#hikethehilltowns with us!
Dorothy Frances Rice Wildlife Area Group Hike
September 24th @ 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
85 South Road, Peru, MA 01035
Parking is along the road.
GPS 42.426640, -73.048712
Hike Rating: Easy to Moderate
Approx. 4 miles with options for after main event
www.hilltownhikers.com
Join us at a very special wild place filled with wildlife….
It’s up in the wilds of Peru, named for its 2,043-foot average elevation, highest in the state. Here you can find total solitude, tranquility and unspoiled beauty. Dorothy Frances Rice Sanctuary is nearly 300 acres of woodlands, meadows and a pond for everyone to enjoy.
The sanctuary was established in the late 1920s on property owned by Oran Rice, a New York City architect, and his wife, Mary, to honor their daughter, a recent Smith College graduate who had succumbed to tuberculosis. Dorothy Frances loved this land, the site of her family’s summer home. After Oran Rice died, his widow set up a family trust to preserve and maintain the land, which was donated to the New England Forestry Foundation in 1974, along with a maintenance fund for the trails and the caretaker’s cottage. The family’s summer home within the preserve had been destroyed by fire and later was demolished.
After a brief walk on Rice Road into the property (the road is closed to vehicles), a clearing reveals the former caretakers cottage, a wishing well, and an array of trail maps nearby. A notebook invites visitors to record their observations of flora and fauna.
There are six colored trails well marked and maintained by three volunteers. The red, white, orange, blue, yellow and pink trails are clearly marked with signs and arrows, so there’s no way to get lost, even though the wilderness area feels remote and isolated.
The well-detailed maps at the gate and the cabin area aid in navigating the trails, each of which is a half-mile to one-mile long. The Red Trail also honors the late Stephen J. Phillips, a Peru resident (1947-1995), who had served with distinction in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. A short path leads to a plaque flanked by small American flags. (BerkshireHiking.com)
Please email [email protected] or call/text 413-302-0312 if you have any questions.
Be prepared for water, rocks, roots and mud on the trail. Maps and bottled water will be provided. We hike rain or shine. Friendly dogs are welcome! Please Register (per carload) on https://westernmasshilltownhikers.ticketleap.com hike is free, donations are appreciated!
Tees, hoodies, hats, window stickers, artwork, and puzzles will be for sale at the hike, the complete free catalog of printed hiking maps will be there too. See all our events, maps, blog and photos at www.hilltownhikers.com For more hike information email: [email protected] or call/text 413-302-0312. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Meetup, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest and Twitter. Search our hashtags #westernmasshilltownhikers and #hikethehilltowns
Donate here: paypal.me/hilltownhikers Venmo: @hilltownhikers or on the donate link on the website. Home | Western Mass Hilltown Hikers (square.site) Please keep our beautiful places clean and carry in and carry out.
We head up the trail at 10:00 am sharp! See you all there!
Scan the QR Code with your phone to make a donation or
paypal.me/hilltownhikers
Venmo @hilltownhikers
Be prepared for water, rocks, roots and mud on the trail. Maps and bottled water will be provided. We hike rain or shine. Friendly dogs are welcome! Please Register (per carload) on https://westernmasshilltownhikers.ticketleap.com hike is free, donations are appreciated!
Tees, hoodies, hats, window stickers, artwork, and puzzles will be for sale at the hike, the complete free catalog of printed hiking maps will be there too. See all our events, maps, blog and photos at www.hilltownhikers.com For more hike information email: [email protected] or call/text 413-302-0312. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Meetup, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest and Twitter. Search our hashtags #westernmasshilltownhikers and #hikethehilltowns
Donate here: paypal.me/hilltownhikers Venmo: @hilltownhikers or on the donate link on the website.
Please keep our beautiful places clean and carry in and carry out.
We head up the trail at 10:00 am sharp! See you all there!
.
Liability Waiver: As a condition of your
voluntary participation in this activity, you
acknowledge and agree to the following: this
activity involves inherent risks that can cause
property damage, injury, illness, disability,
and/or death to participants and/or others;
you assume all risk associated with this
activity; you are responsible for having the
necessary knowledge, skills, abilities,
clothing, and equipment to safely participate
in this activity; you know and will follow the
Hiker Responsibility Code described at
www.hikesafe.com;.the leader(s) of this
activity are volunteers; and you for yourself,
your heirs, executors, and administrators
release, hold harmless, and indemnify the
leader(s) and all members of this group from
any and all claims for property damage,
injury, illness, disability, and/or death -
including those caused by negligence and/or
other reasons.
