Waseeka Wildlife Sanctuary (Mass Audubon)

Waseeka Wildlife Sanctuary (Mass Audubon)

161 Clinton Street Hopkinton, Massachusetts 01748

Official Website
Waseeka Wildlife Sanctuary map

About this Location

With its forest that opens up to a secluded pond, Waseeka offers the opportunity to observe woodland birds and waterbirds, wildflowers, and a fire-enhanced forest with a diverse tree population.

The standing dead trees and snags in the pond provide nesting sites for bluebirds, Pileated Woodpeckers, Great Blue Herons, Ospreys, and an occasional Great Horned Owl.

Explore 1 mile of trails at Waseeka Wildlife Sanctuary, including the Sassafras Trail where you can see great views of the pond wildlife. Look for osprey nesting above the pond from mid-spring to early fall. Trails off the Cart Path are marked with blue or yellow disks. Blue leads away from the road and yellow returns.

Notable Trails

Cart Path to Dam
Follow the road leading from the parking area to access the side trails. The road ends at the dam where there are expansive views of the pond. Look for the bulky stick osprey nest in a dead tree in the middle of the pond. Great blue heron nests can be seen on the far side of the pond and kingfishers frequently hunt along the pond edge. Sundews, small carnivorous plants, can be seen on logs below the dam. Look for shiny red droplets, sticky for capturing insects.  

Sassafras Trail
This trail begins and ends on the Cart Path, so you can choose your starting point. Look for the sassafras trees the trail is named for. In some locations, you will have views of the pond and beaver activity. Pileated woodpeckers and brown creepers have nested just off this trail. If you want to take a shorter walk look for the Link Trail and follow the yellow disks back.

Pitch Pine Trail 
A short trail that also loops back to the road. Note the Pitch Pines, which have short blunt cones and three needles. This is the typical coniferous tree found on Cape Cod and in other dry, sandy soils.

The AllTrails website has a description and map of a hike at Waseeka Wildlife Sanctuary.

Features

  • Restrooms on site

  • Wheelchair accessible trail

  • Entrance fee

Content from Official Website

Last updated December 11, 2023