Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge, Wildlife refuge in Hudson, Massachusetts.
The Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge is a federally protected area in Hudson, Massachusetts, made up of wetlands, forests, and open fields. The land follows the course of the Assabet River, and the mix of habitats supports a wide range of wildlife through every season.
The land was part of the Fort Devens military complex and was used by the U.S. Army for decades. In 2000, the Army transferred the area to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which opened it to the public as a nature refuge.
The refuge sits on land that the Nipmuc people used for hunting and fishing long before European settlement. Visitors walking the trails today move through a landscape that carried a very different kind of daily life for generations before the colonial period.
The refuge has a network of marked trails open to both walkers and cyclists, so it works well for different kinds of visits. Some sections may be closed at certain times of year to protect nesting wildlife, so checking current conditions before heading out is a good idea.
Despite decades of military use, the refuge still contains visible remnants of that period, including old roads and building foundations scattered through the woods. Walking through the area, visitors sometimes come across these traces without expecting them, which gives the landscape an unusual layered quality.
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