F. Gilbert Hills State Forest - Foxboro, MA

Today we hiked at F. Gilbert Hills State Forest in Foxboro, MA.  The property is owned and managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).  There is no cost to park or visit, and there are several parking lots, with overflow available to accommodate plenty of visitors.

This was our first visit to the Forest, and we chose the Healthy Heart loop, based on DCR's suggested hikes.  The trail was very well marked with Healthy Heart signs and blue blaze paint, so it was easy to follow.  We had just had a snowstorm here a few days ago, so the trails were snowy, yet packed down enough to be passable with boots.  Other visitors used snow shoes and cross country skis. 

The trail itself was moderately challenging in the snowy conditions, with a number of hills.  The Forest advertises the loop as 1.6 miles long, but it was a little short of 1.5 miles based on Scott's GPS watch.  There are a number of other trails, indicated on this map.

Scott and I thought the trail was beautiful, with fresh snow, rocks, and pine trees abounding.  The kiddos were less impressed - they seemed to have lost interest in the scenery by about the halfway mark (as compared with other hikes we have done with water features, or other parks with playgrounds, etc.).  They did enjoy one crossing over a muddy brook.  

Overall, it was a nice visit, and we were glad to have tried a hike in this forest that is so close to our home.  We hope to try again in warmer weather.






















Comments

  1. ColetteFebruary 21, 2021 at 10:07 PM

    Sounds like a good find. Have you hiked any sections of the bay circuit trail? www.baycircuit.org

    ReplyDelete
  2. ColetteFebruary 21, 2021 at 10:07 PM

    Sounds like a good find. Have you hiked any sections of the bay circuit trail? www.baycircuit.org

    ReplyDelete
  3. Whittles Walking in the Tall TreesMarch 1, 2021 at 8:08 AM

    Not yet, but we'll add it to the list. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  4. raquelMarch 16, 2021 at 3:11 PM

    F. Gilbert is my go to local spot for trail running! There are larger loops that can get you 4 miles at a time. Lots of technical trails mixed with some steep inclines that make it for great training runs.

    ReplyDelete

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