Middlesex Fells Reservation
Encyclopedia
Middlesex Fells Reservation, often referred to simply as the Fells, is a Massachusetts
state park
located in Malden
, Medford
, Melrose
, Stoneham
, and Winchester
. The park is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
(DCR), and is part of the Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston
.
, running
, mountain biking
, rock climbing
and skiing
.
Features of the park include Fells Reservoir (water supply for the town of Winchester) and Spot Pond (used as a back-up reservoir by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
), two observation towers featuring scenic views of Boston and the surrounding area, and many vernal pools.
In the summer months, sailing
lessons and boat rentals are offered on Spot Pond.
Today the park surrounds two currently inactive reservoirs, Spot Pond and the Fells Reservoir, and the three (North, Middle, and South) active reservoirs supplying the town of Winchester. Spot Pond and the Fells Reservoir are part of the Wachusett water system
, one of six primary water systems that feed metropolitan Boston's waterworks
.
Trailheads are accessible from Interstate 93
at exits 33 and 34.
, Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
, in 1632. The reservation's land was once favored for timber, granite quarrying, and ice cultivation. The former mill village of "Haywardville" was located within the reservation. Many mills, including one that manufactured some of the first vulcanized rubber products, were located here. Remnants of some of the early mill works are still visible in the Spot Pond Archeological District
, located in the Virginia Woods section of the reservation.
The reservation was created in 1891 by the donation of "Virginia Wood" by Charles Eliot to The Trustees of Reservations
. In 1893 the state took the property over and began managing it as a state park.
Boston Regional Medical Center
was located within the Reservation along Woodland Road in Stoneham
, until it closed in February 1999 for financial reasons.
. The entire area surrounding Spot Pond to the east of I-93 is within the Middlesex Fells Reservoirs Historic District
, and the roadways in the park and on its borders are listed as the Middlesex Fells Reservation Parkways
. The park's visitor center on Woodland Road in Stoneham is in the historic John Bottume House
, which is not far from the 1906 Metropolitan District Commission Pumping House
. Historically important archaeological sites in the park are listed as part of the Spot Pond Archeological District
. Roadways connecting the park to other elements of the Metropolitan Park System are also listed; these include the Fells Connector Parkways, which connect the park to the Mystic River Reservation
in Winchester, and the Lynn Fells Parkway
, connecting the park to the Breakheart Reservation
in Saugus
.
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
state park
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
located in Malden
Malden, Massachusetts
Malden is a suburban city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 59,450 at the 2010 census. In 2009 Malden was ranked as the "Best Place to Raise Your Kids" in Massachusetts by Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine.-History:...
, Medford
Medford, Massachusetts
Medford is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States, on the Mystic River, five miles northwest of downtown Boston. In the 2010 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 56,173...
, Melrose
Melrose, Massachusetts
-Government:Robert J. Dolan is the mayor. Melrose is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by Paul Brodeur . Katherine Clark is the state senator for wards 1 through 5 and Thomas McGee is the state senator for wards 6 and 7. Melrose is part of the seventh Congressional...
, Stoneham
Stoneham, Massachusetts
Stoneham is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Its population was 21,437 at the 2010 census, down from 22,219 in 2000. The town is the birthplace of Olympic figure skating medalist Nancy Kerrigan and is the home of the Stone Zoo.- History :...
, and Winchester
Winchester, Massachusetts
Winchester is a town located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, eight miles north of Boston. With its agricultural roots having mostly disappeared, it is now an affluent suburb...
. The park is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Department of Conservation and Recreation (Massachusetts)
The Department of Conservation and Recreation is a state agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, situated in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It is best known for its parks and parkways. As of May 24, 2011 the Commissioner of the DCR is Edward M. Lambert, Jr...
(DCR), and is part of the Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston
Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston
The Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston is a system of reservations, parks, parkways and roads under the control of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation in and around Boston that has been in existence for over a century...
.
Description
The Middlesex Fells Reservation is a 2575 acres (10.4 km²) park principally used for walking, dog walking, hikingHiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, running
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
, mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
, rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
and skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
.
Features of the park include Fells Reservoir (water supply for the town of Winchester) and Spot Pond (used as a back-up reservoir by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority is a public authority in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that provides wholesale drinking water and sewage services to certain municipalities and industrial users in the state, primarily in the Boston area.The authority receives water from the Quabbin...
), two observation towers featuring scenic views of Boston and the surrounding area, and many vernal pools.
In the summer months, sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
lessons and boat rentals are offered on Spot Pond.
Today the park surrounds two currently inactive reservoirs, Spot Pond and the Fells Reservoir, and the three (North, Middle, and South) active reservoirs supplying the town of Winchester. Spot Pond and the Fells Reservoir are part of the Wachusett water system
Water supply network
A water supply system or water supply network is a system of engineered hydrologic and hydraulic components which provide water supply. A water supply system typically includes:# A drainage basin ;...
, one of six primary water systems that feed metropolitan Boston's waterworks
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority is a public authority in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that provides wholesale drinking water and sewage services to certain municipalities and industrial users in the state, primarily in the Boston area.The authority receives water from the Quabbin...
.
