Mass Audubon Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary

Beautiful but be prepared for random early closings (like 3pm) or have someone yell at you because you didn’t «check in» at the desk. Unfortunately no jogging here either.

Spot for learning about nature and wildlife for all ages. Many hiking trails around wetland areas. Many birds in their habitat including swans for viewing.

Nice place with accessible trails for the elderly — turtles in the pond, swans, all kinds of trees and several longer trails for walks, and to observe the wildlife.
Supposed to be good for birding too, though I didn’t go there for it myself.

Broadmoor is very nice for an easy hike, or if you’re bringing kids. The trails are well-​maintained and there is definitely variety. There are meadows, swamps, a small waterfall, and more. There’s always wildlife, including the snake which lives near the boardwalk over the swamp and can be seen during the summer months sunning itself.

Perfect place that is close to Boston and allows to experience different variations of nature. The different walking paths vary allot, from deep woods to wetlands. Have family coming for a visit or out of town friends and want to get them out the house? This is a great place. In the summer please do yourself a favor and bring your favorite bug repellent. There is a $ 5 admissions for non members

Green energy at its best!
I love Broadmoor. It offers one of the most peaceful, scenic nature walks I’ve ever taken (and I rarely take them because I hate bugs that mistake my nostrils for a mating cave). As an asphalt jungle import from Los Angeles, Broadmoor is a perfect reminder of what true, unpolished nature is all about… something very few Los Angelenos have ever been exposed to… that and fresh air. It’s amazing what «green» air smells like.
The other thing I love about Broadmoor is the sustainable building main office. This place was renovated several years back to convert it into a self-​sufficient, standalone facility.
Photovoltaic solar panels align the roof, providing more than enough energy for the center’s use. It also as a hybrid passive solar energy room which harnesses the sun’s heat in a wall of water tubes insulated behind a 6-​layered plastic partition, which provides heat to the offices and classrooms. There is a rain water system with collection barrels that use this water for non-​drinking, washing and gardening purposes, and lastly, the most interesting compost toilet system. The system uses a ventilated air system that prevents any of the normal outhouse odor you’d associate with non-​flushing toilets, but works so well they save 100,000 gallons of water a year from its four toilets. Now that’s a crapload of savings!
Highly recommend a visit, at least to the main house, if you want to experience moments of «oooh… I didn’t know that!»

Broadmoor is great! We went there this spring with the kids and they loved it. The staff was very helpful. Lots of birds, turtles, and frogs to see. The trails are well groomed and there were plenty of easy hikes for the little ones.

Broodmoor is an amazing place for a hike. Five dollars paid to the lovely lady working the welcome center gains you access to the maze of shady, sunlight dappled trails that crisscross the land. My hiking book suggested a walk that leads you through three of the trails: Indian Brook Trail, Glacial Hill Trail, and Blueberry Swamp Trail. If those names alone don’t make you want to go for a nice long walk here, there is something wrong with you.
Indian Brook trail was probably the least exciting part of the walk, but it was good in that it got us used to the lay of the land. They have a great system of marking the trails: Blue dots on trees means you are heading away from the welcome center, yellow means you’re heading back.
Glacial Hill trail was fantastic, leading you up a huge hill that was formed by the deposits of a glacier (hence the name). It was a rugged, exciting walk, one that you’ll miss out on if you don’t realize you have to hop across a small stream by way of the rocks embedded in it. And on the way back, we caught sight of one very bold frog and 8,000 squeaking, happy chipmunks.
Blueberry Swamp trail is where things got a little hairy. See, my mom (my hiking buddy for the day) was seduced by the name of one other trail: quacking frog trail. She couldn’t leave without experiencing the quacking frogs. So we went that way, but since it wasn’t on my book map and since the map they hand out at the welcome center is kind of hard to follow, we got VERY turned around. It worked out in the end, because it brought us past the beaver dam that was cited in my guidebook and to my favorite place in the sanctuary. Between markers 3 and 5 (we’re not sure where exactly, since the map really IS hard to decipher) there is the most fantastic platform rest stop, just a little slice of heaven on earth. I want to go back and bring a book and just sit out and read for hours and hours. That’s an idea I got from the many sanctuary patrons who we passed who came for the quiet, rather than for a walk.
This reserve really has it all: Interesting wildlife, good long trails for exercise, quiet corners to sit in, waterfalls, dams, remnants of a native american mill, and a field bordered by the most pungent, delicious honeysuckle I have ever smelled. They even have a trail called the ‘all persons trail’, which is wheelchair accessible. How effing amazing is that? They also do some really cool kids programs which I want to go back to with my niece. Ice cream and bat detecting??? Sign us up!
The only downside (aside from the map being hard to follow) is that there were some very aggressive dragonflies there. Be sure to slather on the bug repellent or you will be hurting the next day.