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Shapleigh Town Forest
 
Note: A complete pamphlet describing the forest and details of the map and items of interest is available from the town offices. The comments below are extracted from this brochure to give the viewer an idea of the existing paths.
 

                              Forest Map                                                                        Directions
  
Start from the parking lot for the Town Beach. Take the snowmobile trail heading north across the street from the parking lot. Walk the snowmobile trail up the hill until the Town Forest walking trail heads across what was an agricultural field in the nineteenth century.

     You will have to walk over a number of dead, fallen trees. These trees were blown down in a storm since the woodlot was thinned.

The trail continues on the other side of Town Farm Road. The trail circles around the cellar hole and then passes by the barn cellar hole before heading east again through the woods.

From the homestead the farm inhabitants had to cross a wet area to reach fields and pasture further to the east. They built path crosses the causeway before turning to the right to follow an intermittent outlet stream downhill.
When you follow near the intermittent stream you will come to a junction where the main trail goes left and a side trail crosses the stream. Take the right hand trail if you wish to return to the parking lot by way of Square Pond road, or you wish to visit the Boston cemetery.

To continue on the trail recross the streambed, or turn left at the intersection mentioned above, and continue in a northerly direction through a pine stand. At least some of the trail in this section follows a game path through the woods.

The trail then descends into an area called a treeless kettle hole or frost pocket. It is a bowl filled with low bush blueberries.

When the trail ascends out of the bowl, it brings you to the Great Hollow Road. At this point you can either retrace your steps or turn right and follow the road to the Square Pond Road. Once on the Square Pond Road turn right, or west, and head back to the parking area.