Meadow Brook Uplands Loop
A quiet upland loop through 95 acres of mixed hardwood forest held by the Mendon Conservation Commission — rolling terrain, stone walls, and a canopy that blocks enough wind to make it a reliable early-spring and late-fall destination.
Elevation profile
What you might spot
PlantHighbush Blueberry
Vaccinium corymbosum
Multi-stemmed shrub to 10 feet; white bell-shaped flowers in May, blue-black fruit July–August, brilliant scarlet fall foliage. The species behind commercial blueberries, but wild fruit is smaller and tangier.
Flowers May; fruit July–August; fall color September–October
📍 Quissett WMA — dense shrub thickets along the East Trail and impoundment edges; fruit ripens in late July when MassWildlife allows incidental foraging.
WildlifeEastern Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina
High-domed shell with variable orange and yellow markings on brown or black background; hinged plastron allows it to close completely. Moves slowly; often found near berry patches. Massachusetts Species of Special Concern — do not relocate if found on a trail.
Active May through September; most often encountered after summer rain
📍 Mendon Town Forest — dry upland areas away from the wetland trails; most likely to be found in drier oak sections on summer mornings after rain.
History in this area
Blackstone Heritage Corridor Era
1986Mendon's inclusion in the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor connected local conservation to a wider regional preservation strategy.
LAND, CPA, and the trail network you walk
How state and local programs helped stitch together the interconnected preserves the Town lists today.
Permitted uses
Mendon Conservation Commission property. No motorized vehicles. Dogs welcome on leash. Horses welcome on wider paths. Hunting in season — wear hunter orange and confirm Sunday rules and season dates with posted signage and Massachusetts hunting regulations. Conservation restriction held by Metacomet Land Trust.
Surfaces
Accessibility
Max grade
12%
Firm surface
20%
Natural surface with some rocky and rooted sections; moderate grade throughout.
History
The Meadow Brook Uplands Conservation Area occupies a 95-acre block of upland forest north and east of the main Meadow Brook Woods parcel, acquired by the Mendon Conservation Commission as part of the town's effort to build a connected open-space corridor along the Meadow Brook drainage. Where the lower Meadow Brook parcel is defined by its kettle ponds and wet meadows, the Uplands block rises into classic New England second-growth hardwood — red oak, red maple, white ash, and scattered white pine — growing on the old field and woodlot land that characterized most of Mendon's interior before the late 20th century.
Like nearly all of Mendon's interior parcels, this land was farmed for centuries before returning to forest. The stone walls you cross and parallel throughout the loop are the clearest evidence of that past: property lines, pasture divisions, and woodlot boundaries built by Mendon farming families through the 18th and 19th centuries. The walls were not decorative — they were functional infrastructure, constructed to keep livestock in defined pastures while clearing fields for crops. Walking the loop, you're tracing the edge of what was once someone's north pasture or woodlot, now returned entirely to canopy.
The Mendon Conservation Commission manages these properties primarily for passive recreation and ecological preservation. Hunting is permitted in season on town conservation land; confirm rules with posted signage and Massachusetts hunting regulations before visiting in fall and early winter.
Note: Trail geometry for this preserve is a placeholder pending confirmed survey data from the Conservation Commission. The loop approximates the publicly described trail access; follow posted blazes and the steward's official map for navigation.
Trailheads & parking
Meadow Brook Uplands — Main Access
No dedicated parking
Access from Kinsley Lane (take the left fork at 41 Kinsley Lane). Property address: 79 Millville Rd & 17 Pleasant Street, Mendon. See the steward PDF map for parking layout and trail blazes.