The East Quabbin Land Trust encourages visitors to all of its preserves. Please be respectful of the land and other visitors. EQLT has several policies that guide use of the land, including a Dog Policy, Hunting and Fishing Policy and Recreational Trail Use Policy. We encourage you to go explore the Moose Brook Preserve.
The Moose Brook Preserve lies at the heart of the Moose Brook Valley: a region of great ecological significance in the region. The Valley and its associated supporting habitats have been declared an Important Bird Area by a panel of international conservation organizations due to its high density of breeding Neotropical species that are otherwise experiencing serious population declines. The Moose Brook Preserve holds a wide suite of interior forest breeding birds and offers terrific bird watching opportunities. The lower valley as a whole has been described in Bird Finding Guide to Western Massachusetts published by the UMass Extension.
Trail Description
- 3.5 miles
- 2.5 hours
- Moderately difficult
Start Location: Parking area on west side of Brook Road, 1 mile north of intersection of Brook and Prouty Roads.
End Location: Same
Getting there: From Barre Common, go south on South Street to the intersection of Route 32. Follow Route 32 south into Wheelwright and turn west onto Shunpike Road. Turn north at the end of Shunpike Road onto Prouty Road. Brook Road is ½ mile on west off of Prouty Road. Follow Brook Road for a mile to the parking area which is on the left.
From Hardwick Common, go east on Barre Road, past the hairpin turn and turn north onto Prouty Road, just before the railroad underpass. Follow for ¾ mile and turn left onto Brook Road. Follow Brook Road for a mile to the parking area which is on the left.
Route Description: The trail system of the East Quabbin Land Trust’s Moose Brook Preserve winds through the rich forest and steep hillsides on the western ridges of the Moose Brook Valley. From the parking area the trail is blazed Blue and Orange.
The blue loop is 2-mile long loop. The orange loop is 0.8-mile long loop. The blue trail crosses footbridges above the drainage of a vernal pool and then runs along the base of a steep forested boulder field strewn with glacial erratics. The blue loop will bring you eyelevel with the canopy below you as the steep slopes continue to reach above you.
The orange loop is dedicated to Chuck Kidd. The loop runs southerly from the parking area and includes natural community interpretive signage.
Terrain: Quite steep in places. A few rocky sections. Some footbridges may be slick when wet.
Surface: Bare substrate in forest. All roads dirt.
Public or Private Land? Trails owned by East Quabbin Land Trust, roads by the Town of Hardwick.
Is route safe during hunting season? Hunting is allowed on the Moose Brook Preserve.