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Legend (! POI Æü Parking Elevation in Feet $ Shelter Town Line Section 1 Other Numbered Highway Section 2 Section Links Major Road, Collector Federal Lake Wilder McKenzie Nature Trail Dam / Denni TRAINS l so Department of Fish & Game il n TRANSMISSION LINES H T DCR-State Parks & Recreation h r Email: [email protected] Surface Water c a r i web: nqta.org Stream i ls Dam (shoreline) B Join us on Facebook! *No dogs TH = Legend of Gates *Red = Closed most of the time *Yellow = Open seasonally *Green = Usually Open Trail allowed Gate Responsible Location at Lake Head R02 USACE Entrance to downstream field of the dam,off of the entrance road Dennison W06 USACE Sibley Rd from MA RTE 202 Birch Hill Beach W08 USACE Royalston Rd South near horse track W06 Area W10 USACE Old RTE 202 near Labarge’s Gravel Pit WMA W60 DCR Near RTE 202, inside Main Entrance to Lake Dennison Day Use Area Sibley Rd W64 DCR Near RTE 202, inside Main Entrance to Lake Dennison Day Use Area Kr antz R

W68 USACE Burgess Road o

Phyllis Rd a ALL W90 USACE New Rd North, near Microburst Area d DOGS W92 DFW Wetmore Trail North (*NOTE: THIS GATE HAS FISH & WILDLIFE LOCK) SCENIC M Royalston MUST R04 USACE River Rd, Western gate, near the former Royalston Dump Road South VIEWING P SECTION 2 i BE ON A l R06 USACE River Road, middle gate, field behind the main spillway r l McLaughlin Trail i e LEASH!! e Wetmore W08 T64 DCR Winchendon Rd / RTE 202, Main Entrance r st s W62 DCR Near RTE 202, north gate to Dennison beach parking lot B Trailhead R r W92 i W66 DCR Lake Dennison Campground east “in” road o !( v o e r W68 DCR Lake Dennison Campground east “out” road k 1.58 mi W70 DCR Lake Dennison Campground North in / out road Main Street BIKING W74 DCR Wetmore Trail South ets E ck .92 x W10

W76 DCR Middle Road at Goodnow Birch o t

R mi . Æü Main St

2.2 mi 2.2 W78 DCR Goodnow Rd between River & Middle Rds 0.6mi

Hill W80 DCR North intersection of Goodnow & River Rds Parking

W90 FISHING W82 DCR West Rd WMA Kapt. W84 DCR South intersection of Goodnow & River Rds New Korner __McLaughlin

W86 DCR River Rd eastern gate, near the former shooting range Trail On RTE 202 RTE Royalston Right 2.6 mi R08 USACE Swamp Rd near Beaver Pond Boston Rd W12

Winchendon R10 USACE Liberty Lane / Swamp Rd at poowerlines W14 W12 DCR Royalston Rd South, South of McGlaughlin Trail Townline

1.1mi

.38 mi .38

Lane

W14 DCR Intersection Alger Rd & Royalston Rd South Bunny Trailhead W18 DCR Royalston Rd South near Dennison Boat ramp Transmission Lines Æü Rd Boston New M1 W88 North Campground W58 USACE Lake Dennison Day Use entrance, off of MA RTE 202 0.5 mi HANDICAP Burgess Rd SNOW ACCESS- W72 DCR New Boston Rd South near Old RTE 202 0.5 mi Lake Dennsion MOBILING IBLE M1 Located at end of paved New Boston Rd W70

Neale Rd Campground Beaver Swamp Rd .92 Royalston0.6 mi Rd W68 Entrance 0.2 mi W18 W66 W76 W74 Birch Hill / Lake Dennison Area: Trail Guide M id 0.5 mi New Bo Lake !( POI Other Numbered Highway d W72

l 0.3 mi W78 e Alger St

Dennison üÆ Parking Major Road, Collector

R ston Rd d

Neale Rd Neale River Rd S Royalston Day Use East CampgroundFoot Path Town Line

R10 W80 0.62 mi Mi

Area Section 1 Birch Hill Stream d $

0.41 mi Æü Beaver d W W62

Pond 0.38 mi l W60 Section Links Surface Water

e e s !( Lake Dennison CROSS W82 t Rd Chief CANOEING R W58Section 2 Birch Hill Federal ± COUNTRY W64 Day use area R08 Beaver Pond d Metacomet

