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.
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.
Wetland Birds
Life Among the Reed Beds
Wetlands provide a variety of food sources including fish, frogs and insects.
Forest Birds
Life Within the Canopy
Listen, can you hear them? Birds flock to forests that are near water.
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.
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.
Tree Identification
Look for These Trees Along the River
As in most of New England, the dominant living organisms of this park are trees.
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.
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.
