Above: The Southborough Trails Committee announced a reconstructed connector to get hikers off the roads and onto trails with “stunning views”. (images cropped from Facebook)
The Trails Committee shared some welcome news with me. This summer, volunteers and agencies worked together to successfully reconstruct the connection between two trails. Chair Katherine McKee asked me to share their news with readers:
McKee pointed me to a link for the Trail Map here and a Facebook post that included the following description:
The Trails Committee is pleased to announce the completion of a new section of trail in Southborough: Bay Circuit/Boroughs Loop Connector Trail. This wooded trail (1.4 miles roundtrip) can be accessed at the intersection of Clemmons and Nichols Street where there is parking for a few cars. The trail is located near the Sudbury Dam Historic District and includes stunning views of the reservoir, Fayville Dam, and Stony Brook.
Photos shared with the post confirm that some of those views really are “stunning”. (Click to enlarge)
Since the photos are from late August/early September, they didn’t capture the colorful fall foliage that’s popped up around town. So, you may want to head to the trails yourself soon to catch that. You can open the map here.
Details on the website include:
This connecting trail joins two existing regional Bay Circuit / Boroughs Loop Trail segments, eliminating the need to walk along Pleasant Street, Pine Hill Road, and Clemmons Street. . .
No motorized vehicles or dog walking permitted. Pet waste poses a serious threat to water quality. Thank you for doing your part to keep our water clean.
The Committee thanked the many participants who worked on the project:
With the help of the Bay Circuit Trail Work Group, Committee and Community volunteers, and with the cooperation of MWRA, MA DCR, Southborough Recreation, Southborough Conservation, and Framingham Parks & Recreation, the Committee completed the reconstruction of this .7 miles section of trail in August 2020. . . .
The Committee appreciates all the volunteers and partnering organizations who helped to make this trail possible. A special thanks to the former Trails Committee members for their vision and efforts putting the permit in place and laying the groundwork for this trail to be built.
More Facebook photos show it wasn’t an easy effort. Here are a few examples of the physical labor involved:
You can find more trail maps and information on both the Bay Circuit Trail and the Boroughs Loop trail here.
The Trails Committee also shared news of other work done this summer including the installation of special disposal bins for fishing lines near popular fishing spots on trails and enhanced trailhead kiosks and trailblazing markers. (Images below are from Facebook posts.)
For the first item, the committee posted an important reminder to the public:
The Committee is happy to share that the monofilament fishing line recycling receptacles have been installed at three locations: Rt.30/Framingham Road, Rt.85, and Middle Road.
Did you know? Fishing line can entangle and kill wildlife; it is not biodegradable and can remain in the environment for over 600 years! Let’s do our part and keep our water and landfills free of this debris.
Thanks to the Choate Fund Trustees Grant who funded the project, to DPW for allowing the use of an existing post and for their support, and to DCR for allowing the use of existing posts for the receptacle installation. A special thanks to BoatUS Foundation for providing free labels!
You can read more details on the other projects here.
Since Fay School opened for business this Fall there have been several days when at least a dozen cars are parked across the trail next to the reservoir by the athletic fields Parkerville Road.
Considering Fay School posted their property during the Summer to remind hikers to stick to the trail, this parking activity seems to be adding insult to injury! Stay off our property and we’ll block your access to the trail?
What’s wrong with this picture?
DCR and/or the Town should add more signs like the one noted above, which appears on the gate to the reservoir access near Parkerville.
Thank you for letting people know about the trail. I wish to remind people who may use this trail that there is a potential parking hazard in this area. People who park right at the intersection of Clemmons and Nichols create this potential hazard. The intersection is a 90 degree right blind turn, I.e. drivers cannot see people coming from the other direction. If you park right at the intersection and on the asphalt, you force drivers into the same lane. Although I know of no accidents yet, It would be smarter for all if people parked away from the intersection to avoid any potential hazard. Thank you.
A big thank you to all the people who worked on this project, especially since it was such a hot summer. We are lucky to have so many trail options for taking a walk in our town.