SKI 0.83 mi SECTION 1 mi 1.32 Entrance Rd Elevation in Feet DCR-State Parks & Recreation 0.54 mi Meeting Place River Rd 0.64 mi TransmissionBirch Hill WMA Lines w River Rd o TH 0.68 mi n R04 Swamp Rd d o Sibley Rd Æü 1.27 mi M o P Access d i r l 1.14 mi G l i Wetmore Trail e R e

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18 mi 18 1. R e r R06 a Footpath Ri o v R Main St

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New Boston Rd n Royalston

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t Wilder-McKenzie Trail Wilder-McKenzie Burgess Rd Neale Rd Birch Hill Dam Rd Winchendon h North Camping SWIMMING HIKING Royalston Ground Campground/In SeasonM id Templeton d New Boston Rd OtterLake River

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To Section e

Templeton Parking/TH R Dennison Two River Rd d StateEastern Camping Forest

Beaman Pond Neale Rd 1.83 mi Ground

1.21 mi M

i .83 miles W d Chief To S. Royalston Village Campground e 2.24 mi Beaver Pond Ftp st d Metacomet d l R e Alger StDCR Office/ R d R Meeting Place and River St. Birch Hill Beaver Pond Rd w Ft d o p River Rd F Otter River Otter River Off season n t TH Æü d p US Army Corps o o Campground Parking/5.36 mi ofTH Engineers G D

State Forest a R

m T64 ive Millers r 3.51 mi Entrance 4.22 mi R River Tod Baldwinville

RTE 68 New Boston Rd Beamon Pond WMA Camp Ground Birch Hill Dam Rd Royalston Winchendon Templeton Templeton Otter River To S. Royalston Otter River State Forest Village and RiverRTE 202St. State Forest RTE 68 HORSE- CAMPING BACK

RIDING Rd Royalston Mile Map produced by Erica Rader, Bobby Curley, and Amy Richard. Graphic Design by Amy Richard. Contributing Editor Allen Young. Map Produced by Erica Rader and Robert Curley. Copyright NQTA 2015 September 18, 2014 0 0.25 0.5 0.75 1

Amy Richard December 23, 2014 23, December Richard Amy

Map Produced by Erica Rader, Robert Curley and Curley Robert Rader, Erica by Produced Map

Amy Richard December 23, 2014 23, December Richard Amy

Map Produced by Erica Rader, Robert Curley and Curley Robert Rader, Erica by Produced Map

Mike Phillip Mike s Photography s

O Entrance

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Meeting Place Meeting W64

~ By Allen Young Allen By ~ Lake Dennison Lake

W58

Metacomet d

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that abuts the dam is called Buck Hill. Buck called is dam the abuts that (

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W60 l Rd Swamp

W62 located nearby in the Otter River State Forest . The hill hill The . Forest State River Otter the in nearby located

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blueberries. Birch Hill, for which the area is named, is is named, is area the which for Hill, Birch blueberries. Midd

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can enjoy a small pond and an area with high bush bush high with area an and pond small a enjoy can R10 W80 Day Use Day

River Rd River

East Campground East erdnRd Bearsden

the ranger at 978-249-4467. Visitors to the dam area area dam the to Visitors 978-249-4467. at ranger the ¾P

Tours of the facility can be arranged by calling calling by arranged be can facility the of Tours

RTE 202 RTE d

Dennison R

gate. emergency slide operated

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W78 0.3 mi 0.3

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Alger St Alger Lake Lake

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operated gear-driven slide service gate and a crane – crane a and gate service slide gear-driven operated

