Location – GCT 27

137 acres of woodland of Old Dunstable Road, Access provided by Blood Road, and numerous trails connect with abutting conservation lands.

Hours

Trails are open dawn to dusk

History

Purchased in a bargain sale from Edward and Jean Mason by the Groton Land Foundation (formerly a land purchasing arm of the GCT) in 2002 as a conservation limited development project. The Groton Land Foundation partially recouped its expense with the sale of one house lot off of Old Dunstable Road. A 14-acre portion of the property extends into Dunstable.

In 2014, Groton Conservation Trust sold to the Massachusetts Department of Fisheries and Wildlife approximately one-half of the parcel, including the wetlands at the back and the piece that extends into Dunstable. This provided DFW a critical conservation corridor in northern MA.

Description

There were three homesites on the property, which was once called East Groton. Two substantial sites remain with including cellar holes and barn foundations.  An old meadow is intact including a well-set stone wall.  The property is transited by Blood Road, a former road. The parcel has two extensive wetlands as well as high uplands consisting of pine and oak forests. The back wetland, now on the Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife portion, was originally known as Tub Meadow. It is understood that parcel is of high habitat value including the only peat bog in Groton.

Town historian Joshua Vollmar recently gave a talk about Blood Road and the historic homes and farming in the area. He also led a Blood Road Walking Tour providing a critical history of the area.

In this video, Joshua explains why there is a freestanding chimney on the Mason Back 100.

Guidelines

The property serves as a sanctuary for plants and animals and contains a variety of important habitats.  Maintenance of these habitats and refuges is a critical goal.

A full range of non-motorized activities are allowed including:

Horse-back riding; Mountain biking; Hiking; Trail running; Snowshoeing; Nordic skiing; Nature study; and Photography.

Trail Maps