Woodward Forest
Location
Woodward Forest is located at the end of Gateway Lane, a small cul-de-sac off of Old Taunton Avenue. Park along the side the road without encroaching on any of our neighbor's yards.
Story
Proceed past the kiosk and you will find the Land Preservation Society's largest preservation of over 150 acres. A small meadow will greet you and signify the looping portion of the Francis Shirley trail (named after a passed. long-time member of the Land Preservation Society of Norton) and marked with red arrows. Further into the woods you will find an assortment of vernal ponds, small patches of hemlock trees in the lowlands or American beeches in the uplands. A the blue or "river" trail will lead you right to the Wading River which off the trail meets the Three Mile and Rumford Rivers at Lockety Neck, a location of a battle fought in King Philip's war. The white or "bunny ears" trail will weave you through more small patches of hemlock and vernal ponds, then guide you along the ridge that overlooks the wetlands buffering the Three Mile River.
Trail Qualities
The marked trails of Woodward Forest are approximately 3 miles total, nearly all of which is compact ground. During the wetter seasons, low-lying areas may be muddy or inundated. Segments that are prone to inundation have clear alternative paths that typically should help avoid turning you around. Most elevation changes are subtle or made less challenging via switch-back trails.
