At Noon Hill Reservation, ascend the hill to enjoy treetop vistas, amble around Holt Pond, or follow trails that lead through an adjacent Trustees reservation to the Charles River.

At 370 feet, Noon Hill rises gently above the surrounding landscape. The midday sun passing over the ridge gives the reservation its name. Its slopes and ridges are forested with pine, beech, birch, and hemlock; in spring, the forest floor is scattered with wildflowers. Holt Pond, meanwhile, was created around 1764, when Sawmill Brook was dammed to create a mill pond. In the 19th century, after farmers cleared the forest, the land surrounding the pond became stonewall-enclosed pasture; woods have since reclaimed these fields.

Four and a half miles of moderate (and occasionally strenuous) trails wind around Noon Hill, a link in the Bay Circuit Trail. From the hill’s peak, you’ll be rewarded with sweeping views south across the rolling hills of Walpole and Norfolk, including Gillette Stadium. A short trail extension across Causeway Street connects Noon Hill to Shattuck Reservation. Both reservations are managed with adjacent conservation land owned by the Town of Medfield.