Above: The guided walk on Saturday will cover both paved paths and rougher terrain as hikers view and learn about the history of the Sudbury Reservoir and Fayville Dam. The walk will take place on the Town trail that overlaps the Boroughs Loop and Aqueduct Trails. (images cropped from event page)
The Southborough Trails Committee asked me to help them promote a free “guided history hike” in town this weekend.
The “Southborough History Hike on Peninsula Trail” is offered in partnership with Mass DCR (Dept of Conservation & Recreation).
The hike will take place this Saturday. Participants are asked to signup, then meetup at 9:45 am on October 3rd for a walk that will begin at 10:00 am. The committee promotes the hike as suitable for all ages and all-terrain strollers. But it won’t welcome dogs:
Although we adore our four-legged friends, dogs are not permitted on DCR watershed property. The reservoir serves as a backup drinking-water supply, and these restrictions help protect the water supply from pollutants.
[Editor’s Note: If you’re disappointed about leaving Rover at home, you might be interested in joining the “Shannon’s Path Dog Walk” on Sunday morning. Learn about that here.]
The event page explains that DCR Ranger Lieutenant Andy Leahy will lead the walk exploring:
the history of the Sudbury Reservoir and Sudbury Dam—locally known as the Fayville Dam. . .
Along the way, participants can view the trail’s newly installed interpretive signs and learn about the people who lived on this land before the reservoir was built, the construction of the reservoir and dam, and the importance of protecting wetlands and watersheds.
Hikers will also be invited to add an optional leg to the tour, related to Article 4 on the Warrant for the Special Town Meeting on October 17th. On the event website, the committee promotes:
Those interested may continue to the site of the proposed pedestrian bridge, which would connect the Peninsula Trail to the Bay Circuit Trail and reroute the trail away from a dangerous section of Route 30. Funding for the bridge will be considered through a warrant article at Fall Town Meeting, and visiting the site will provide a firsthand look at the proposed project.
As I previewed in a post earlier today, the Trails Committee is seeking Community Preservation Act funding for the next phase of the trail project. (You can read more here.)
The full hike, including the optional stop, will cover approx 3.2 miles and last about 2 to 2½ hours. But anyone who wants to turn back instead will be welcome to. (Guides may split off for someone to lead a group back while someone else to proceeds to the spot of the planned footbridge.)
Organizers will lead the hike even if there is light rain, “so please bring a rain jacket or umbrella if needed.” But it will be cancelled if the rain is too heavy or weather is dangerous. (As of writing this post, the forecast is actually for gorgeous weather in Southborough. Almost no chance of rain, mostly sunny, light breezes, and temps in the low to mid-60s)
Still the potential for forecast changes that force a cancellation is all the more reason to RSVP (here). Registered attendees will be notified in advance if they have to cancel. Plus, attendees need to sign a liability waiver.
The event page also includes more info on the Peninsula Trail and overlapping trails. Learn more here.
