Take a Trek Through Lowell Woods

Westwood is full of great natural spots for outdoor lovers of all kinds. One of these spots is Lowell Woods.

Located behind the Hanlon School and extending all the way to the Sandy Valley Road extension, Lowell Woods provides hikers with miles of trails spread out through the area. All of the trails are marked and each one provides unique terrain people of all ages.

In the summertime there's plenty to do in Lowell Woods. Activities range from mountain biking, hiking, bird-watching, or just walking at your own leisure. When enjoying the paths you'll notice the area is flourishing with wildlife like deer, hawks, owls and a wide variety of birds.

Summertime isn't the only time that Lowell Woods can be enjoyed. It's a popular spot for cross-country skiing and snow shoeing during the snowy season, and during the fall it is a great spot to watch the leaves change color and flutter off the trees.

One of the popular landmarks in Lowell Woods is the bridge over Purgatory Brook.

"They built a bridge over the stream, it was done through the town planner," said Steven Olanoff, vice chairman of the Westwood Planning Board.  "We got the grant for it and had the bridge built."

The trails in Lowell Woods are actually old roads that were used by our ancestors to get from town to town.

"The trails have been there for many years. Stanley Valley Road goes all the way through to Dedham," said Olanoff.

Olanoff also mentioned that Washington Street used to be the road to New York and there used to be taverns all along 109 for people traveling through.

Back in the day, part of the land belonged to the Mulvehill family where they had a dairy farm.  This land was acquired by the town in 1969 by the town, and is Westwood's ground water supply system.

"There was originally three pieces of land there and they were acquired at different times," said Olanoff.  "There was an open committee to get money to donate for paying for the land.  The town paid for it, and the donations became a land trust to keep the land preserved."

Lowell Woods' trails stretch for miles all throughout the forestry, and each trail has it's own unique name.  A few of the many trails are Rocky Ridge, Dead Swamp Road, Antler Alley, and Purgatory Pass.  

Lowell Woods spreads out over 290 acres of Westwood owned preserved land.  There are two ways to enter, one is by Gay Street behind the Hanlon School, and the other on Sandy Valley Road.  All visitors are welcome.