Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 29.

In these days of thickly settled communities one welcomes an occasional glimpse of woodland scenery, however fleeting. Here in Medford the visitor may avail himself of brief tours on excellent tree-lined roads through sylvan scenery unsurpassed. Should he care to prolong his stay, excursions in the Fells, where craggy hills delight, sequestered glades invite, rock-strewn ravines enthrall, and tranquil pools entice, await his pleasure.

This tract of some twenty-two hundred acres of reserved State land forms a wooded paradise at the very gates of thriving modern cities. O'er these historic hills the native Indian trod, and to this day they have retained their primitive allure. Wild life is indeed depleted, yet varieties of game birds and small animals abound.

One may dispel the jaded feeling acquired through city life by idling time away to the harmony of song birds and the whisperings of trees caressed of breezes.

Let the pedestrian stroll through silent, shady glens past the Panther Cave and the Stone Face to the rush-bordered depths of Wright's pond; or wend his way along the reservoir to Spot pond with its attractive zoo. He may view these three waters while they are serene under a cloudless sky or tossing in white-capped rage when lashed by the wind-driven rain. Brooks there are, which take their murmuring course through fern-grown bottom lands or rush in miniature cascades down the rocky [p. 70] steeps, later to ripple gently toward the waters of the Mystic.

Motorist and pedestrian have access to excellent observatories, one at Bear hill, Stoneham, the other in the very heart of the Medford section of the Fells, a monument to the name of Lawrence. Both are easily reached from convenient roads. The variety of views from the latter tower are exceptional. From its base stretch wooded hills to the borders of suburban Boston. Beyond these districts can be seen the ocean, the Hub itself, the famed Blue hills and the Mystic lakes.

Bridle paths through all this scenic grandeur are innumerable. One might canter on unendingly each day along a different route.

In the winter, ponds where the lily blooms in season offer their icebound surfaces to skaters. Hills where daisies and buttercups nod beneath summer skies afford excellent tobogganing and skiing grounds; and over all this scene, so verdant in the springtime, so colorful under the masterful tints of autumn, the ardent snow-shoer may tread a sporty course when the bleak days of winter arrive.

Thus, in every season, the Medford Fells extend to all opportunity for rest, recreation and appreciation of the great out-doors. Visit these inspiring woodlands and see how beautiful is rugged Nature unmarred by modern enterprise.