Crocker Conservation Area Mountain Biking Trails

Located less than one mile north of Fitchburg Common, the 150-acre Crocker Conservation Area offers a gateway to over 2,500 acres of protected land, abutting the Audubon Flat Rock Wildlife Sanctuary and over 2000 acres of watershed land owned by the City of Fitchburg.

In 1994, Bigelow and Jeanne Crocker donated 127 acres of forested land to North County Land Trust. In 1999, NCLT learned that 30 acres of city-owned land, containing the 17 acre Overlook Reservoir and a smaller reservoir would be decommissioned, placing the land at risk for conversion by the city to other uses. To protect this important open space next to the Crocker Conservation Area, NCLT offered to give the city 1.5 acres of conservation land on which to construct a water tank, in exchange for a conservation restriction on the city’s land. The Overlook Reservoir Gatehouse, a granite block structure at the Reservoir dam, can still be used to control water in the reservoir.

In 2003, the Crocker Family donated a 23-acre parcel on Caldwell Street to augment the Conservation Area and increase its size to 149 acres. The historic Fitchburg Town Pound is part of the Conservation Area, located at the Ashburnham Hill Road entrance. Once used to impound wandering livestock, the Town Pound is comprised of a stone wall enclosure and a gate and was recently restored by the land trust.

Today, the central feature of the Crocker Conservation Area is the beautiful Overlook Reservoir, and walking the relatively flat trails around its perimeter provides a favorite loop for many local people. For those who wish to explore further there are 4 miles of trails ranging from cart roads to single track trails, which cover a wide variety of terrain and provide many options for other loops.

The spice bush is stunning on the Lower Loop trail in April, the Mountain Laurel lights up Big’s Bushwhack at the Summer Solstice and blueberries are a great snack in July Crocker Conservation Area welcomes multi-use recreation and is a favorite destination for dog walkers. Hunting and motorized vehicles are prohibited.