Our first wildlife sanctuary in Massachusetts, and my first stop in Massachusetts ever, was Mass Audubon’s Lake Wampanoag Wildlife Sanctuary. It is found in the city of Gardner. There is a gravel parking lot at the end of Raymond Street with room for 10 vehicles. Dogs are not allowed on the property.
Hiking Trails
Hike one mile of trails through a forest and meadow, passing farm ponds along the way. The trails are relatively easy although there are inclines and tree roots to navigate. Blue and yellow circles mark the paths – blue lead away from the parking lot and yellow lead back to it.
There are four hiking trails – Moosewood, Woodland Loop, Meadow Loop, and Pondshore. Where the paths connect, wooden posts with signs direct you.
Moosewood is the longest and where we began. We started clockwise. You’ll pass a few farm ponds on your right. Pine needles carpeted the forest floor in sections.
Next, we took the Woodland Loop spur trail. This loop begins about a third of the way into Moosewood. Connect back on to the Moosewood Trail to continue.
An old stone wall crosses your route. Near the end of Moosewood there is a beautiful section American beech trees.
Then, we came out of the forest onto the Meadow Loop. Here wildflowers abound. Follow the wide, mowed path. Bird houses periodically pop out of the grasses. In areas that can have standing water, small wooden bridges give you a dry path.
Finally, connected to the Meadow Loop is the Pondshore Trail. This short spur trail takes you along a farm pond. On our sunny day, the trees created beautiful reflections in the water. Lily pads and flowers dotted the pond.
Wildlife
We found a good mix of wildlife when we visited. Insects including butterflies (cabbage whites, monarchs, red admirals, yellow sulfurs), bees, grasshoppers, and crickets frolicked in the meadow and along the pond.
Next to the Meadow Loop path, close to the pond, we found a pickerel frog.
Two juvenile hooded merganser ducks swam in the pond. Nearby two turtles relaxed on a rock before disappearing back into the water.
Looking for more wildlife areas? Check out these wildlife refuges in the U.S. One of my favorite bird and wildlife sanctuaries is Francis Beidler Forest in South Carolina.