With a snow-free campus, clocks turned an hour forward and April just around the corner, it seems safe to say that spring weather is on its way. A change of seasons, for many students, comes with a sense of stir-craziness, a pang of wanderlust and a need to get off campus. These nearby spots are great for weekend or day trips and nature lovers of all kinds.
Walden Pond
For those looking to get out of the hustle and bustle of campus and city life, Walden Pond may just be the perfect place to kick back and relax. Or if you are feeling a bit more reflective, you can follow in the footsteps of philosopher Henry David Thoreau, who lived in the area from 1845-47. His book, "Walden, Or Life in the Woods" (1854), has inspired generations of environmentalists with descriptions of the area's natural beauty. Visitors are free to swim or go boating in the kettle pond created over 10,000 years ago by retreating glaciers, as well as to explore the surrounding forest.
Half an hour away from Tufts by car and an easy day trip by bike, Walden Pond quenches many a nature enthusiast's thirst for the outdoors.
Claire Lamneck, a freshman and member of Tufts Mountain Club (TMC), decided to bike to Walden Pond with friends early last semester. Though the bike ride took longer than expected, she felt the scenery was well worth it.
"We got to walk around the entire pond, and we got to see the sunset, which was really beautiful," Lamneck said. "It was a really fun day … and I recommend it to anyone."
The Middlesex Fells Reservation
The Middlesex Fells Reservation is one of the closest outdoor attractions to Tufts, where students can find their share of ponds and hiking trails only 10 minutes away by car. In nice weather, TMC leads regular trips to the area on weekdays. The Fells contains a variety of small ecosystems, including wetlands and oak forests, and has an important place in the history of the area as the home to many Native Americans before the colonial period. With 2,500 sprawling acres to explore just outside of Boston, the Fells is a unique metropolitan park.
"It's the largest forest preserve in an urban area anywhere in the country," Tufts Professor of Geology Jack Ridge said.
Ridge has spent significant time in the Fells gathering data to create a surficial geological map. His main goal is to find and record evidence of the glaciers, which previously moved across the land surface.
In addition to the land's scientific history, the Fells offer hiking trails and views everyone can appreciate.
"It's an interesting terrain," Ridge said. "You get really spectacular views of Boston."
Much of the upkeep of the Fells is performed by the group Friends of the Fells, which is dedicated to preserving the area and promoting nature recreation and education.
deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum
If hardcore hiking isn't your style, this unique attraction melds easy terrain with modern art. Visitors can stroll along the meandering paths through nature and more than 60 works of art. DeCordova also has a studio art program that offers tours, lectures and workshops regularly.
Ian MacLellan, a junior and Massachusetts native, often bikes to deCordova on sunny afternoons.
"It's a great place for a picnic," MacLellan said. "Probably the best place in the world for a picnic."
Located in Lincoln, Mass., deCordova is approximately an hour and a half away by bike and under half an hour by car. Student admission is $8, but a $2 "green discount" is given to anyone who arrives by bike. If cost is an obstacle, anyone with a Bank of America or Merrill Lynch credit or check card can get in for free on April 2 or 3 through Bank of America's Museums on Us Weekend.
Arnold Arboretum
For those in search of an easily accessible destination, the Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum can be reached via the MBTA Orange Line. The last stop, Forest Hills, has an exit directly to the arboretum. This cultivated park, the oldest public arboretum in North America, offers both aesthetic scenery and an educational bent and is a fresh alternative to the crowded Boston Common and Public Gardens. Visitors can learn about new plants, research and how to nurture their own green thumb.
"It's got lots of trails through a cultivated forest," Ridge said. "[There are] lots of labeled plants."
Though picnicking is prohibited to protect the plant collections, bikes are allowed on paved paths. Now that spring is near, the arboretum is offering events most days in April. In addition to viewing the vast collection of plants, students can peruse the arboretum's on-site library, view art exhibitions and attend a variety of tours and lectures.
Pawtuckaway State Park
Though this park is really only accessible from campus by car, Pawtuckaway gives students the chance to get into the wilderness and out of state. This 5,500-acre preserve in New Hampshire offers the opportunity for multitudes of outdoor activities including fishing, camping, skiing and bouldering. Pawtuckaway is another favorite spot of Ridge's, and he has led geological hikes in the area for students. One of his favorite aspects of the park is a boulder field, popular among climbers.
"It has piles of boulders that are the size of [a] building or half the size," Ridge said. "It's really, really neat."
Getting outdoors may be particularly attractive in the springtime, but Pawtuckaway is a year-round destination. Visitors can hike any of the three mountains in the park in warmer weather or snowshoe and Nordic ski in the winter months.
