Pepperell Trail Guide Nashoba Conservation Trust and the Pepperell Conservation Commission Copyright © 2020 Nashoba Conservation Trust, Inc. All rights reserved For information about permission to reproduce sections of this book email [email protected] i Conservation Land Rules and Regulations Introduction For the enjoyment of all and the protection of wildlife and natural habitats, please adhere to these rules and regulations: • No motorized vehicles, except in designated areas. The Pepperell Trail Guide describes fifteen conservation areas and almost 20 miles of • No dumping and no littering. trails. The conservation land described in the Guide is open to the public for walking, bik- • No fires without written permission of NCT or the Conservation Commission. ing, horseback riding and other activities, except as indicated. Importantly, these pro- • No overnight camping without written permission of NCT or the Conservation Commis- tected open spaces also provide vital habitat for a wide variety of flora and fauna, including sion. several listed as rare and endangered species. • No cutting, breaking, removing, defacing, defiling, ill-using, or possessing any structure, fence, or sign, or parts of them. Using the Guide • No cutting, breaking, removing, defacing, or possessing dead or growing trees, bushes, For each conservation parcel included in the Guide, the following information is provided: plants, flowers, or other matter living or non-living. However, picking ripe fruit such as cranberries, blueberries, huckleberries, or apples for personal use is allowed. • Land protection history • No constructing dams or other structures, including, but not limited to, lean-tos, • Trail names and associated description(s) bridges, towers, or handrails. • Trail mileage(s) • No digging and no use of metal detectors. • Directions to the parcel and parking areas • No harassing wildlife. • GPS coordinates for the parking area, as well as a hyperlink to Google Maps • No alcoholic beverages. • A map of the parcel with trail, parking and other reference points marked • No engaging in business, selling or exposing for sale, or giving away any goods, wares or Many parcels have an abundance of trails to explore. This guide describes only one, or at circulars. most a few, of the trails within each parcel. For a complete list and description of Town of Pepperell Conservation Land rules and regu- Parcel boundaries are only approximate; they do not represent surveyed or GIS derived lations please visit the Town website https://town.pepperell.ma.us locations. Individuals entering NCT properties do so at their own risk. Map parcel colors: • Light green designates the parcel area being described Hunting • Brown designates NCT, Conservation Commission or other Town parcels described else- Hunting is permitted on NCT properties, except where posted. All Pepperell Conservation where in the Guide Commission properties are open for hunting with the exception of: • Dark green designates Fisheries and Wildlife parcels • Keyes Parker Conservation Areas on Oak Hill Street • White designates private property, except as otherwise noted Nissitissit Meadows Conservation Area on Prescott Street Trail markings and colors: • A number of trails in Pepperell now have markers, which correspond to trails in the Guide, • The Heald Street Orchard on Heald Street is open for archery hunting with a special per- as follows: mit available from the Conservation Commission. The Jeff Smith Trail, a seven-mile trail that crosses multiple parcels, is marked with • Tree stands are permitted. On NCT parcels usage must comply with NCT and MA F&W blue-paint hashes on trees. The Guide maps show the Jeff Smith trail in blue dots along regulations. Please see the NCT website for details. On town parcels, the Town of Pepper- with the trail name. ell Conservation Commission requires compliance with MA F&W hunting regulations for • The Keyes Farm, Town Forest, Bemis, Pepperell Springs, Heald Pond, Keyes Parker and tree stand usage. Linkel parcels have one or more trails marked with red, blue or gold T.O.P. markers. The Guide maps show the trails in the designated color of the T.O.P. markers and the Acknowledgements associated trail name. The Nashoba Conservation Trust Board of Directors and the Pepperell Conservation Com- • The Mt. Lebanon trails are marked with wood signs. The Guide map shows the trail names. mission wish to thank the Bruce J. Anderson Foundation and the Norcross Wildlife Foun- dation for providing funding for the Guide. We also thank Jason Stanton, Carlin Andrus and Gail Coffey for their contributions to the Guide's maps and content. ii www.nashobatrust.org Pepperell Trail Guide https.town.pepperell.ma.us/trails Bemis