This 70-acre property includes woodlands and open fields, a pond, and frontage on Sucker Brook. There are two great hills

for sledding in the winter. A walking trail leads around the perimeter of the property leading you through diverse forest and

wetland habitats. Fox, weasels, kestrels, herons, bluebirds, and many songbirds can be seen in the wetland areas and fields.

Land Protection History

The 50-acre Keyes property was purchased from Nashoba Valley Hunt Club with funding from the state in 1985. As part of

the sales agreement, the kennel and one acre of land were leased to the Hunt Club for 20 years. At the end of the lease,

the conservation commission removed the old building and expanded the field habitat, which is managed for nesting birds.

In 2012, Richard Parker donated 19.8 acres of his land abutting

the Keyes property to the Conservation Commission. The land

includes a moist hemlock forest and frontage on Sucker Brook

which helps further protect the brook watershed. It joins with

protected land to the south to form a corridor of protected open space that begins on Oak Hill Street and continues to the state’s Wildlife Management Area on Brookline Street.

Trail Description

This description is for the Red Trail, which forms a loop from/ to the parking area and is marked with red T.O.P. trail markers.

Head north, pass through the steel gate and follow the dirt path toward the pond. The trail continues along the pond and at .11 miles heads uphill into a pine and hemlock forest. At .36 miles the trail enters a field. Turn right and follow the field perimeter along the edge of the woods. The trail then follows a cart path through a smaller woodland and at .60 miles opens to the larger field adjacent to parking area. Turn right and follow the field perimeter down to the parking area. Please take note: the fields are managed for ground nesting birds in Spring and Summer. Please stay to the mowed paths along the field perimeter, as indicated.

Trail Mileage

From the parking area the Red Trail is .72 miles in length.

Directions

From Pepperell Town Hall, follow Park St. north about 1 mile. Bear left onto Oak Hill St and after .5 mile. turn right on dirt driveway and follow road to parking lot on right side of the drive

after crossing Sucker Brook. The GPS coordinates for the parking area are: Latitude 42.68403; Longitude -71.60928.