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Open Space for Walking in Dover
Dover Land Conservation Trust (DLCT) Walking Areas
| Property | Location/Parking | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bartlett Pines | Claybrook Road | 21 acres, with open walking access. Explore the trails across boardwalks at the end of Trout Brook. |
| The Donnelly Property | Hunt Drive | 20 acres, with open walking access. Connects into Dover Wylde Woods trail network as well as a trail on a right of way to Miller Hill Road. |
| The Gregg Property | Haven Terrace | 42 acres, with open walking access |
| The Reidy Property | Annie King Lane | 8 acres, with open walking access |
| Snow Hill | Pine Street, about a mile south of Centre Street | 138 acres, with open walking access The access road off Pine Street is marked "Ralph McAllister Fire Tower" on the right side of Pine Street. Trails connect with the Town of Dover's Snow Hill (60 acres) to make a lengthy network. |
| Springdale Field | Springdale Avenue at Farm Street | 23 acres, field with open walking access |
New England Forestry Foundation (NEFF) Walking Areas
| Property | Location/Parking | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mumford Wildlife Forest | Sassamon Road South Natick Trail System begins at the end of road. | 33 acres, trails can be wet. Surrounded by stone walls, this hardwood forest has a system of trails that are connected to those in the Trustees Pegan Hill Reservation. The Charles River Link Trail passes through. |
Town of Dover - Conservation Commission Walking Areas
| Property | Location/Parking | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Charles River Boat Landing | Bridge Street at the Charles | Put in for canoes, kayaks and other small boats with limited parking |
| Larrabee - Whiting Estate | Strawberry Hill Street Parking limited | 67 acres with trails that connect with Noanet Woodlands (The Trustees of Reservations) and Hale Reservation |
| Snow Hill (Harvey, French, and Koch Lands) | Turn off at Snow’s Hill Lane by Centre Street (about 3 cars) | 98 acres with trails connecting to those in DLCT’s Snow Hill reservation (138 acres). Trails climb Snow Hill to the fire tower site and pass an old hemlock, possibly the oldest tree in Dover. Trail starts on the left side of Snow Hill Lane, part way up the sidewalk. |
| Wylde Woods (Centre Street Corridor - Channing, Gibbons, Rice, and Wilde Lands | Turn off between Number 105 and Number 107 Centre Street (about 3 cars) | 200 acres with an extensive network of marked walking trails. Bicycling is not permitted. Cross-Country skiing is available in the winter. Marked walking trails with beautiful beech stands, erratic and vernal pools. Trails connect to DLCT Stone gift and Donnelly land as well as across Centre St at Snow’s Hill Lane, with Snowy Hill. |
Town of Dover - Park and Recreation Commission Walking Areas
| Property | Location/Parking | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Caryl Park | 107 Dedham Street The Caryl Park parking area is located to the right of the tennis courts, while the Caryl Playfield parking area entrance is adjacent to Park Street. | 83 acre parcel of land donated to the Town of Dover by George E. Chickering in 1917, and designated to Dover residents as a Public Park forever, and to be used for Recreational use. The Caryl Park property borders Noanet Woodlands, which is owned by the Trustees of Reservations. |
| Channing Pond | Springdale Avenue | Channing Pond visitors can enjoy fishing, hiking and picnic tables during the warmer seasons. During the winter months, the pond is available for ice skating once Parks and Recreation has ensured adequate ice depth. Visit the Winter Ice Depth Updates Page, for detailed outdoor skating updates including ice surface status, hours of permitted use, pond lights schedule and pond information. |
| Riverside Boat Landing | End of Riverside Drive, off Claybrook Road | Current Dover Residents may purchase a sticker from Dover Parks and Recreation to use the launch. Visit the Riverside Boat Landing Page for more information. |
The Trustees of Reservations (TTOR) Walking Areas
| Property | Location/Parking | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Chase Woodlands | Parking Lot on Farm Street near Glen Street (strict 4 car limit- no on-street parking) | 85 acres, 2.5 miles of easy walking trails, including a trail extension links to Peters Reservation via a road crossing on Farm Street. The regional Charles River Link Trail passes through, as well. Follow meandering trails through a forest of pine, beech, and hemlock and enjoy what was once a family's cherished preserve. Discover more at the Chase Woodlands website. |