Trailheads are accessible from Interstate 93
Interstate 93
Interstate 93 is an Interstate Highway in the New England section of the United States. Its southern terminus is in Canton, Massachusetts, in the Boston metropolitan area, at Interstate 95; its northern terminus is near St. Johnsbury, Vermont, at Interstate 91...
at exits 33 and 34.
History
The area around Middlesex Fells was first explored by John WinthropJohn Winthrop
John Winthrop was a wealthy English Puritan lawyer, and one of the leading figures in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the first major settlement in New England after Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led the first large wave of migrants from England in 1630, and served as governor for 12 of...
, Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
, in 1632. The reservation's land was once favored for timber, granite quarrying, and ice cultivation. The former mill village of "Haywardville" was located within the reservation. Many mills, including one that manufactured some of the first vulcanized rubber products, were located here. Remnants of some of the early mill works are still visible in the Spot Pond Archeological District
Spot Pond Archeological District
Spot Pond Archeological District is a historic archaeological site in Stoneham, Massachusetts. It is located in the Virginia Woods section of the Middlesex Fells Reservation, a state park. The district encompasses sites principally on Spot Pond Brook that were early colonial mill sites...
, located in the Virginia Woods section of the reservation.
The reservation was created in 1891 by the donation of "Virginia Wood" by Charles Eliot to The Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees of Reservations is a non-profit land conservation and historic preservation organization dedicated to preserving natural and historical places in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is the oldest regional land trust in the world and has 100,000 dues-paying members...
. In 1893 the state took the property over and began managing it as a state park.
Boston Regional Medical Center
Boston Regional Medical Center
Boston Regional Medical Center was a 187-bed hospital located in Stoneham, Massachusetts...
was located within the Reservation along Woodland Road in Stoneham
Stoneham, Massachusetts
Stoneham is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Its population was 21,437 at the 2010 census, down from 22,219 in 2000. The town is the birthplace of Olympic figure skating medalist Nancy Kerrigan and is the home of the Stone Zoo.- History :...
, until it closed in February 1999 for financial reasons.
Recreational opportunities
- Boating (non-motorized)
- Canoeing
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Trail running
- Horseback riding trails
- Dogsledding (large-breed)
- Mountain biking (restricted to fire roads and mountain bike loop)
- Picnicking
- Rock climbing
- Boating (motorized)
- Scenic viewing area
- Skiing (cross-country)
- Tot lot
- Dogsledding (small-breed)
- Walking trails
Historic status
In addition to being a state park, portions of the park and structures within it are listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The entire area surrounding Spot Pond to the east of I-93 is within the Middlesex Fells Reservoirs Historic District
Middlesex Fells Reservoirs Historic District
The Middlesex Fells Reservoirs Historic District is a historic district roughly bounded by Pond St., Woodland Rd., I-93, and MA 28 in Stoneham and Medford, Massachusetts...
, and the roadways in the park and on its borders are listed as the Middlesex Fells Reservation Parkways
Middlesex Fells Reservation Parkways
The Middlesex Fells Reservation Parkways are the roadways within and bordering on the Middlesex Fells Reservation, a historic park in the northern suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. The park spans the towns of Malden, Medford, Melrose, Stoneham, and Winchester. The roads inside the park and around...
. The park's visitor center on Woodland Road in Stoneham is in the historic John Bottume House
John Bottume House
The John Bottume House is a historic house at 4 Woodland Road in Stoneham, Massachusetts. It presently serves as a visitor center for the Middlesex Fells Reservation, operated by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation....
, which is not far from the 1906 Metropolitan District Commission Pumping House
Metropolitan District Commission Pumping House
The Metropolitan District Commission Pumping House is a historic water pumping station on Woodland Road in Stoneham, Massachusetts.It was built in 1906 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984....
. Historically important archaeological sites in the park are listed as part of the Spot Pond Archeological District
Spot Pond Archeological District
Spot Pond Archeological District is a historic archaeological site in Stoneham, Massachusetts. It is located in the Virginia Woods section of the Middlesex Fells Reservation, a state park. The district encompasses sites principally on Spot Pond Brook that were early colonial mill sites...
. Roadways connecting the park to other elements of the Metropolitan Park System are also listed; these include the Fells Connector Parkways, which connect the park to the Mystic River Reservation
Mystic River Reservation
The Mystic River Reservation is a publicly owned nature preserve located along the Mystic River in Massachusetts, United States. It forms part of the Mystic River Watershed, and runs through the towns of Arlington, Medford, Somerville, Everett, and Chelsea....
in Winchester, and the Lynn Fells Parkway
Lynn Fells Parkway
Lynn Fells Parkway is a DCR parkway running from the end of Fellsway East in Stoneham, Massachusetts, USA through Melrose and ending in Saugus at US Route 1...
, connecting the park to the Breakheart Reservation
Breakheart Reservation
Breakheart Reservation is a Massachusetts state park located in Saugus and Wakefield. The park is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.-Description:...
in Saugus
Saugus, Massachusetts
Saugus is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. The population was 26,628 at the 2010 census.-History:Saugus was first settled in 1629. Saugus is an Indian name believed to mean "great" or "extended"...
.
