Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge — Attraction in Stow

There is a convenient trailhead, a nice well paved road to the visitor center. A small but very well utilized space with examples of local wildlife. A nice poster size trail map and helpful guides.

We walked with lightweight umbrella stroller: sandbank, puffer pond, Taylor Way, Otter Alley, and Harry's Way

The trails are well spread out and well groomed. The fishing dock is small but well constructed. Along Harry's way there are old WWII bunkers which give an interesting and surreal feel to your walk. The area was fantastically quite with essentially no road noise and sparse aircraft. In the western pine barrens it is sincerely peaceful and pleasant. We did not get a chance to see the rail trail but the newly laid path along the main road was very nice.

The only major critique is that the pocket trail map is difficult to use and confusingly noted. The main road (paved) is labeled the same as the other roads (unimproved) and many trails are broad enough to be considered an unimproved road. More thorough notation would make wayfinding and planning...

Thanks to the drought, some trails are open that had previously been underwater. The visitors center is still closed (has it ever actually been open?), unfortunately, and I do not know if it is closed due to Covid or a lack of funding. Signs on its doors state that it is "inaccessible".

There are two metal docks on Puffer Pond, mainly for the benefit of fisherpersons. Fishing is catch-and-release only.

I am still exploring the area, but running out of trails that I have not yet walked. Too bad that so many areas -- from old, overgrown roads to paved ones, from open fields of all sizes to random wooded areas some distance off the trails -- are off-limits to most of the public. For some reason, these areas are...

1at time visit to this spot for hiking. Many trails of good distance making it worth the trip and well marked signs for the trails. HOWEVER, be prepared that the water/wetland is much more extensive than that depicted on the map and a couple of the major trails were flooded to several inches deep of water. This was mid-late April so I'd guess during summertime and fall there is much less water. Trails otherwise are flat; no significant hills on this relaxing "hike", really 4 mile or so...