Metro West

Fork Factory Brook

Medfield

135 acres

Follow a network of trails through wetland, hayfields, and wooded upland to discover views and the foundations of an historic mill.

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Plan Your Visit
  • Overview
  • Ideas for Your Visit
  • Admission & Hours
  • Directions & Contact Info
  • Property Map
  • Regulations & Advisories

Overview

Fork Factory Brook’s trails run over an unexpected diversity of landscapes, from wetlands to fields of the former Long Acre Farm, and even to the remains of the successful 19th-century pitchfork mill that gave the reservation its name. Part of a much larger original farm holding, the fields of Long Acre Farm have been cultivated for at least 300 years. Throughout the 18th century, it was a classic self-sufficient farming operation that pastured livestock, grew crops, and harvested hay.

Ideas for Your Visit

Explore this bucolic landscape along a mile and a half of easy hiking trails.

When to Visit
Year-round, daily, sunrise to sunset. Allow a minimum of 1 hour, 3 hours if also visiting Rocky Woods.

Admission & Hours

Trustees Members: FREE.
Nonmembers: $5 per vehicle.

Parking is available at nearby Rocky Woods.

Directions & Contact Info

38 Hartford Street
Medfield, MA 02052
Telephone: 508.785.0339
E-mail: charlesrivervalley@thetrustees.org

Get directions on Google Maps.

From I-95/Rt. 128: Exit 31B onto Rt. 109 West for 5.7 mi. through Westwood and into Medfield. Take right hairpin turn onto Hartford St. in Medfield. Follow for 0.6 mi. to Rocky Woods parking on left. Fork Factory Brook entrance is on opposite side of Hartford St. from Rocky Woods.

From Intersection of Rts. 27 & 109 (Medfield): Take Rt. 109 East. Bear left onto Hartford St. and follow for 0.6 mi. to Rocky Woods parking area (100 cars). Fork Factory Brook entrance is on opposite side of Hartford St. from Rocky Woods.

Property Map

Free trail map distributed from bulletin board in the parking area. Please understand that supplies periodically run out.

We recommend that you take a photo of the map on your phone so you can refer to it during your visit, or download a trail map before you head out.

Regulations & Advisories

  • Authorized seasonal bow hunting is allowed on this reservation with written permission for a limited number of hunters through a deer management program administered by The Trustees. Per MassWildlife regulations, hunting is permitted from the first Monday in October through December each year, from ½ hour before sunrise all day until ½ hour after sunset, Monday through Saturday. Hunting is not allowed on Sundays. Signage is posted at the property listing safety precautions and requirements. Learn more about hunting on Trustees properties. Any questions may be directed to The Trustees at info@thetrustees.org.
  • Mountain biking permitted only on designated trails. Trails are closed to mountain biking March 1 to April 30, during muddy season.
  • Dogs must be kept on leash and on the trail. Dogs are not allowed in the open pasture adjacent to the active agriculture fields.
  • PHOTOGRAPHY: We ask that photographers or their clients become Supporting Level Members before conducting portrait sessions at this property. Click here for more information, and to request permission for any portrait sessions. The Trustees of Reservations reserves the right, and may give permission to its designated photographers and videographers, or to outside media, to photograph or video visitors and program participants at all its facilities and properties.
Before Setting Out
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From farm to mill to factory

Throughout the 18th century, Long Acre Farm was a classic New England self-sufficient farming operation that pastured livestock, grew crops, and harvested hay. It also produced rope from hemp, processed flax and wool, made butter and cheese, and used animal byproducts to make candles and boots.

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The View From Here
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