Parks Guide: Acton Arboretum

Acton Arboretum
2 Taylor Road Acton MA 01720 

Date Visited: Wednesday, May 26, 2022

Bathrooms: One Porta-Potty 

Parking: Medium size parking lot off of Taylor Road. Ample Parking on weekdays. 

Shade: Ample

Benches/Tables: Yes, several picnic tables and park benches. Many picnic tables are fully accessible. 

Structure/Components: The Arboretum does not house a play structure. 

Accessibility: Many paved paths and bridges, making much of the Arboretum accessible. A handicapped accessible trail, "The Wildflower Trail", provides access to the herb garden, butterfly garden, hosta garden, daylily garden, rhododendron garden, lilac fragrance garden, and a pond. The Wildflower Trail provides access to a wide range of woodland habitats.

Additional Features: The Arboretum offers incredible hikes on their trail system through open meadows, beside woodland ponds, along a glacial esker, and through a bog. Free library box near the entrance of the Arboretum. 

The Acton Arboretum is one of my families favorite spots in Acton. If we want to spend time outside, the arboretum is the one place that is always agreed upon. While the Arboretum doesn't have any traditional play structures like many of the playgrounds on our list, there is so much it has to offer. 

The Arboretum offers lots of open space, accessible picnic tables, benches and shade, making it a wonderful place for an afternoon picnic. Or even a great place to have snack time (our personal favorite).

When entering Acton Arboretum from Taylor Road you begin on the Orchard Loop Trail (a part of the Main Trail Loop). The Orchard Loop Trail is handicapped-accessible, has several benches, picnic tables and a stone reading circle in the open grassy area. There are several gardens along the Orchard Loop trail including the Herb Garden, the Butterfly Garden, and the Hosta Garden. 

The Acton Arboretums greatest feature is it's beautiful trails. Their trail system passes through open meadows, a bog, along woodland ponds and a glacial esker. Taking the Main Trail Loop (1.5 mi -  marked yellow) will allow you to see all of what the Arboretum has to offer. If you are looking for a shorter walk, there are many Secondary Trails (marked blue) that make looping back to the main entrance easy.

Along a section of the Main Trail Loop, you will find the Wildflower Loop Trail. The Wildflower Trail leaves and rejoins the Orchard Loop Trail, along the Main Trail Loop . Much of the Wildflower Loop Trail has a handicapped-accessible path, which is also great if you are bringing a stroller for young children. The Wildflower Loop also features two ponds, benches, and a boardwalk crossing a small brook. In the summertime, the ponds are covered in green duckweed and are the home to many frogs and turtles. My kids and I loved searching for frogs along the edge of the pond. 

My toddlers love to climb! For us, the Arboretum is the perfect place for my kids to freely explore and be adventurous. The park acts as the perfect outdoor playground.

The Highland/Bog Loop Trail is the perfect trail for your little adventurer. This is the longest of the trails and takes you from the highest to the lowest points of the Arboretum. The trail passes through a variety of forest types, plant growth, and geological features. It also has a beautiful art installation of "Forest Stones" scattered by the trailside. The southern side of the trail follows a narrow esker left by the melting of a glacier. After you pass the esker, the trail takes you on a boardwalk across the bog. The sounds of the various nature creatures is always loud and exciting. My kids love looking for frogs and finding the source of the sounds. 

Whether you are looking to have a relaxing picnic, find a shady place to read a book, walk through the gardens, take a hike, search for bugs, climb, or explore. The Acton Arboretum is the perfect place to visit in any season. After a good rain, we love stopping by in our rainboots for some puddle jumping!

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