| Noanet Woodlands | Dedham Street | 595 acres, 17 miles of moderate hiking trails - strenuous in places. Follow a network of trails across a grand preserve that features woodlands and ponds, a former mill site, and Noanet Peak, offering views of the Boston skyline. Trails connect to Larrabee Estate (67 acres, Town of Dover) and Hale Reservation (1,200 acres). For more information, visit the Noanet Woodlands website. |
| Pegan Hill | Pegan Lane, South Natick- Off Pleasant Street, not Farm or Main streets (11 cars) | 48 acres, 2-3 miles of moderate walking trails. Steepish climb up the wooded ridge to fields with a spectacular view of Mt. Wachusett to the west and even Mt. Monadnock (NH) to the north. From the adjoining DLCT Lewis Hill, look south on to Dover Snow Hill and Blue Hill in Canton. Loop around to explore the wooded wetland of Mumford Wildlife. Once the ancestral home of local Native Americans and later a Colonial-era Farscape, this ridgeline is a thickly wooded habitat laced by remnant stone walls. Get more information on the Pegan Hill website. |
| Peters Reservation | Parking lot on Farm Street near Glen Street. Strict 4 car limit - no on-street parking | 97 acres, 2.5 miles of trails A delightful paddling destination, this riverside retreat features a mix of natural flora, designed landscape and plantings. The trails and some understory plantings here were laid out by leading landscape architect Fletcher Steele. Get more information at the Peters Reservation website. |
| Powisset Farm | 39 Powisset Street Park immediately on your right along the side of the barn No Dogs Allowed - this is a working farm | 109 acres with an easy loop trail, less than a mile long extends beyond the farmstead past woodlands and wetlands before returning to the barnyard. A trail spurs lead into adjacent 1,200-acre Hale Reservation and Noanet Woodlands (595 acres) as well as Town of Dover (33 acres). Revived as the site of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and farmstand, this farm features a trail that explores woodlands, fields, and wetlands. |
Other Open Spaces
| Property | Location/Parking | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles River Link Trail Connector to the Bay Circuit Trail | Enters Dover from Needham at the Charles River Bridge and joins the Bay Circuit Trail at Hospital Road, Medfield | The Charles River Link Trail is a 16-mile regional trail along one of the most scenic parts of the Charles River. It provides a connection between the Bay Circuit Trail in Medfield and Newton. This diverse and spectacular suburban trail, opened in June of 2009, connects 24 open space jewels in 6 towns: | |
| Dover Medfield Natick | Needham Newton Wellesley | ||
| Highland Cemetery | Centre Street in the Town Center | The cemetery is open for walking but under their rules and regulations. Please check the Cemetery web page for more information. | |
| Elm Bank Reservation | Driveway to parking at 900 Washington Street (Route 16) in Wellesley. | Owned and managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). The 182 acres of woodlands, fields, and old estate property is surrounded on three sides by the Charles River. The reservation is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its many elements of estate landscaping. A variety of wildlife, including deer, thrive in the upland habitats and along the river. The Massachusetts Horticulture Society leases an area of Elm Bank Reservation for their headquarters. There is a canoe/kayak landing (PDF). | |
| Hale Reservation | 80 Carby Street, Westwood, MA 02090 Parking available | Over 1,200 acres overall with 663 acres in Dover, including an 11 acre solar array and 575 in Westwood, that abut Noanet Woodlands (595 acres). An extensive trail network interconnects with Noanet Woodlands (621 acres) and the Larrabee Estate (67 acres, Town of Dover). Offers many swimming, camp, educational and other opportunities for families and children. | |
| Medfield State Forest | Dover-Sherborn Regional Middle and High School Campus | Medfield State Forest is 122 acres in Dover, with trails from the back of the Regional High School fields that lead down to and along the Charles River Link Trail ....to the narrows. Managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). | |