A little history on the area. The entire area was a working farm community for the mentally ill, until 1975, when they went from a cottage community for the mentally ill, to incarceration (this link is the best I could find on the actual history). The entire area, which is located behind the Gardner State Prison, is approximately 2000 acres of multi use land, which, at times, has been used for agriculture, but, when we were out there, the fields don't look as they've been used in several years (there is various vegetation growing in them, to include several saplings). The area can be used for hunting, and is popular with dog walkers as well, as there is a semblance of roads still remaining.
We had a good time, I showed him a couple knots to learn, and we worked on setting up a tarp in a couple different configurations. The entire area is separated by a rail line that runs roughly north to south. We stayed almost entirely on the western side, only crossing the tracks to check out the abandoned cemetery (and dry our socks).
Below, you will find some pics, and a short video I did of us crossing the flooded road (on our way back). This entire WMA is an amazing place to visit, and, even though there are scant entries found online regarding it, the history is pretty interesting. Massachusetts was famous for abuse of its mentally ill (just check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titicut_Follies, which was typical for how they were treated here), so its no surprise there is little documentation. Most of the buildings are gone now, the few that remain are not safe to enter, and posted with signs. Enjoy the pics!
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