Hodges Village Dam
I like to play in the woods. Running, mountain biking, hiking, sometimes just wandering or taking pictures. For this post we’ll be visiting central Massachusetts, which is…honestly probably not as good as eastern or western Mass. That being said Worcester County is home to some pretty nice stretches of forest. Nothing too grandiose, I’m not talking National Parks or anything, but nice places to get in some nature time. The one I’ve most often frequented throughout my life is Hodges Village Dam, not too far from where I grew up.
I spent a bunch of time as a kid, and probably more as a returning adult, visiting Hodges but I never absorbed much of it. I knew a couple of trails that I frequented and had a passing knowledge of the dam but that was about it. I must have been something of a let down to my mother, who probably knows every trail in the entire place (if you want to see regular pictures of the area check out her Instagram). Luckily their website can help anyone new and those like me that never managed to absorb much (check it out here for all the information you could ever want).
The Dam is run together with the nearby Buffumville Lake by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. The Army Corps of Engineers say that there are 1200 acres of land at Hodges and that land is used for lots of different activities. Their website says there are 22 miles of trails and a 3 mile long canoe trail. The canoe trail is for…canoeing obviously. And I guess kayaking and other small boat activities. Unfortunately the area is full of beavers who take pleasure in building dams to block stuff and flood trails, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it was difficult to paddle the entire trail. The 22 miles of land trails are spread out on either side of the north-south running French River. The west side allows hunting and the use of dirt bikes, and both sides permit activities like running, hiking, and mountain biking. There’s also a disc golf course for people looking for something relaxing and new.
A piece of trail showing a misstate trail marker and a Hodges trail marker
Although not huge, the area is certainly big enough to get lost in. Luckily it’s very well marked, and if you know what they mean it’s easy enough to find your way back. On the west side of the river the trees are marked with orange rectangles and the east side is marked with blue rectangles. On either side there may be a black dot in the middle of the rectangle. The dot means you’re heading towards the dam, while no dot means you’re heading a way from the dam. There are also yellow triangles, which denote the Midstate Trail, which goes through the property. If you start from the dam it’s not too difficult to make your way back if you remember what the symbols mean.
On any given (nice) day you’ll see a handful of people out in the trails, although it’s rarely crowded. Some are walking around and taking pictures and others are just out for their daily exercise. I’ve found the people I’ve stumbled across in the woods to be very friendly, always ready with a hello for their fellow wanderer. In addition to people you may catch sight of some wildlife. Being a park the majority of the area is wooded. While wandering the woods you’ll catch sight of the normal stuff like squirrels and crows, but you might get lucky and see a deer or a turkey. Near the marshes and river you might see an egret or heron in addition to the ducks and geese. And of course there are plenty of frogs and toads and some turtles and snakes if you keep your eyes open. I’ve always found that the best trips into the woods are the ones where I spot some interesting critter. The one thing you need to be wary of is dogs. Although they are supposed to be leashed, many people walk their dogs unleashed and they’re not always friendly.
The best part of Hodges is that it isn’t too big. It’s easily taken in in small chunks. One week explore some trails, then the next week explore some new ones. Use a GPS to map your walk/run/ride to see where you went, then try to go somewhere new the next time. Wandering down a new path often yields a new view of the wetlands or gives you a new route to somewhere you often go. I’m regularly surprised when a new trail I haven’t been on ends somewhere I’m familiar with.
The dam is easily accessible from Central Massachusetts. Hop on I-395 going south in Worcester (the highway is called I-290 a little north of Worcester, Ma then changes to I-395 in Worcester) and get off at exit 4B onto Sutton Ave. Go straight through the intersection in Oxford onto Charlton St and drive about a mile until you reach Old Howarth Road. Turn right onto Old Howarth Road, drive up to the parking lot, and take off!
One of the things I look forward to most when I go home is getting to wander around the woods a little. I hope everyone else gets a chance to explore their surroundings and commune with nature a bit.
Thanks for reading and I'll see you on my next trip. Don't forget to click the links below and follow to stay up to date on what I'm doing and where I am and to see all the pictures and videos from my trips.