The Warner Trail Through Norfolk County OCTOBER 2009 October 2009 The Warner Trail The Trail and its History Hiking the Warner Trail The Warner Trail offers delightful and varied This trail can be enjoyed as a series of easy outdoor experiences as it stretches more than day-hikes, or one of many snow shoe hikes of 30 miles from Sharon, Massachusetts, to the several miles of uninterrupted quiet woodland, or Diamond Hill State Park in Cumberland, Rhode as a scenic path to one of the many lunch spots. Island. The trail passes through Sharon, Users are asked to respect the property of Foxboro, Wrentham and Plainville in private landowners who have generously Massachusetts and through Cumberland, RI. granted permission for the trail to cross their The possibility of establishing a woodland trail land. connecting the southerly fringe of the Boston area with the trail system in Rhode Island was Private landowners have granted permission for first envisioned by Appalachian Mountain Club HIKERS ONLY to pass on their property. No members, Charles H. Warner and John Hudson, permission has been ever been sought, nor has prior to World War II. With the energetic permission been granted for any motorized assistance of Ron Gower and a number of other vehicles or mountain bikes to pass on private AMC club members residing in the general area, property. In many areas, the trail passes the trail was slowly put together, one section at a through state forest and town conservation land. time, starting at RT. 128 and going through the These public lands have their own rules Ponkapaug Camp of the AMC. By 1947 it regarding motorized vehicles and mountain extended south to High Rock in the State Forest bikes. Users, other than hikers, should contact in Foxboro. In the early 50’s the trail had these agencies for information on allowable trail reached Diamond Hill, RI., but shortly use. developers caused the loss of the Ponkapaug to Canton Jct. RR station section. Mead Bradner, Please leave nothing but footprints. another active AMC member who spent many years caring for the trail, established the Friends of the Warner Trail in 1994 to ensure that the Caring for the Trail trail continues to thrive. The basic philosophy followed in the The Warner Trail is maintained by the Friends of development of the trail was to maximize the the Warner Trail, volunteer AMC members from challenges while at the same time providing the the Boston, Narragansett and South East greatest amount of enjoyment. Thus the trail Massachusetts chapters, State Forest and wanders considerably from elevated view points Mass. Audubon personnel, and other interested to swamp crossings, to brooks and reservoirs. people. These individuals take care of blow - The trail connects a number of State and Town downs, marking, brushing, bridges, and forests, Audubon land, conservation land, and relocations. If you would like to get involved in other public land. the stewardship of this trail, contact the Friends of the Warner Trail, 1791 West St, Mansfield, MA. 02048. 1 Information Trail Markers on the Warner Trail Information can be obtained at the Moose Hill The following types of markers are used on the Audubon, AMC at 5 Joy St. Boston, or the office trail. of the F. Gilbert Hills Headquarters, Mill St. Foxboro, MA. White or stainless steel discs, To obtain a copy of the guide, maps and approximately 2 inches in current information you can access the Warner diameter. White discs have been Trail website at www.warnertrail.org. used most recently, but there are still plenty of silver discs on the Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, Sharon trail. There are also old non (Massachusetts Audubon; 1984 acres) - stainless steel metal discs which Extensive trail network through fields (good bird- have rusted. and butterfly-watching), woodlands, hills and wetlands. Warner Trail and Bay Circuit Trail White plastic 4 x 6 inch triangles coincide for some distance here. Horses, dogs, with a dark green hiker. bicycles prohibited. Visitor center, restrooms, program facilities, and parking lot in center of sanctuary; access via Moose Hill St and Moose Hill Parkway. No parking signs at outer edges of sanctuary are enforced by towing. Trail fee for White paint blaze on rocks. non-members of Mass. Audubon; trail maps near visitor center. 