Road Day Woods Stewart Brook This map depicts the open Nissitissit Meadows space parcels included in Gulf Brook the Trail Guide, as well as Pepperell Keyes Parker the approximate location Springs of trail heads. Heald Pond Click on any parcel name Heald Orchard in the map to link to the associated property de- scription, trail map and Jeff Smith directions. Trail Head Keyes Farm Linkel Mt. Lebanon Woods TOP Canoe/Kayak- Westside Trail Town Forest Walent - Westside Trail Nashua River Trail NCT History In 1969, a group of dedicated, like-minded individuals shared a common vision - the need to protect Pepperell’s rural character and its natural resources - and to- gether formed the Nashoba Conservation Trust (NCT). NCT’s founders included George T. Keyes and Erik Stromsted, who both have conservation lands bearing their names, along with Mary L. Haueisen, George Hayes, Paul Dishong, Robert Smith, Nancy Powell, Judith Holloway, and Carolyn South. Nashoba Conservation Trust’s first protected property, a 7.5 acre parcel on Gulf Brook, was donated by Mary L. Haueisen, one of NCT’s founding members. Mary’s donation laid the foundation of Pepperell’s land conservation movement, and was the keystone to the protection of the Gulf Brook watershed, stretching from dirt Jewett Street to the NH state line. The Gulf Brook watershed is a primary water source of Pepperell’s drinking water supply, and is a tributary to the Nissitissit River, a cold water fishery and a Natural Heritage Priority Habitat for five listed species. As current stewards of the land, the NCT board is forever appreciative of the Trust’s founding members who had the foresight to recognize the value of preserv- ing our open spaces. Today, NCT’s ability to steward of over 400 acres of open space, and to acquire and protect new land, is made possible through the support of our community. Your contributions help NCT fulfill its mission to protect natural habitats, provide rec- reational green-space for the public and preserve Pepperell's rural character. To donate to NCT please visit www.nashobatrust.org. iv www.nashobatrust.org 1. Mt. Lebanon https.town.pepperell.ma.us/trails The Mt. Lebanon Property offers many places to observe wetland birds, painted tur- tles and small animals. A trail loops around 54 acres of woodlands and wetlands. En- Feet N joy the tranquility of the small farm pond or explore a large maple swamp adjacent to 0 1,000 the trail. Green Herons, painted turtles, minks, and other wildlife can be seen in the swamp. The rich soils on the property support large sugar maples and shagbark hicko- ries. This is a place to slow down and fully enjoy the natural world. Land Protection History Erik Stromsted, one of the original founders of Nashoba Conservation Trust, donated No 54 acres on Mt. Lebanon Street to the Trust over a 24-year period. Erik donated the rth Tra first parcel of 17.5 acres in 1973 and a final 2 acres in 1997. Erik planned to develop a il small portion of his property and donated the land surrounding his house and a sub- division to ensure that most of the forest and wetlands in the area were conserved and enjoyed by the public. M o u n t L Trail Description e b a The West Trail begins on Mt. Lebanon Street near the NCT sign. It loops around the n o n base of Mt. Lebanon and winds through a forest of oaks, sugar maples and hickories. S t W r e e e It passes a large wetland offering views of herons, turtles and many songbirds. The s t t T trail continues past the wetland to an intersection with Birch Hill Drive. Turn right up r a i the road and then left through a grassy area that follows Mt. Lebanon St. back to the l trailhead. t e Trail Mileage e r West Trail t S The West Trail is 1.2 miles; the North Trail loop is .38 miles. d e e R Directions From Pepperell Town Hall take Route 113 west for 1.5 miles to the second left onto Mt. e iv r D l Lebanon Street. Go approximately 2 miles to where Reed Street intersects Mt. Leba- il H h non and take a sharp left. Look for NCT sign on left. Park along the road. The trail be- c ir gins about 50 ft. to right of sign. The GPS coordinates for the parking area are: Lati- B tude 42.648077; Longitude -71.610309 Moun t Le ba no n S tr e e t www.nashobatrust.org 2. Keyes Farm https.town.pepperell.ma.us/trails Keyes Farm offers a diversity of forest, field and wetland habi- tats and a great network of trails to enjoy. Woodlands, riparian areas, and fields create rich habitat for a variety of wildlife. The farmland provides a spectacular scenic approach to the town center from the south and important agricultural land for the community. It abuts the 90-acre Town Forest and another 40 acres of town conservation land on Elm Street making it ideal for longer hikes.