The Sweatt Preserve Nature Trail is located alongside Old Stagecoach Road near Hopkinton Village, a dirt road that rises from Briar Hill Road up to Gould Hill. Consisting of a 2-mile pathway marked by a roadside sign, the trail leads hikers and snowshoers deep into the forest, over brooks, up a slight hill, around a loop, and back to the start. Nature trail brochures are available at the trailhead, providing an overview of the property’s history and natural features.
This woodland trail is a great one for kids, with its two footbridges over a brook, hidden away in a hemlock grove at the bottom of a steep ravine. After the stream and a short climb, the trail loops back through thinly wooded former pasture land edged with stone walls. The property is owned and managed by Five Rivers Conservation Trust.
Directions:
From Hopkinton Village, follow Briar Hill Road 0.8 mile to Old Stagecoach Road. The trailhead is 0.2 mile up Old Stagecoach Road on the right. Park along the side of the road.
Walking times:
Full one-mile loop: 30 minutes
This 73-acre property is located on the right side of Old Stagecoach Road as you go up the hill, just 0.2 mile from its intersection with Briar Hill Road.
The nature trail begins off Old Stagecoach Road where a small sign and pull-out marks the trailhead. The trail enters a mixed forest before gradually descending to a tributary of Dolf Brook. The trail crosses a small drainage way and follows along the stream through a canopy of mature hemlocks.
Scattered throughout the preserve are massive boulders, several of which are visible from the trail. At approximately 0.4 miles, a small bridge crosses the stream and the trail climbs the slope, looping through an upland hardwood forest before descending back along the stream and returning to the point of beginning on Old Stagecoach Road.
The Sweatt Preserve was generously given to Five Rivers Conservation Trust in 2003 by Nancy N. Sweatt in loving memory of her husband, Robert A. Sweatt. Robert was a decorated veteran of World War II. During his many years in the service, he lived in various locations around the globe. His love for his boyhood town of Hopkinton and his land on Old Stagecoach Road never diminished. He and his wife were committed to preserving this land as a preserve for all to enjoy. The trail was built and maintained by volunteers from Five Rivers Conservation Trust.
The Sweatt Preserve Nature Trail map is shown below. Please click the text or image link to open/download/print the PDF map.
