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Beaver Brook Valley Preserve
Why You Should Visit
This preserve protects several upland and wetland natural community types and the Boxborough esker, a high, narrow and sinuous ridge of gravel deposited 15,000 years ago through glacial action.
Location
Boxborough, Massachusetts
Hours
Open year-round
Size
82 acres
Conditions
A mile-long trail will take you along the wetland right-of-way and esker.
How to Prepare for Your Visit
If you have any questions while planning your outing, please contact our Boston office at
Directions
From the Boston area:
- Take I-495 to exit 28 (Route 111).
- A few hundred yards west of the I-495 overpass, turn north onto Swanson Rd.
- Go to the end and bear right onto Whitcomb Rd.
- Where road dead-ends, walk along fenced corridor for about one-third of a mile, until at the preserve entrance.
What to See: Plants
The esker rises 65 feet above the surrounding wetlands of Beaver Brook (west) and Muddy Pond (east). Look for a large depression or kettlehole which marks the location of a melting block of glacial ice. Also note the diversity of ecosystems including red maple swamps, oak-hickory and white pine forest, and hemlock forests.
What to See: Animals
Deer, red fox, forest birds, great blue heron
Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
The Beaver Brook Valley Preserve was established in 1965 to protect the esker and associated natural communities.
What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
The Conservancy is removing invasive species and maintaining the trail on the site.
