2015 JULY CALENDAR
WACHUSETT MOUNTAIN STATE RESERVATION
Park Interpreter: Kim
Park Phone Number: 978-464-2987
Web: www.mass.gov/dcr
Visitor Center located at: 345 Mountain Road, Princeton, MA 01541
All programs are free and open to the public, reasonable accommodations available upon request. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Outdoor programs will not run (or may be held in the Visitor Center) if there is inclement weather. Minimum 2 attendees for programs to run.
Check program description for meeting location. . Call park for more information.
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
1
Thursday
2
Walk A Lot Here
BEGINNERS
6:00 – 8:00pm
5
6
7
Visitor Center Series
Wonders of Wachusett:
Old Growth Forest
10:00 – 10:45am
Wild!Life on the Mountain
11:00 – 11:45am
Balance Rock
1:00 – 1:45pm
Summit Stories
2:00 – 2:45pm
12
Visitor Center Series
Wonders of Wachusett:
Old Growth Forest
10:00 – 10:45am
Wild!Life on the Mountain
11:00 – 11:45am
Balance Rock
1:00 – 1:45pm
Summit Stories
2:00 – 2:45pm
8
Friday
3
4
KIDleidoscope
11:00am – 12:00pm
Talk About Rocks
10:00 – 11:00am
A View from the Top
1:00 – 1:45pm
Great Hill Detectives
2:00 – 2:45pm
Great Hill Detectives
2:00 – 3:00pm
9
Walk A Lot Here
BEGINNERS
6:00 – 8:00pm
Saturday
10
11
KIDleidoscope
11:00am – 12:00pm
The Forest Before Us
10:00 – 11:30am
Great Hill Detectives
2:00 – 3:00pm
A View from the Top
1:00 – 1:45pm
Great Hill Detectives
2:00 – 2:45pm
13
14
15
Walk A Lot Here
BEGINNERS
6:00 – 8:00pm
16
17
18
KIDleidoscope
11:00am – 12:00pm
Habitat Hike
10:00 – 11:30am
Great Hill Detectives
2:00 – 3:00pm
A View from the Top
1:00 – 1:45pm
Great Hill Detectives
2:00 – 2:45pm
19
20
21
Visitor Center Series
Wonders of Wachusett:
Old Growth Forest
10:00 – 10:45am
Wild!Life on the Mountain
11:00 – 11:45am
Balance Rock
1:00 – 1:45pm
Summit Stories
2:00 – 2:45pm
26
22
23
Walk A Lot Here
BEGINNERS
6:00 – 8:00pm
24
25
KIDleidoscope
11:00am – 12:00pm
The Forest Before Us
10:00 – 11:30am
Great Hill Detectives
2:00 – 3:00pm
A View from the Top
1:00 – 1:45pm
Great Hill Detectives
2:00 – 2:45pm
27
Visitor Center Series
Wonders of Wachusett:
Old Growth Forest
10:00 – 10:45am
Wild!Life on the Mountain
11:00 – 11:45am
Balance Rock
1:00 – 1:45pm
Summit Stories
2:00 – 2:45pm
28
29
Walk A Lot Here
BEGINNERS
6:00 – 8:00pm
30
31
KIDleidoscope
11:00am – 12:00pm
Great Hill Detectives
2:00 – 3:00pm
VISITOR CENTER AND SUMMIT PARKWAY
Visitor Center Hours The Visitor Center highlights the story of Wachusett Mountain through exhibits focused on
Opens daily at
8:00am
Closes at 6:00pm
Summit Parkway
natural history and features of the mountain. A limited number of Discovery Backpacks are
available to borrow while you visit the park. These contain fun and educational items to help
families with children discover nature while hiking. Inquire at the Information Desk when you
arrive. Guided tours are available for groups with advance notice.
The Visitor Center is wheelchair accessible. Free admission.
The road to top of the mountain is open daily (through late October) from 9:00am to sunset. There
is a $5.00 fee to access the road to the summit.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS
Walk A Lot Here:
Beginners
(A fitness hiking
program)
KIDleidoscope
(An indoor/ outdoor
activity)
The Forest Before Us
(A hiking program)
If you’re new to hiking or want to explore the different trails of Wachusett Mountain as part of a
guided group, this program may be for you! Guided by the Park Interpreter, the program
introduces beginners to the joy of hiking. A different route is explored each week, and some
hikes are more strenuous than others. You will have the chance to experience the challenge of
steep terrain and rocky trails or the ease of gentler slopes and unpaved roads, depending on our
route. Most routes involve walking over rocks and roots as well as going uphill, occasionally
steeply. Hikes are approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours and cover 2 to 4 miles, depending on terrain.
