Henry S. Hunnewell Town Forest

Henry S. Hunnewell Town Forest

Natick, Massachusetts 01760

Henry S. Hunnewell Town Forest brochure
Henry S. Hunnewell Town Forest map

About this Location

The 100-acre Henry Sargent Hunnewell Memorial Town Forest was a gift to the town by his widow, Mary Bowditch (Whitney) Hunnewell in 1933. The Forest was part of the last large tract of Indian-owned land in Natick and had been in the Hunnewell family for over 100 years. In 1955, a Natick Natural Science Park was created in the Town Forest to bring young students to the natural world. Directed by Walter Gleason, principal of Lilja School, the innovative program remained active for nearly ten years. Vestiges remain in the forest: a “North Star finder”, a giant sundial, a monthly calendar box, and hand-built changes to the forest. A pamphlet about it is in the Natick Local History vertical file of the Morse Institute Library.

The entrance from Oak Street is 200 feet lower than the 322 feet height of Pleasant Hill, where the large Natick water tank is located. This fact, plus the steep northeast slope of Pleasant Hill, has created an environment that encourages a wide variety of wildlife and plants – from waterfowl (ducks, geese, swans) in the pond to forest-loving birds in the tall trees on the hillside and the occasional red tail hawk soaring above the hill; otters and muskrats along the water to squirrels in the forest; and cat-o-nine tails and red (swamp) maples along the wetlands to mature white pine and eastern hemlock on the slopes.

At the end of the entrance road from Oak Street, a left turn takes you to a field that was a playground in the 1950s. Now you can see nature taking back the open area. The wide trails around the hill may have been constructed as logging (skidder) trails for forestry management, as well as walking trails. Although not maintained for over fifty years, the main trails have relatively little erosion. Please do not use the steeper “shortcut” paths; they only contribute to erosion.

Pleasant Hill is a “Drumlin,” a rounded hill like a whale’s back, formed by a glacier about 10,000 years ago.

Near the water tank on top of the hill, look for the Natick Natural Science Park astronomy devices.

The original bronze marker establishing the Hunnewell Town Forest is on a boulder on the north edge of the forest, next to MA-9.

Off the south boundary of the Town Forest, you can still see the roadbed for the 1890s trolley line from MA-9 to Natick Center.

Notable Trails

The AllTrails website has a description and map of a hike at Henry S. Hunnewell Town Forest.

Features

  • Restrooms on site

  • Wheelchair accessible trail

  • Entrance fee

Content from Henry S. Hunnewell Town Forest brochure

Last updated December 28, 2023