Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary - Sharon, MA

Today we hiked at Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary in Sharon, MA.  Moose Hill is owned and operated by Mass Audubon.  Moose Hill is Mass Audubon's oldest property and offers 25 miles of trials.  Mass Audubon members and Sharon residents can visit at no cost.  Otherwise, fees are $4 per adult, or $3 for children and seniors.  Due to the pandemic, restrooms and buildings are currently closed, but the trails and other outdoor areas remain open.

We chose the Vernal Pool Trail for our hike today.  The trail is decently marked with signage at trail intersections, and the trail map seemed accurate.  From the parking area, we turned right, away from the visitor center, down the marked trail.  At the bottom of a short hill, take a left and proceed onto the Vernal Pool Trail, which is a "lollipop" design - with an out-and-back trail to start and finish and with a loop at the end.  We chose the Short Loop, which offers a shortcut through the middle of the Vernal Pool Loop.  In total, my GPS watch measured our route at about 1.5 miles.

The trials were in great condition and well-maintained.  The footing was decent, with expected rocks and roots, and soft pine needles covering the trail for much of the route.  The trail offered a few hills, some of which were fairly steep but short in duration.  We saw a number of vernal pools, which can be visited up-close with a short detour from the main trail.  In one of the pools, we noticed what appeared to be a tadpole swimming in the murky water.  A visitor we met on the trail told us that she had seen a cluster of frog eggs in another pool.  

After our hike, we spent some time in Cookie's Garden, a nature play area by the visitor center.  There was an outdoor kitchen, a bridge with a tunnel underneath, and several musical instruments, which the kids really enjoyed.  The area also had a Story Walk nearby, where visitors could read a children's book - one page at a time - by following a short walk.

It had been a few years since we last visited Moose Hill, and we were glad that we returned today.  The property is beautiful, and we enjoyed our visit.  We look forward to returning and trying some of the other trails as well.



































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