Blackstone Interpretive Signage

Boardwalk and Bridge Over the Middle River at Blackstone Gateway Park

Welcome to the nature trail at Blackstone Gateway Park! Here you will find a series of nine educational signs along the trail as you explore your beautiful surroundings.

The City continues to work toward beautifying Worcester with the Blackstone Gateway Park. This nature-focused park has approximately one half mile of accessible walking paths, elevated boardwalks and three bridges crossing the headwaters of the Blackstone River along McKeon Road. Along the trails and boardwalks, you will see observational platforms, kiosks and interpretive signage. These signs provide historical and ecological information about the wildlife and plants in the area, as well as the Blackstone River and the role it played in the history of Worcester and the Blackstone Valley Corridor.

Click on a sign below to learn more while you explore!

History of Worcester's Blackstone River

Remembering the People and Places that Powered the Industrial Revolution

Remnants of this early industry are visible in the rail bridge and the dam.

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Interpretive Sign - History of Worcester's Industrial Revolution

Dragonfly Life Cycle

Helpful Hunters of the Wetlands

Buzzing through the air, these insect predators spend most of their time looking for their favorite foods: mosquitos, flies and other insects.

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Interpretive Sign - Dragonfly Life Cycle

Wetland Birds

Life Among the Reed Beds

Wetlands provide a variety of food sources including fish, frogs and insects.

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Interpretive Sign - Wetland Birds

Forest Birds

Life Within the Canopy

Listen, can you hear them? Birds flock to forests that are near water.

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Interpretive Sign - Forest Birds

Tracks & Scat

Reading the Signs Animals Leave Behind

Identifying animal tracks and scat can open up an unseen world, a window into the lives of shy and elusive animals.

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Interpretive Sign - Tracks & Scat

Riparian Wetlands

The Fluvial Process Builds Habitat

The Middle River flows slowly most of the year but can flood with tremendous force, rising to just below the height of the deck you are on now.

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Interpretive Sign - Riparian Wetlands

Tree Identification

Look for These Trees Along the River

As in most of New England, the dominant living organisms of this park are trees.

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Interpretive Sign - Tree Identification

Amphibians & Reptiles

Hop, Slither, Slide!

Amphibians and reptiles are cold-blooded vertebrates (animals with backbones) that usually lay eggs and are inactive from late fall until spring.

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Interpretive Sign - Amphibians & Reptiles

Ecology & Environmental Challenges

Working with Natural Systems to Strengthen Our Environment

How land and how water is treated in the watershed has much to do with the water quality of the river.

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Interpretive Sign - Ecology & Environmental Challenges

Quick Facts

Blackstone Gateway Park
15 McKeon Road
Worcester, MA 01610

District: 3

Size: 30.0 acres

Parking Lot(s): No

City of Worcester
Worcester 311
Monday - Friday
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Phone: 311
Contact Us
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