U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge 680 Hudson Road Sudbury, MA 01776 978/562 3527 978/562 3627 fax Assabet River http://www.fws.gov/refuge/assabet_river

Federal Relay Service National Wildlife for the deaf and hard-of-hearing 1 800/877 8339 Refuge

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service http://www.fws.gov Trail and Recreation For Refuge Information Guide 1 800/344 WILD

July 2015

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M A 49 RC H 3, 18 Welcome! Located along a portion of the which is headquartered out of Great Assabet River, Assabet River Meadows NWR and located at 73 National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is Weir Hill Road in Sudbury. one of more than 562 refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System. For more information about Assabet This blue goose, The refuge is approximately 20 miles River NWR go on-line to http://www. designed by J.N. west of Boston in portions of the fws.gov/refuge/assabet_river, or visit “Ding” Darling, has towns of Hudson, Maynard, Stow the Friends of Assabet River NWR at become the symbol of www.farnwr.org. the National Wildlife and Sudbury. It consists of several Refuge System separate pieces of land: a 1,900-acre northern section, a 300-acre southern The refuge is open from sunrise section, and 91 acres scattered along to sunset. Wildlife-dependent the Assabet River in Stow. The main recreation opportunities, including entrance to the refuge and the refuge wildlife observation, photography, visitor center is at 680 Hudson Road interpretation, and environmental in Sudbury. The visitor center is open education, are permitted on Friday-Sunday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. designated trails shown on this map. Fishing and hunting are allowed The refuge has a large wetland subject to refuge regulations, State complex, several smaller wetlands and Federal laws and permit and vernal pools, and large forested restrictions. The most active hunt areas which are important feeding period is during the shotgun and breeding areas for migratory deer season late November birds and other wildlife. It also has 15 and/or into December. Most miles of trails open to the public for other times, hunt pressure is the enjoyment of nature as well as a generally light. There is no visitor center located on Winterberry hunting on Sundays. Please refer to Way with interactive exhibits for the the kiosk or the refuge website for whole family. more information about hunt seasons. Fishing is allowed at Puffer Pond at There is a porous pavement path designated fishing sites. It is catch from the main entrance on Hudson and release with a state fishing license Road to Puffer Pond, running parallel and no live bait is allowed. to Winterberry Way. Bicycles are allowed on the path. The refuge used Refuge lands are closed to horses porous asphalt on the path in order to and motorized vehicles. Dogs are not allow rainwater to flow right through allowed (except for certified Service the path instead of running off onto animals). There are no picnic areas adjacent surfaces. The or campsites on the refuge. Bicycles Red-winged reduction in stormwater are allowed on WAYS and ROADS blackbird runoff along this mile-long ONLY, not any of the trails. path is one of the new “green” actions we have taken to reduce Parking is available off Hudson our ecological footprint on the Road in Sudbury, White Pond Road refuge. in Stow, and Old Marlborough Road in Maynard. Please be aware that Assabet River NWR is vehicles operated by U.S. Fish and one of eight refuges Wildlife Service staff, volunteers and within the Eastern contractors, may be operating on Massachusetts refuge roads and trails. NWR Complex, Legend Fishing Area (catch and release) MAYNARD Parking Assabet River VC Visitor Center National Wildlife Restrooms 62 Secondary Route White Pond Road62 Refuge 117 Road/Way (bikes allowed*) Elizabeth Brook Trails (No bikes) STOW 27 Closed Area Abandoned Railroad 117 18 Trail Intersections Assabet River 8 *Portions of roads are Track Road 7 Taylor Brook paved and unpaved

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o o r ey t ll R A 22 a r d te P Kingfisher t Voss on il 23 O 10 P ra Trail Pond ite T h ee W h Puffer Pond Trail w Sudbury Road o 6 T 19 WinterberryWay 24 Lake Pine Garden 11 Cuttings Patrol Road Pond Boon 5 Trail Tri-town Trail25 18 12 Petapawag VC 4 Hill Carbary’s 17 Trail 27 Trail 13 Trail 3 Sandbank 14 T Trail illis Pond 26 15 WinterberryWay S W 16 E Tebassa Powerline R HUDSON Trail 2 FO 1 Trail SU E DBU AT State Road RY ST Hudson Road Fairbank Road

White Pond Road White Pond S-1 Concord Road Fisher Loop N SUDBURY- Fisher Loop MARLBOROUGH Sweet Fern STATE FOREST Trail S-4 Pratt's Mill Pond MARLBOROUGH S-2 S-5 DESERT CONSERVATION S-3 TOWN OF 0 1 Mile LAND her Loop Mink Link is SUDBURY F HOP BROOK SUDBURY VALLEY TRUSTEES: MARSH SUDBURY SUDBURY- MEMORIAL FOREST MARLBOROUGH STATE

FOREST Hop Brook

Candings Mill Pond 20 We are a “Leave No Trace” pack To enjoy the From Hudson Road entrance: enter it in, pack it out refuge. Please scenery some onto Petapawag Trail and follow help us keep the refuge clean by suggested walks to Towhee Trail. Take a right onto bringing home your trash. are: Towhee Trail, follow to the end and turn right onto Harry’s Way. Follow a A total of 15 miles of trails and short distance and turn right onto Tri- roads are open for wildlife- Town Trail and follow back to parking dependent public use at the area. This is approximately 3.5 miles. refuge. To help you plan From White Pond Road entrance: this and future visits to the Start on White Pond Road and take a refuge, please consider the left onto Harry’s Way. Follow Harry’s Pine following trail lengths: Way for approximately 1.5 miles and warbler then turn right onto Pine Garden North Section Trail. Pine Garden Trail will merge Carbary’s Trail 0.1 miles into Tri-Town Trail. Follow for a ways Harry’s Way 1.8 miles and turn right onto Powerline Trail. Hill Trail 0.4 miles Shortly, turn right onto Petapawag Kingfisher Trail 0.1 miles Trail and follow to the end until it Otter Alley 0.3 miles joins White Pond Road. Turn right Patrol Road 0.8 miles onto White Pond Road and follow Petapawag Trail 0.9 miles White-tailed back to parking area. This walk is Pine Garden Trail 0.3 miles fawn approximately 4.3 miles. Powerline Trail 0.2 miles Puffer Pond Trail 0.4 miles The large wetland complex and the Sandbank Trail 0.1 miles contiguous forested areas found here Taylor Way 1.8 miles today are important feeding and Tebassa Trail 0.1 miles breeding areas for migratory birds. Towhee Trail 1.0 miles We ask that you help conserve this Tri-Town Trail 1.2 miles unique natural habitat and minimize White Pond Rd 1.5 miles disturbance to wildlife by staying on Winterberry Way 1.5 miles designated trails.

South Section Have a safe and enjoyable visit to Fisher Loop 2.3 miles the refuge! Mink Link 0.1 miles Sweet Fern Trail 0.3 miles

Eastern cottontail Monarch butterfly