Bridge over the Bungay river, lowing toward the Fish Hatchery in N. Attleboro
We visited the “Fish Hatchery” in North Attleboro on a gorgeous blue-sky winter morning. https://www.fws.gov/northattleboro/visit.html
Plan to visit Monday through Saturdays– the hatchery is closed Sundays and federal holidays. We first wandered past the fish tanks behind the main building and saw some pretty big fish.
Part of the fish hatchery equipment–several quite large fish swam in this tank
On another trip I’d love to “get the tour” of the hatchery and learn more about the work they do alongside the Bungay River.
On the trail, looking down the slope toward the pond,
The posted path is a nice under 1 mile loop trail over varied terrain, with views of the river and a dammed pond area. The loop trail travels the circumference of the pond. Steps lead up to some great views, and later back down, allowing for ease of travel.
Pretty little cascade along the feeder stream
The path is well-marked, and the bridge over the feeder stream offers a nice view of the cascading brook as it heads toward the ponded area.
Mallards paddled about in the small area of open water, but the bushes prevented good views of the ducks. I noticed a surprising lack of poison ivy along this entire trail system, at least I found none of the familiar “hairy roots” that are the give-away, even in winter, of the noxious plant’s presence. We also found a nice mix of pines and hardwoods throughout our walk.
Well maintained steps made the trip up the hill pretty easy
The trails held little ice, so we were able to keep up a comfortable pace throughout our hour or so visit. A number of additional trails branched off from the main trail, for those who are interested in additional exploring. This is definitely a candidate for a return visit.
With this outing in North Attleboro, I’m excited to begin a new quest to explore the Ten Mile River watershed in partnership with the Ten Mile River Watershed Council. The Council’s board recently agreed to begin work with me to compile information to create a book, “Easy Walks in the Ten Mile Watershed.” We will be detailing the recreational resources available within the watershed, which includes the Massachusetts towns of Plainville, Attleboro, North Attleboro, and Seekonk, as well as E. Providence and Pawtucket, RI.
Alissa, secretary of the ten Mile River Watershed Council, takes notes along the way
The mission of the Ten Mile River Watershed Council http://www.tenmileriver.net/ is “to promote the restoration of the Ten Mile River Watershed and encourage and support recreational activities within the watershed in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.” In the coming months, council members and I will be visiting and documenting the trails in these towns, taking pictures, and making choices about which trails are “Easy Walks.” W may include some trails with the caveat that they aren’t really easy, but are worth the extra effort to visit. And since the focus is the river, we’ll be including canoe and kayak put-ins along the river, as well.
Looking downstream from the bridge
It’s exciting to have partners to help create this latest upcoming edition in the “Easy Walks” series of trail guides. I’ll be sharing more photos and information in the days to come. I’m looking forward to discovering lots more “Easy Walks” and sharing what we learn with you!
Marjorie
Marjorie Turner Hollman is a writer who loves the outdoors, and is the author of Easy Walks in Massachusetts, 2nd edition, More Easy Walks in Massachusetts, 2nd edition, Easy Walks and Paddles in the Ten Mile River Watershed, and Finding Easy Walks Wherever You Are. Her memoir, the backstory of Easy Walks, is My Liturgy of Easy Walks: Reclaiming hope in a world turned upside down.
Marjorie Turner Hollman 