Trails & Maps

There are three major trails at the Acton Arboretum, along with a number of interconnecting paths. The main trails are the Orchard Loop, the Wildflower Loop, and the Highland/Bog Loop. An access route that connects to the Arboretum from the Town center green runs parallel to Taylor Road. Click the image below for a trail map.

The Orchard Loop Trail is a perimeter of the upper area of the Arboretum together with the old orchard grid to its south. This 1,200-foot (0.2 mile) trail begins at the Taylor Road parking lot and is handicapped-accessible with gentle grades, a crushed stone base, and a number of benches along its length. Gardens along this trail include the Herb Garden, the Butterfly Garden, and the Hosta Garden, all situated around an open grassy area. Picnic tables and a stone reading circle provide places to rest. Situated along the more southerly reaches of the Orchard Trail are the Rhododendron Garden, groups of Japanese larches with an arbor, and areas of wetlands.

The Wildflower Loop Trail leaves and rejoins the Orchard Loop Trail on the western and eastern sides of the Arboretum property. On the right is the handicapped-accessible Fragrance Garden with benches. Features along this route are two ponds, an extensive Wildflower Trail with several benches, and a Fern Boardwalk crossing a small brook. In the summertime, the two ponds are solid green with duckweed and host many frogs and turtles.

The Highland/Bog Loop Trail is a 3,500-foot (0.7 mile) journey from the highest area in the Arboretum to the lowest. The 30 acres traversed by this trail comprise a wide variety of forest types, succession growth, and geological features. It is based on old farm roads, cow paths, and foot trails, and is not handicapped-accessible. A most unusual feature of this area is the art installation of “Forest Stones”, subtly scattered by the trailside. This collection of twenty-two fieldstones, each inscribed with a single word, was retained by popular demand from the 1995 Environmental Sculpture Exhibit. Along the southwestern portion, the trail follows a narrow, long hill or esker that is a raised gravel streambed left by the melting of a receding glacier. After descending the esker, the trail crosses a quaking bog along a winding boardwalk. In a short distance, the trail leads back towards the main Arboretum and completes the Highland/Bog Loop.