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New Boston Rd Boston New

consists of four rectangular conduits, with an electrically electrically an with conduits, rectangular four of consists RTE 68 RTE

To Baldwinville To

mately one-half mile northwest of the dam. The outlet outlet The dam. the of northwest mile one-half mately W74

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State Forest State

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Parking/ TH Parking/

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- aproxi located is spillway The acres. 3,200 covers

W18

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W66 Otter River Otter

Off season Off 0.2 mi 0.2 Village and River River and Village

Campground Campground

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Otter River Otter drainage area is 175 square miles. The spillway crest crest spillway The miles. square 175 is area drainage

Entrance .92 Rd Swamp Beaver onnector

W68

To S. Royalston Royalston S. To

DCR Office/ DCR

0.6 mi 0.6 Campground Campground

Royalston Rd Royalston

sea level is 56 feet above the level of the river. The The river. the of level the above feet 56 is level sea ccess

Beaman Pond Pond Beaman

Lake Dennsion Lake

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top width of 25 feet. The dam’s height of 864 feet above above feet 864 of height dam’s The feet. 25 of width top

Templeton Parking/TH te Fo

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Campground/In Season Campground/In Templeton volume of 359,000 cubic yards. It is 1,400 long with a a with long 1,400 is It yards. cubic 359,000 of volume

Burgess Rd Burgess 0.5 mi 0.5

Royalston

$

Winchendon slope protection and an impervious core, with a total total a with core, impervious an and protection slope

*

Transmission Lines Transmission

W88 e v i R r e 0.5 mi 0.5

Birch Hill Dam Rd Dam Hill Birch

North Campground North

$ Æ ü The dam is made of rolled earth fill with rock rock with fill earth rolled of made is dam The

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Wilder-McKenz !

M1 .38 mi Trailhead t t O * cost of the project was $4,789,900. was project the of cost

R02 Bunny Lane

New Boston Rd

1.1 mi1.1 Townline ¾ Work was started in 1940 and completed in 1942. Total Total 1942. in completed and 1940 in started was Work P

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USACE Office USACE !(

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only

puchased outright and 253 acres obtained by easement. easement. by obtained acres 253 and outright puchased

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i Beaver Ridge m

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Hiking Hiking 1.18 mi

W84 D Winchendon

of 852 feet above sea level. This included 4,394 acres acres 4,394 included This level. sea above feet 852 of

New Boston Rd Boston New

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1.14 mi 1.14

165 Royalston taken to create the flood protection zone, to an elevation elevation an to zone, protection flood the create to taken

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dam to be completed. In all, 174 parcels of land were were land of parcels 174 all, In completed. be to dam

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0.68 mi 0.68 Kapt. TH

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local officials became concerned and pressed for the the for pressed and concerned became officials local

Transmission Lines Transmission

River Rd River Rd WMA

River Road Road River

0.64 mi 0.64

Entrance

Meeting Place Meeting

W90 work on Birch Hill Dam was delayed in the early 1940s, 1940s, early the in delayed was Dam Hill Birch on work mi 0.54

1.32 mi Hill Hill

0.83 mi 0.83

Day use area use Day

Beaver Pond Beaver

R08

Metacomet

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W64

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traumatic to the people of Athol and Orange that when when that Orange and Athol of people the to traumatic

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Beaver Beaver Main St Main

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0.41 mi 0.41 d

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Main Street Main surrounding the four inundated Quabbin towns but just just but towns Quabbin inundated four the surrounding M

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River Rd River Shaw

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Alger St Alger Dennison

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W78

Boston’s village life. There is a sadness about the “lost” “lost” the about sadness a is There life. village Boston’s e

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Lake Lake

d i i

New Boston Rd Boston New

R former Baptist church that was once the focus of New New of focus the once was that church Baptist former

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W92

W74

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structures were moved, but 25 were razed, including the the including razed, were 25 but moved, were structures

Trailhead

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W76

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Wetmore r

New Boston was located in this area; some some area; this in located was Boston New M B

Entrance Trail McLaughlin

W68 Rd Royalston

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s .92 Rd Swamp Beaver Campground

Templeton. The Winchendon community of of community Winchendon The Templeton.

