Lyons-Cutler Reservation

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The Lyons-Cutler Reservation is located along the Allowance Brook adjacent to Sudbury Water District and other Town of Sudbury lands. The contiguous open space totals more than 340 acres, and is just upstream from the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge.
Much of the 73 acres of Sudbury Valley Trustees’ reservation is wetlands; however there is also a large central upland area. This land was cleared and used as farmland until 1921, when it was sold and allowed to return to a forested state. Today, SVT manages a three mile trail system here that is open to the public. The upland area is roughly divided into red maple forest on the east and mixed oak forest on the west, with a large stand of white pine in the center of the northern portion. Old ditches, possibly used as property boundaries, border some edges of the reservation and also run through the middle of the upland region. A number of very large trees, including red maple, white oak, and white pine, grow on either side of the interior ditch. The upland forest descends gently to a red maple swamp to the south and east, and shrub swamp along the banks of Allowance and Hop Brooks on the north and west. The understory throughout the reservation is largely high bush blueberry and buckthorn, and cinnamon fern dominates large portions of the herbaceous layer.
Directions: 

If school is not in session, parking is available on the right side of Israel Loring School. Take Landham Road south from Route 20 in Sudbury. Follow Landham Road for .8 mi, and turn right on Woodside Road. The school will be on your right after .4 mi. Park and walk back to Woodside Road and continue down Woodside Road a short distance to Cutler Farm Road. Turn left on Cutler Farm Road, walk past Read Road to the corner where Cutler Farm Road turns right. Facing the home at 42 Cutler Farm Road, look to the left edge of the yard, to the right of a small wetland, and less than 100 yards from the sidewalk to find a SVT trail marker set on a short post in the path. The trail follows an easement over private property, please stay along the edge of the private yard until the trail signs direct you into the forest.

Alternatively, from Sudbury Center (intersection of Route 27, or Old Sudbury Road, and Concord Road) go south on Concord Road. After .6 mi, bear right at “Y” intersection onto Union Avenue. Follow Union Avenue to Route 20 (a total of 1.5 mi from Sudbury Center). Turn left on Route 20 (east) and go .1 mi to Raymond Road on the right (which is also marked by signs for the Garden in the Woods). Go right on Raymond Road and go about .2 mi to Feeley Field on the left. Park and walk south about .4 mi along the paved sidewalk next to Raymond Road. Past a brick town water building and almost opposite a 30 mph sign on the right side of the road, there will be a trail entrance on the left.

Click here to visit Google Maps for specific directions from your home.

Town/City: 
Sudbury
Size: 
95 acres