DCR Releases Updated Middlesex Fells Reservation Visitor Guidelines

Submitted by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Commissioner Edward M. Lambert Jr. today released updated visitor guidelines for the Middlesex Fells Reservation, which include rules about off trail use and a dog-designated area.  

The new guidelines stem from the release of a long-term management plan for the reservation, which is focused on restoring and protecting natural resources and determining areas most suitable for recreation. The plan, developed by DCR with input from the public, includes efforts to protect natural and cultural resources and enhance the user experience at DCR’s Middlesex Fells Reservation.

Over the next several months, DCR will close many redundant, illegal, user-created and poor-condition trails and asks visitors to respect trail closures and use only official, marked trails. In addition, DCR will move to improve trail signage and develop a new public trail map. This map will be available online at the DCR Middlesex Fells Reservation web page and in hard copy at various locations later this year.

“The DCR would like to thank all those who participated in this extensive and deliberative planning process over the past two years,” said Commissioner Lambert. “Users and stakeholders care deeply about the future of DCR’s Middlesex Fells Reservation and we look forward to working with our partners and volunteers to protect, promote and enhance the natural, cultural and recreational resources at this special place.”

The DCR will continue its outreach and educational efforts to ensure that users understand and are aware of all the rules at the reservation. DCR will also be devoting additional resources toward increasing enforcement of these rules and regulations, which include:

• The DCR Middlesex Reservation is open only from dawn to dusk.
• Dogs must be on leash at all times in the reservation, outside of the designated area at the Sheepfold. Dogs at the Sheepfold must be under voice control of their owner.
• There is a three dog per-person limit in the reservation.
• All dog waste must be properly picked up and disposed of. Do not leave bags along trail.
• All off-trail uses, including nature study and geo-caching, are prohibited without a permit.
• No Trespassing means no trespassing. Do not hike, walk or ride on trails or roads posted as no public access by the Town of Winchester.
• Mountain biking is allowed only on designated trails, and not in Virginia Woods or the Long Pond areas.
• Mountain biking is not allowed on unpaved trails from March 1 to March 31 or as posted.
• Users must obey all posted signs.

DCR’s Middlesex Fells Reservation is a popular urban reservation with a variety of uses and users. The DCR asks all users to practice the following etiquette.

Respect other users, expect other users.                                   

• Be friendly and courteous.
• Share the trails. Ride, walk or run on the right, pass on the left.
• Stay on the official trails. Going off trail or on user-created trails creates erosion, damages habitat and causes new trails which can't be maintained.
• Bicyclists should yield to equestrians, runners and hikers. Keep your bike under control and at a safe speed.
• Avoid unpaved trails when they are muddy or wet.
• Warn people when you are planning to pass.
• Ride within your ability at all times.
• Respect wildlife.
• When a horse approaches, move off the trail.
• Leave no trace. Pack out your litter.
• Don’t use bells or horns, which may frighten horses.
• Dogs should be kept on leashes and under control on all trails.
• Respect private property.
• Anticipate other trail users around corners and blind spots.

DCR’s Middlesex Fells Reservation is a 2,575 acre parcel just north of Boston, in the communities of Malden, Medford, Stoneham and Winchester. A welcome retreat for city dwellers and a suitable terrain for hikers, mountain bikers, horseback riders, rock climbers, cross-country skiers and picnickers as well as natural and cultural history buffs, the Fells was once favored for timber, granite quarrying, ice industry, and water power for the many mills including one that manufactured some of the first vulcanized rubber products. "Fells" is the Saxon word for rocky, hilly tracts of land - an apt name for this scenic area which is rich in local history. The area was first explored by Governor Winthrop in the winter of 1632. Special features at the Fells include the Sheepfold meadow, Bellevue Pond, Wright’s Tower, Virginia Wood, Lawrence Woods, Spot Pond, and over 100 miles of trails.

Resource Management Planning (RMP) forms the framework for managing public lands based upon a comprehensive inventory and assessment of environmental and recreational resources, an identification of the unique characteristics of a property or management unit, the development of clear management goals and objectives, and an implementation plan to guide the short and long-term management of the parks, forests and reservations under the stewardship of the DCR.

DCR Middlesex Fells Reservation

DCR Middlesex Fells Resource Management Plan