Thompson Family Preserve LbNA #77358
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Add Location| Owner: | SallytheSalamander
 |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Not specified |
| Location: | Eastford Rd, Southbridge, MA Thompson Family Preserve |
| City: | Southbridge |
| County: | Worcester |
| State: | Massachusetts |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Found by: | Not yet found! |
|---|---|
| Last found: | N/A |
| Last edited: | May 5, 2025 |
Walk past the Thompson Family Preserve sign and towards the small kiosk in the front field, then turn left at the arrow to follow the stream south.
Shortly after, you will arrive at a bridge to cross the stream! In the spring you may see yellow marsh marigold flowers blooming in or along the stream, and come back in August to see cardinal flowers blooming red along this very stream!
Enter into the woods and follow the Yellow/White trail markers. You are now entering a red maple birch swamp forest type with black birch and red maple trees. There will be some wet areas you will need to navigate in the spring.
Soon the trail will start to dry out and veer towards the left, with some steady uphill walking. Notice at the edge of the hill that the trees going up change to white pines! You are now entering a dry upland forest with white pines, red oak, and soon plentiful mountain laurel – an evergreen shrub with broad flat leaves. If you return in June, they will be in magnificent full bloom in the upland loop trail here!
Continue following the trail uphill, there are two downed trees – one you can easily walk around and one you will need to step over. You will then come to a multi-tree blow-down. STOP! Don’t follow the tempting cart path before you. Turn to your right, look uphill. See the stone wall up there? Head up to the stone wall. Stone walls are very common on the New England landscape, and tell a story about how this forest was once a pasture over 150 years ago, now returned back to forest.
Once you reach the stone wall you will see to your left that it comes to a corner. Walk to the corner of the stone wall, at this point you will be at the top of the multi-tree blow-down, and look left to relocate the trail again. Follow the trail as it winds for about 200 ft, until the trail splits. Take the left hand turn of the trail.
You will walk through a patch of mountain laurel, you are following a different old cart path. You will soon see a significant stone wall, and the trail will take a sharp right to follow the stone wall that will lead you to the beaver pond. This section of the trail is steep, so please be careful, take your time, and the stone wall will be along your left as you walk.
You will soon see water – the beaver pond! And the trail will go directly up to the beaver pond and turn a sharp right. You may see or hear Wood Ducks, Mallards, and Great Blue Herons in the pond. On a warm sunny day, you will see turtles sunbathing on the fallen logs in the pond too! Continue following the trail along the water, it will again take a sharp left.
After the sharp left, Keep an eye out for some large boulders that go right up to the water’s edge, almost forming a rocky forested pennensula. You will walk up a short steep spot, and there you will be able to access the boulders on your left. Search around the boulders, you will find the letterbox hidden in there!
Carefully remove the letterbox, add the stamp from the letterbox to your logbook and re-hide the box, so that it isn’t visible unless you know where to look.
After stamping, you can continue along the trail for a longer loop walk of a little over a mile long. You can also choose to turn around and return the way you came for a shorter walk.
Shortly after, you will arrive at a bridge to cross the stream! In the spring you may see yellow marsh marigold flowers blooming in or along the stream, and come back in August to see cardinal flowers blooming red along this very stream!
Enter into the woods and follow the Yellow/White trail markers. You are now entering a red maple birch swamp forest type with black birch and red maple trees. There will be some wet areas you will need to navigate in the spring.
Soon the trail will start to dry out and veer towards the left, with some steady uphill walking. Notice at the edge of the hill that the trees going up change to white pines! You are now entering a dry upland forest with white pines, red oak, and soon plentiful mountain laurel – an evergreen shrub with broad flat leaves. If you return in June, they will be in magnificent full bloom in the upland loop trail here!
Continue following the trail uphill, there are two downed trees – one you can easily walk around and one you will need to step over. You will then come to a multi-tree blow-down. STOP! Don’t follow the tempting cart path before you. Turn to your right, look uphill. See the stone wall up there? Head up to the stone wall. Stone walls are very common on the New England landscape, and tell a story about how this forest was once a pasture over 150 years ago, now returned back to forest.
Once you reach the stone wall you will see to your left that it comes to a corner. Walk to the corner of the stone wall, at this point you will be at the top of the multi-tree blow-down, and look left to relocate the trail again. Follow the trail as it winds for about 200 ft, until the trail splits. Take the left hand turn of the trail.
You will walk through a patch of mountain laurel, you are following a different old cart path. You will soon see a significant stone wall, and the trail will take a sharp right to follow the stone wall that will lead you to the beaver pond. This section of the trail is steep, so please be careful, take your time, and the stone wall will be along your left as you walk.
You will soon see water – the beaver pond! And the trail will go directly up to the beaver pond and turn a sharp right. You may see or hear Wood Ducks, Mallards, and Great Blue Herons in the pond. On a warm sunny day, you will see turtles sunbathing on the fallen logs in the pond too! Continue following the trail along the water, it will again take a sharp left.
After the sharp left, Keep an eye out for some large boulders that go right up to the water’s edge, almost forming a rocky forested pennensula. You will walk up a short steep spot, and there you will be able to access the boulders on your left. Search around the boulders, you will find the letterbox hidden in there!
Carefully remove the letterbox, add the stamp from the letterbox to your logbook and re-hide the box, so that it isn’t visible unless you know where to look.
After stamping, you can continue along the trail for a longer loop walk of a little over a mile long. You can also choose to turn around and return the way you came for a shorter walk.