Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary - Attleboro, MA

Today we hiked with friends at Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary, owned and managed by MassAudubon.  There is no official charge to park or visit, though donations are welcomed.  While the trails are open, the buildings remained closed due to COVID.  We first discovered Oak Knoll when our kiddos were babies, and we hosted their first birthday party in the function room inside the nature center.  The attached barn has recently been beautifully renovated, and the areas surrounding the buildings include colorful gardens with native plans.  

The property features about 1.5 miles of trails through forests and wetlands, and the trails are well-maintained and well-marked with blue markings on the way out, and yellow markings on the way back to the nature center.  We didn't see much wildlife on today's visit, but we heard from other visitors that a snake had been found on one of the trails.

From the parking area, we started up the Talaquega Trail and took a brief diversion on the Marsh Trail to check out the marsh.  We then continued along the Talaquega Trail for a short way until we reached the Nature Play area, which features a play house, serpent made of logs, and a natural tic-tac-toe set, along with a wooden climbing structure that reminded us of honeycombs.  The kids loved it.  

The trail proceeds to Lake Talaquega. and then loops around the lake before re-joining the Talaquega Trail to return to the nature center.  Sometimes, our family likes to split into two groups and meet up in the middle on the other side of the lake.  We stuck together today and enjoyed the nice views of the lake, as well as numerous boardwalks over the marshy areas - which the kids always enjoy.  My GPS watch measured our hike at 1.25 miles in total.

We were happy for the opportunity to hike at this property today and will be sure to visit again soon.


Nature center and barn:





Nature play area:












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