Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary
GOOD FOR: All Ages
RATING: (7)


Source:Outdoors with Kids Boston (AMC Books)
Address:293 Moose Hill Street, Sharon, MA
Hours:7 a.m. to 7 p.m. spring and summer; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. fall and winter; nature center: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends
Fee: Adults, $4; children ages 2–12, $3; Mass Audubon members, free
Contact:

[email protected]; 781-784-5691

Bathrooms: At the nature center
Water/Snacks: Water fountain near the bathrooms
Map:

Explore 25 miles of hiking trails and numerous habitats at Mass Audubon’s oldest sanctuary.

A downed tree at Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary gives young visitors a new vantage point.
Photo by: Kim Foley MacKinnon

Moose Hill has an embarrassment of riches for outdoors lovers. Do your kids want to look for frogs in a vernal pool? Check out the sugar shack? Snowshoe past an old barn and enormous maple trees? Climb the summit to the highest point (534 feet) on the property? Cross a swamp over a 700-foot-long boardwalk? Decisions, decisions. The good news is that whatever you decide, you won’t be disappointed. With almost 2,000 acres of protected space (when combined with the neighboring Trustees of Reservations property, Moose Hill Farm), the sanctuary offers a welcome habitat for all sorts of animals. Deer, foxes, and turtles as well as turkeys, owls, and any number of other birds can be found here. Inside the nature center, art exhibits rotate through a dedicated gallery.

Probably the most popular hiking trails are the 1-mile Billings Loop, which takes you by the sugar shack through fields and the forest; Vernal Pool Trail, which is an easy walk that starts right behind the nature center; and Summit Trail, which is a bit of a rigorous hike. The fire tower at the summit is usually locked, so prepare your kids for that likely possibility if they think they can climb up. You can also explore some of the Bay Circuit Trail, which passes through Moose Hill.

Remember: Ask at the nature center desk for advice on what trails to take. People there can tell you which ones offer the most sights depending on the season. Check out the art gallery and other exhibits while you’re there.

Plan B:

Moose Hill Farm (Trip 56), a Trustees of Reservations property, is just next door.

Where to Eat Nearby:

Take MA 27 back to Walpole, where you’ll find a number of restaurants and take-out spots near the intersection of MA 27 and Main Street.



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