Acton’s Recreation Area

Directions to

Parking for NARA (North Acton Recreation Area)

NARA, in addition to serving as a centerpiece for Acton’s recreation activities (beach, bath house, man-made lake, playing fields, amphitheatre, walking paths), is also a dual-purpose jumping off point for the Town Forest and Will’s Hole on one hand, and on another for an abandoned railroad bed passing near Bob’s Horse Farm on its way to Westford’s Nashoba Brook Conservation Area and Kennedy Pond. Wills Hole, a quaking bog, has a special attraction for us because it’s one of a very few Boston-area places where we’ve found carnivorous plants. Here’s a little bit of background, snatched from Acton’s Conservation Commission website and offered in a greatly edited form:

“Wills Hole and its contiguous Town Forest together comprise 90 acres; the 49 acres of the Town Forest was purchased in 1943 for $490 and was intended for the harvesting of timber and firewood by Acton residents. The Hole is a classic quaking bog, an unusual environment supporting unique plant life. At its center, the Hole is an open pond, but ringing the open water is a mat of floating sphagnum moss. Bog waters typically are acidic and nutrient-poor, but carnivorous plants prosper here by trapping and digesting insects and small animals as an alternative to absorbing nutrients through their root systems. Meat-eating vegetation at Wills Hole includes the pitcher plant and sundew.”

Getting to NARA is easy, there’s not a great deal of navigation necessary. Here’s how:

From Route 128/95

● Drive to Exit 29B for Route 2 west (Acton/Fitchburg)

● At 3.5 miles Route 2 bends sharply LEFT at a set of lights … go LEFT and stay on it

● CONTINUE 4.5 miles to the Concord rotary

● Take the 2^nd exit for Route 119/Route 2A/Great Rd

● Drive 2.8 miles on Route 119 to the lights at its intersection with Route 27/Main St

● Turn RIGHT on Route 27/Main St and continue 0.9 miles to Ledge Rock Way, on the left

● Turn LEFT to Ledge Rock Way, drive about 0.2 miles (past Rex Way) to NARA’s entrance

● Turn RIGHT into NARA’s massive parking area and look for us

Note: The bath house is equipped with rest rooms which, sad to say, close when the beach closes in September. But there are many options along Route 119.

*** Good Luck !!! ***

For those navigating to the start with MapQuest or a GPS system:

25 Ledge Rock Way, Acton, MA  01720 or N 42 30.923, W 71 24.643

To contact us call 978-808-0900