Miles and miles of trails offer something for everyone
The Upper Charles Trail provides over six miles of paved trails with beautiful views, including this stretch passing Louisa Lake. Photo by Linda Chuss
By Linda Chuss
Trails are a treasure anyone can enjoy in Milford, Upton, and Mendon at no cost. They are like a free gym, relaxation program, and social setting in one, within minutes of home or work, and available from dawn to dusk. They provide an outdoor art show of wildflowers, a science museum exhibit of beaver constructions, and a concert featuring warblers and woodpeckers.
All trails can be used for walking and running, as long as ability and distance are considered. Many trails are also suitable for bikes, rollerblades and skateboards, wheelchairs, and child strollers. Some permit horseback riding.
Great blue herons with their chicks in nests can be spotted at Upton State Forest. Photo by Linda Chuss
An easy way to get started is with a guided group walk or an experience trail user. Wear sturdy shoes, bring water and a phone, and have a trail map or trail app. Take any trash with you and check for ticks afterward.
Milford’s most popular trail is the Upper Charles Trail, a 6.5-mile paved path starting at the Route 85-Hopkinton border and continuing past Louisa Lake and Fino Field, then spurring east towards Holliston.
Just east of the Hopkinton end of the trail are miles of wooded paths for walking and mountain biking, including challenging routes maintained by the New England Mountain Bike Association. At the Holliston end, the trail continues with a stone dust surface past farmlands and streams.
Upton boasts its namesake State Forest – 2700 acres and miles of trails. Some are gravel and others wooded, with a mix of relatively flat and steeper options. Spring brings sites like nesting great blue herons feeding their chicks, and elusive lady slippers dotting the hillsides.
A meadow full of butterflies and a gorgeous spot for sunsets are highlights at Upton’s Peppercorn Hill. Paths there lead to Lake Maspenock where eagles are known to circle overhead.
History-laced trails in Mendon’s 350-year-old Town Forest provide opportunities to see mill buildings and foundations from old homes. Picturesque stone walls remain from earlier sheep-herding days, along with signs of granite quarrying from the early 1800’s. These trails invite users to consider life in premodern times.
To encourage exploration, Mendon recently introduced a Hike Challenge with nine routes mapped out, providing a broad sampling of the town’s trails. Details can be found at bit.ly/MendonHikeChallenge.