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W70

i

Lake Dennsion Lake r

P Royalston but most in Winchendon and and Winchendon in most but Royalston

Neale Rd Neale

Rd Burgess

285

165 Lines ssion 270

North Campground North

control land covers 4,600 acres, some in in some acres, 4,600 covers land control

W88

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Transmi

located in South Royalston, and the flood flood the and Royalston, South in located J Trailhead

New Boston Rd M1 o

e Townline Townline .38 mi

The Birch Hill Dam on is is River Millers on Dam Hill Birch The

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River watershed. River Bunny Lane

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Winchendon

c 165 construct flood control dams in the Millers Millers the in dams control flood construct

h RTE 202 Royalston

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Sibley Rd Sibley Army Corps of Engineers moved to to moved Engineers of Corps Army

New Boston Rd Boston New

WMA

and flood of 1938, the United States States United the 1938, of flood and

W90 WMA

Hill Hill

Following the devastation of the hurricane hurricane the of devastation the Following

Birch Hill Hill Birch Parking

W06

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Birch Birch

Main St St Main 285 W10 SECTION 1 SECTION

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l Bearsden l i Conservation Area M Two state agencies -- the Dept. of Con- Directions: TH = TRAIL HEAD Directions Continued: Trails: *Please refer to Bearsden map servation and Recreation (DCR), and the Division of am/Lak SECTION 1: Hill D e Den for more information on other trails.* Fisheries and Wildlife, along with a Federal agency, the ch nis le of Life: Forests and F * RIVER RD TH From RTE 2A: Take * LAKE DENNISON PARKING LOT From Beaver Pond Footpath: 2.51 miles ir on Cyc arms U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, own more than 8,000 B Trail Map & Guide A Highland Ave all the way down. At T intersection, RTE 202: Follow RTE 202 to the Lake Dennison West Road Footpath: 4.04 miles acres of conservation land shown on this map, and take a left onto RTE 68 and cross railroad tracks. Recreational Area parking lot. Follow to New Middle Road Footpath: 5.00 miles they work together to manage the land for the benefit of After rail road crossing, bear right onto River St and Boston Rd (dirt road) and onto section two. Section One Outer Loop Trail: 5.37 miles wildlife, people and flood control. continue until fork in the road. Take the right fork This Trail Map & Guide is made possible from the Q2C $8.00 and follow all the way to the parking area on the left. Trail Uses: All trails are open to all types of SECTION 2: and DCR Rec Trail Grant programs. recreation. All dogs need to be on a leash. Wetmore Loop Trail: 4.6 miles. * MAIN ST PARKING AREA accessed off RTE McGlaughlin Loop Trail: 3.25 miles 202 in Winchendon. Follow MAIN ST mile to parking area. Fits 8-10 vehichles. Total mileage: 16.92 miles

* TOWN LINE TH From South Royalston Presettlement Forest – When European-American Village/RTE 68: settlers moved into , most of the land Follow RTE 68, take a left on was forested. Neale Rd. Continue on Neale Rd and take a right onto New Boston Rd. Follow New Boston Rd until it becomes an improved dirt road, to Town Line Trailhead.

Peak Of Agriculture – by the middle of the 1800s, around 80% of the land was cleared and used as pasture and hayfields, with small heavily managed woodlots on each farm, and larger woodlands in very steep or wet places.

Farm Abandonment – Shortly after the peak of agricul- Bobby Curley ture, farmers began abandoning their lands as they moved Bobby Curley west or to factory villages. These former fields quickly grew Mike Phillips Royalston / Winchendon into forests, and today most of our region is wooded. ~ Dioramas courtesy of - For more information visit Mike Phillips http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/dioramas Mike Phillips Photography