Visit the beautiful Middlesex Fells Reservation with your Massachusetts car rental and get ready to be amazed at the sight and sounds of the reservation. Middlesex Fells Reservation, is a Massachusetts state park located in Malden, Medford, Melrose, Stoneham, and Winchester. The park is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), and is part of the Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston. When you visit the Middlesex Fells Reservation you will be able to enjoy scenery and tranquility while hiking, walking, birding, and observing or studying natural and cultural features of the area. You can also take photographs, picnic, jog, cross-country ski, snowshoe and sled. You will find out there are a lot of things to do when you travel with your Massachusetts car rental!

A little history

The area around Middlesex Fells Reservation was first explored by John Winthrop, Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, in 1632.The Middlesex Fells Reservation was created in 1891 and managed by the Commonwealth starting in 1893. The reservation was begun by the donation of "Virginia Wood" by Charles Eliot to The Trustees of Reservations.The reservation's land was once heavily favored for timber, granite quarrying, and ice cultivation. The former mill village of "Haywardville" was located within the reservation. Many mills, including one that manufactured some of the first vulcanized rubber products, were located here as well Boston Regional Medical Center was located within the Reservation along Woodland Road in Stoneham, Massachusetts, until it closed in February 1999 for financial reasons.

Major attractions

The Middlesex Fells Reservation has a lot to offer you when you travel with your Massachusetts car rental. This 2 575 acre park is mainly used for walking, dog walking, hiking, running, mountain biking, rock climbing and skiing. You can access the trailheads are from Interstate 93 at exits 33 and 34. Features of the park include Bellevue and Spot Ponds (used as back-up reservoirs for the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority), two observation towers featuring scenic views of Boston and the surrounding area, and many vernal pools. If you are visiting in the summer months with your Massachusetts car rental make sure you take advantage of the sailing lessons and boat rentals that are offered on Spot Pond. Today the park surrounds two currently inactive reservoirs, Spot Pond and the Fells Reservoir, and the three (North, Middle, and South) active reservoirs supplying the town of Winchester. Spot Pond and the Fells Reservoir are part of the Wachusett water system, one of six primary water systems that feed metropolitan Boston's waterworks.

The Friend of the Fells Reservation

Helping to preserve the Middlesex Fells Reservation is the Friends of the Middlesex Fells Reservation, an organization whose mission is to enhance the natural and historic resources of the Fells. In this effort the Friends of the Fells Reservation assist the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) in educating the public about the natural, cultural and appropriate recreational features in the Fells. In addition, the Friends sponsor and conduct natural and cultural history programs and recreational hikes year round to increase public awareness and appreciation of the Reservation. The Friend of the Fells Reservation also assists local youth and school groups in community service projects.

Before you go?

The Middlesex Fells Reservation is open from dawn to dusk. The large parking areas are gated and are usually open by 9:30am and locked within a half hour after sunset. The small parking areas are always open. For more information when you visit with your Middlesex Fells Reservation with your Massachusetts car rentals check out the Friends of the Fells website at http://www.fells.org/