Wear comfortable clothes and sturdy shoes, and bring water. Bring insect repellent if you
choose. This program is for adults.
Meet at the Visitor Center. From the Visitor Center we will travel in our individual
vehicles to the trailhead for that day’s hike. Hike routes will vary. Call for information.
Join us at the Visitor Center for this fun, hands-on, outdoor experience for children 3 – 6 years
of age. Siblings are always welcome! You’ll hear a story, participate in an activity, and make a
craft to take home with you. This program is designed to help young children understand the
natural world around them. Parent/adult guardian must accompany all children.
Walk through a forest that’s filled with stories of survival, growth, and change. Understand the
strength of an old growth forest. Explore the wonders of one of the most unique natural areas in
Massachusetts, as you discover how the forest before us became what it is today. This loop hike
is approximately 2 miles and includes some steep, rocky terrain. Wear sturdy shoes/boots, and
bring water. This program is most appropriate for people age 8 to adult, and all children must be
accompanied by a parent/adult guardian. Meet at the front of the garage at the former
Superintendent’s House on Mountain Rd. (brown boarded house next to the parking area
for Echo Lake Rd.)
Habitat Hike
(A hiking program)
All living creatures occupy their own unique habitat. Discover the interconnected yet individual
habitats that many animals have found here at the mountain. Though we may not see the animals
themselves on our hike, we’ll have the opportunity to examine different habitat areas and to
understand how their behaviors and survival techniques help animals to make their homes here.
This 2-mile loop hike on trails and unpaved roads is moderately difficult and is appropriate for
ages 6 to adult. All children must be accompanied by a parent/adult guardian. Meet the Park
Interpreter at the parking area on Westminster Rd. in Princeton, at the junction of Stage
Coach and Administration Rd.
A View from the Top
(A walking program at
the summit)
There’s so much to see and hear on this easy 45-minute walk around the summit with the Park
Interpreter. We’ll take in beautiful panoramic views while we immerse ourselves in the cultural
history of “The Great Hill,” with stories about how the mountain shaped the past and continues
to shape the present and future. The walk includes some uneven and rocky terrain, as well as a
gradual incline on a paved surface. This program is appropriate for all ages. Parent/adult
guardian must accompany all children. The program is free, but there is a $5.00 fee to drive on
the auto road to the summit. Meet the Park Interpreter next to the summit pool for the tour.
Talk About Rocks
(A hiking program)
How do mountains change? Why is Wachusett so rocky? When you join the Park Interpreter for
this guided hike to Balance Rock, you’ll see a fascinating example of Wachusett Mountain’s
unique geology, and discover some fun and surprising information about the mountain’s natural
and social history. This roundtrip 1-mile hike ranges from easy to moderate and includes some
hilly and rocky sections. Wear sturdy shoes/boots, and bring water. This program is appropriate
for people ages 6 to adult. All children must be accompanied by a parent/adult guardian. Meet at
the Balance Rock Trail sign near parking aisle #5 in the Wachusett Mountain Ski Area
parking lot, 499 Mountain Road, Princeton.
Great Hill Detectives
(An outdoor discovery
program)
There are many mysterious objects to be discovered and investigated in this program for both
children and adults. As each participant opens a cloth-wrapped object, you’ll discover important
nature and history clues that reveal exciting stories about The Great Hill we all know as
Wachusett Mountain. On Fridays the program meets at the Visitor Center. On Saturdays
the program meets at the top of the mountain next to the fire tower. All children must be
accompanied by a parent/adult guardian. The program is free, but there is a $5.00 fee to drive on
the auto road to the summit.
The Sunday Visitor
Center Series:
On Sundays, join the Park Interpreter for our Visitor Center Series, Wonders of Wachusett.
Several different nature and history topics are explored every Sunday. All of the following talks
take place at the Visitor Center and are 30 to 45 minutes long.
Wonders of Wachusett Wonders of Wachusett: Old Growth Forest: We’ll talk about forest growth from meadow to
*Old Growth Forest
maturity, with a special focus on the unique old growth forests of Wachusett Mountain (Sundays
at 10:00am)
*Wild! Life on the
Mountain
Wonders of Wachusett: Wild! Life on the Mountain: Discover which animals live at
Wachusett Mountain State Reservation as we talk about habitats and animal behavior. (Sundays
at 11:00am)
*Balance Rock
*Summit Stories
Wonders of Wachusett: Balance Rock: Learn about the unique geological feature called
Balance Rock and what it reveals about the processes that have shaped Wachusett Mountain and
the forces that continue to change it. (Sundays at 1:00pm)
Wonders of Wachusett: Summit Stories: The summit of Wachusett Mountain has a rich
cultural history. Be surprised as you hear stories of the summit’s past and present. (Sundays at
2:00pm)