Beginner's Barefoot Hike at Reading Town Forest

Come join us in Reading, MA for a beginner-level barefoot
outing on Sunday, June 24 at 10:00 AM!

This is a leisurely woodland hike, about 2.8 miles, suitable for
people relatively new to the unshod hiking concept. The terrain
consists mostly of soft pine-needle carpet, generic dirt with
leaf-litter padding, and a few mild roots and rocks here and
there. There are only a couple of slightly gravelly stretches
which don't take long to get past. And no visible broken glass!

The park is the Reading Town Forest:
https://www.readingma.gov/sites/readingma/files/file/file/town_forest_trail_map_11x8_1.pdf
The place really is a hidden gem, with stately cathedrals of
tall pines, some nice ridge walks and swamps, and borders the
Ipswich River in a very popular bird-watching area. There's
also an impressively large beaver dam.

Our meeting place is at 42.5525,-71.1160 if you like finding
coordinates on your GPS. Take your best route to I-95 north
[still called 128 on some maps, and really going east at that
point], to exit 38B to MA 28 north. Go 3.4ish miles, through
the center of Reading and continuing, to the traffic light at
Franklin St. There is a Mobil, Home Goods, and Dandi Lyons ice
cream place on that corner. Turn left, and west on Franklin St
about 0.7 mile is Sunset Rock Rd on the right, in the signed
school zone. Go up Sunset Rock, past what used to be the
cul-de-sac turnaround, and up to the Wood End School parking
lot to gather there. The trail begins to the west across
the athletic field.