781-784-5691. www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/San Two discs, one above the other, ctuaries/Moose_Hill/index.html indicate a turn. Slow down and look for either a turn onto another F. Gilbert Hills State Forest trail or a change of direction on Mill St., Foxboro (508) 543-5850 the existing trail. Covering 1,027 acres in Foxboro and The two discs may be offset, Wrentham, F. Gilbert Hills is a passive use pine indicating the direction of the turn. and oak forest. There are 23 miles of trails for For example, when the top disc is various uses, looping through the forest. to the right, the turn will be to the Mountain Biking is a widely popular activity and right. there are also trails for ORVs and horseback A triangle may also indicate the riding. The forest is named for a dedicated direction of the turn. For example, State Forester and park employee. In the 1930s a triangle pointing to the left will he produced a series of outstanding illustrative indicate a turn to the left. maps of many of the Department's properties in existence at the time. Markers may be missing or hard to see in some www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/southeast/fgil.htm places. Trees with markers may have fallen, brush may be obscuring the marker, people may remove markers for souvenirs, or because of the trees growth, it may grow around the marker and “swallow it”. Please report any problems you may encounter following the trail to the Friends of the Warner Trail. We need your help! If you feel you may be off the trail, turn around and retrace your steps to the last marker. Sometimes seeing a marker in the opposite direction will confirm that you are still on the trail. 2 Description Warner Trail from Dedham St., Sharon to Moose Hill Audubon Sanctuary, Sharon 3.8 mi. To reach the northern end of the Warner Trail leave US 1 S of Boston near the Norwood Memorial Airport, or I-95, exit 11 and go E on Neponset St. into Canton. At 1.2 mi. from I-95, just before the granite viaduct, turn R onto Walpole St. and follow Walpole St. for 1.5 mi. into Sharon. Turn L onto Dedham St. and drive up the hill for 0.2 mi. There is a small area on the L side of the street where 3 or 4 cars can be parked. The trail begins in the woods across the street. The trail leaves the pavement and keeps to the R (NW) of some ledges. In 50 yd. from Dedham St., the trail approaches a pumping station building and reaches a gravel driveway. The trail turns L onto the driveway and goes for 40 yards until turning R off the driveway. In approx. 0.1 mi. from Dedham St. the trail crosses over a Distance Table drainage pipe and continues heading NW where it curves around, going SW, over a bog bridge. From Dedham St. Sharon The trail passes through a wet area close to the MacIntosh Farms condominiums on the L. In to Moose Hill Audubon Hqtrs 3.8 mi. 0.3 mi., the trail crosses a wooden bridge over to Foxboro Conservation Lot 10.9 mi. Beaver Brook and heads almost N up a hill and switches back L up on a ridge going SW until it to High Rock Parking Lot 13.3 mi. comes to a woods road junction, 0.5 mi. from to Wrentham Senior Center 20.0 mi. Dedham St. to Wampum Corner 23.6 mi. The trail turns L (EDGEHILL STREET SPUR to Diamond Hill Parking Lot 33.2 mi. TRAIL TURNS RIGHT, SEE NOTE AT END OF PAGE) still mostly SW. In 150 yd. a woods road to the L goes over the brook about 15 yd. away. The trail continues SW up a rise curving to the R (W) and forks R (NW) from the woods road. After passing through a pine grove, it comes out on a power line clearing and turns R (N) on the service road for the power line. In 83 yd. it comes to a metal barrier on the side of Mt. Fern St.(a gravel road) and turns L (SW), continuing to the pavement of Mt. Fern St. No parking on Mt. Fern St. The trail then continues up to Bullard St., goes R on Bullard St. and follows the pavement for 0.2 mi. (may be relocation) to Norwood St. (Rt. 27). 3 Distance from Dedham St. trail turns R and continues down the woods road to bridge over Beaver Brook: 0.3 mi. for 0.15 mi. and turns R into a small pine grove. to power lines: 0.9 mi. Shortly thereafter it enters a small clearing then to Bullard St.: 1.1 mi. back into deciduous forest, then slabs the side to Norwood St. (Rt. 27): 1.3 mi. of a hill and drops down to Edgehill St. Parking for 6 cars. The trail turns R on Norwood St. for a few yards, crosses the road and then reenters the woods. Warner Trail from Moose Hill After entering the woods, it bears R (SW) on a Sanctuary to High narrow horse path, winding over a stone wall through a fine grove of red pine reaching a Rock in Gilbert Hills State Forest, power line right of way 0.4 mi.