The Swellesley Report

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Summer in Wellesley—a hike through Boulder Brook Reservation

by 5 Comments

ACTIVITY: Exploring Boulder Brook Reservation

PARKING: We chose the gravel lot at 68 Elmwood Rd., Kelly Memorial Park. Parking is also available at Katharine Lee Bates Elementary School, 116 Elmwood Rd.

OUR STARTING POINT: Path that cuts through the woods, over to the Kelly playing fields. Look for the Kelly Memorial Park sign.

Fairy Rock

We always start at the Kelly Memorial Park entrance for early-hike excitement of seeing Fairy Rock. Generations of Wellesley kids have climbed to the top of the rock, just for the joy of sliding down.

Elephant Rock, Kelley Memorial Park, Wellesley
Fairy Rock

Into the light

As we emerged from the forest, Katharine Lee Bates School and the Kelly playing fields come into view.

Bates Elementary School
Katharine Lee Bates Elementary School
Baseball diamond, Kelly Field
Baseball diamond, Kelly Field

Entering field of dreams

Boulder Brook Reservation, Wellesley

Boulder Brook Reservation
It was little buggy during my late-June visit. Not excessively so, but if you’re the delicious type, apply bug spray before venturing along the meadow and into the woods. Ticks? Oh, yeah. Even if you have sensational legs, you should wear pants.
Boulder Brook Reservation
Paths through the meadow are occasionally mowed by the DPW in spring, summer, and most of fall. In late autumn the meadows are mowed down to the ground to prevent reforestation of the area.
Joe Pye weed, Boulder Brook Reservation
Joe Pye weed, Boulder Brook Reservation
Boulder Brook Reservation, Hemp dogbane
Hemp dogbane attracts butterflies for cross-pollination. Swallowtails love their small white blossoms.
Boulder Brook Reservation, St. John's Wort
Boulder Brook Reservation, St. John’s Wort. I call it a weed when it volunteers in my garden, but the pollinators would like me to rethink that attitude.
Boulder Brook Reservation, Common Milkweed
Boulder Brook Reservation, Common Milkweed. This is the plant I wish would volunteer in my garden. They’re the only thing Monarch caterpillars will eat on their life cycle path to becoming butterflies.
Boulder Brook Reservation, Timothy Grass
Boulder Brook Reservation, Timothy Grass, a good foraging grass for rabbits and deer.
Boulder Brook Reservation, Wellesley
Back into the woods to visit the Boulder Brook boulders.
Boulder Brook Reservation, Wellesley
Boulders siting.
Boulder Brook Reservation, Wellesley
I came across someone’s tidy home. The split in the tree is filled with what looked like the softest cushioning, scooped out and processed from the interior. Not a speck of  design material had been allowed to drop to the base of the tree. A nice balcony was wedged into the crook of the V. Who lives or lived there? No clue.
Boulder Brook, Wellesley
A hazy day at the top of Boulder Brook’s Rocky Ledges. I didn’t have to climb straight up to get here. The safety minded trail makers of yore switchbacked me up.

I always get a little lost on the Boulder Brook trails system, so I can’t tell you exactly which path to take or or how best to wander.  The 31-acre Reservation is ringed by civilization, and civilization requires tending. So if ever I feel lost in there, my plan is to follow the sounds of the leaf blowers.

Boulder Brook Reservation
A better view from the top—February 2022. Wellesley College is over to the left, and Pegan Hill in Natick is to the right. Neither is visible in this photo.
Boulder Brook Reservation, Wellesley
Boulder Brook Reservation, Elephant Rock. Stumbled across this big guy on my way out.

Mammals seen

  • Chipmunks
  • Grey squirrels
  • Cottontail rabbit

Birds seen

  • Downy woodpecker
  • Hairy woodpecker
  • Robins
  • 8 noisy grackles in a stand of trees

Thanks for joining me on a summer walk. Walk with Swellesley every day by signing up for our free weekday email newsletter

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Comments

  2. Mary Ann says

    Thank you so much for the wonderful climb up to the top of Rocky Ledges!! I used to do that climb before going to work in the morning…most days, anyway.

    Your photos were a trip down memory lane for me.

    Reply

  3. Fred Wright says

    Excellent photos confirming why Boulder Brook is my favorite. We are so lucky our town had the foresight to make these preservations over the years.
    Fred Wright

    Reply

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