7/16/2009
“THE NATURE TRAIL AND CRANBERRY BOG AT PATRIOT PLACE” OPENS
Half-mile scenic walking trail open daily from dawn till dusk. Trail features a wide variety and high concentration of wildlife and plant life.
Patriot Place has generated excitement by bringing fine dining, world-class live music and exclusive shopping opportunities to Foxborough, Mass. Now, Patriot Place is offering local residents a little bit of nature. Starting this week, Patriot Place is inviting the public to use and enjoy a new, half-mile nature trail.
“The Nature Trail and Cranberry Bog at Patriot Place” is a 32-acre cranberry wetland system and wooded area behind Bass Pro Shops at Patriot Place. The nature trail features a bridge and observation platform stretching across a six-acre pond, and contains a wide variety and high concentration of wildlife and plant life, making it both a stimulating location for light exercise and a fun, educational activity for children.
The trail is the first element of a collaboration between Patriot Place, Ocean Spray and Bass Pro Shops to create a publicly accessible open space area on Patriot Place grounds that will feature the last remaining active cranberry bog in the Town of Foxborough. In the coming months, educational signage explaining the life cycle of a cranberry will be added to the trail and visitors will witness “The Ocean Spray Bog” come to life.
“Patriot Place has brought new dining, shopping, lodging, entertainment and cultural attractions to Foxborough and the surrounding area. ‘The Nature Trail and Cranberry Bog at Patriot Place’ provides an additional free amenity for residents and visitors. The landscape is beautiful and makes an ideal backdrop for a morning walk or afternoon picnic,” said Patriot Place general manager Brian Earley.
Access to the trail and bog is free. The area is accessible from a dedicated parking lot to the right of the entrance to Bass Pro Shops. On good weather days, the trail can also be accessed via the rear doors and patio of Bass Pro Shops.
| “The Nature Trail and Cranberry Bog at Patriot Place”: |
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| Location: | Behind Bass Pro Shops at Patriot Place on Route 1 in Foxborough, Mass. |
| Parking and access: | From the south entrance (P9) to Patriot Place, take a right just before the Bass Pro Shops; Follow signs for “The Nature Trail and Cranberry Bog at Patriot Place” |
| Hours: | Dawn to dusk, seven days a week
Length of trail: One half mile |
| Width of trail: | Three to six feet
Grade of trail: Averages 3 percent; As steep as 12 percent in some areas |
| Trail material: | Wood mulch |
| Area of land: | 32 acres |
| Area of cranberry bogs: | 16 acres |
| Wild Life: | Great Blue Heron, swans, mallards, wood ducks, Canada geese, deer, foxes, raccoons, turtles, among others |
| Plant Life: | White Water Lilly, Pond Weeds, Wild Celery, Swamp White Oak, Red Maple, White Pine, Eastern Hemlock, Serviceberry, Cranberry, among others |