malcolm’s interest and expertise in trail mapping and navigation, and his willingness to lead these hikes for us at Wildlands, organizing the Big Ramble would be challenging at best. We are thankful for his unparalleled volunteerism with Wildlands Trust. Malcolm leads shorter hikes for Wildlands on a monthly basis, so check out our events page to join the Trail Guy on his next adventure!
Looking to join Wildlands on a long hike this year? Mark your calendars for October 13 when OkTRAILberfest returns for a day of hiking, music and festival fun at Davis-Douglas Farm. Tickets go on sale late summer at wildlandstrust.org!