Halloween Cemetary & Cellar Hole Hike in Fitchburg

Please join us (Chris & Josiah) for an autumn Halloween hike at Flat Rock Wildlife Sanctuary and Fitchburg Watershed. We will meander our way through rolling trails and old roads reclaimed by nature. At about the halfway point, we will come to a small 19th century cemetery which may be a good spot to eat a substantial snack. Expect te whole hike to take up to 3 hours, but we will most likely finish in <3 hours. There are options to extend the hike if people want, and there will be trail junctures for an easy return to the parking lot if people can only join us for part of the hike.

Parking: We will meet at the Flat Rock entrance behind Burbank Hospital which has ample parking (carpooling is encouraged whenever possible). Use 85 Burbank St, Fitchburg, MA 01420 as a destination.

Public transit: The Wachusett/Fitchburg train leaves North Station at 7:45am and arrives in Fitchburg at 9:10. The train passes through some notable cities and towns such as Waltham, Concord, Littleton/495, and Ayer. if anyone needs to take the train, please let josiah know and he can pick you up at the Fitchburg station (the stop before Wachusett)

Post-hike: If time allows, we can grab lunch at a local restaurant. Group size may determine the venue. Some suggestions:

• Mill No. 3 Farmstand (deli sandwiches), Fitchburg
• Rise & Grind Cafe, Fitchburg
• Tacos Tequila, Fitchburg
• Thirsty Robot Brewery, Fitchburg
• Victor's on Main (Dominican), Fitchburg
• Wachusett Brewery, Westminster

Trip activity level - Relaxed: Suitable for most active participants with full mobility and participants new to the activity described. Expect to be actively on the move for about 3 hours/day. You may be on the trail, slopes, or water for a longer time, but there will be plenty of rest breaks.

Although trip activity levels can be highly subjective, CMC often refers to the AMC's guide for a trip's activity rating so there are clear and objective descriptors: https://www.outdoors.org/trip-rating/

Please read the above description and assess your own ability to participate in an activity. Remember, this is not a race, so the group may move at a slower pace.

Property and trail description: Our route will be different than described, but we will be exploring many of the same paths and trails described, https://www.massaudubon.org/places-to-explore/wildlife-sanctuaries/flat-rock/trails

Property Regulations: As a CMC event, we must observe property rules at places we visit. Although many wildlife sanctuaries and drinking water supply lands are popular for various kinds of reasons, we must follow the stricter of both property regulations as we will be crossing into different wildlife areas:

• Foot travel only; please stay on trails
• Dog walking is prohibited; please leave your four-legged friends at home (well-behaved leashed - by city ordnance - service animals welcome)
• Please refrain from foraging, smoking, and feeding wildlife