Hosmer Land
Year Acquired: 1961 and 1962
Size: 13.8 acres
Miles of Trails: 0.5 miles on Land Trust land
Features: Historic water tower, beautiful river views, steep eskers, large agricultural fields.
Overview
Located west of Old Road to Nine Acre Corner (ORNAC), Hosmer Land makes an interesting walk through steep and glaciated terrain, and is also an important link in the Mattison Field loop trail. One parcel consisting of almost 11 acres was donated by Gladys Hosmer, and an additional three acres were donated by the J&E Company. The loop trail that now runs through Hosmer Land and Mattison Field represents a great example of a preservation partnership, explained below.
Trails: Some steeper areas; Mattison Field is a flatter, easier walk.
Entrances/Parking: Parking is available along ORNAC across from the Deaconess Well entrance. The Town’s Mattison Field parking is located on the east side of ORNAC– across the street and just south of Thornton Lane. Mattison Field can also be accessed by foot from Sudbury Road via a trailhead just south of house #920.
Map Legend
Icons on the map can be clicked to get directions on Google Maps (works best for Parking Icons). Many Land Trust properties have trails that cross onto other land. Please stay on trails and abide by posted signs.
Explore the Land
The loop trail runs through Hosmer Land and Mattison Field. Walking counterclockwise, trails around Mattison Field run past a historic water tower which supported dairy cows that once grazed on this land. The field is partially cultivated farmland and is an important breeding ground for grassland birds, so please stay on the mowed trails and leash your dog from April 1 to July 31. To reach Sudbury Road by foot, a trail in the southeast corner of the property goes across a stream and through the woods over a Land Trust easement. Pine and hemlocks border the trail and the understory is full of ferns in the summer.
At the northeast corner of Mattison Field, a trail runs near the river to the Deaconess Well property and to ORNAC. A short segment of this trail crosses private property over which the Land Trust holds an easement. After crossing ORNAC, you can continue on the Town trail that leads to Hosmer Land. As you approach Hosmer Land, the trail ascends an esker that resembles a cobbled walkway. The esker was created when sediment and stones fell to the bottom of a glacial stream that eventually became high ground when the glaciers receded.
Hosmer Land is known for its dramatic topography, formed 15,000 years ago when the last glacier receded from Concord. The woods here are filled with oaks and white pines interspersed with beeches, birches, maples, and hemlocks. In the spring, you can find Canadian mayflower, starflower, and lady-slippers along the trail, which rings with the songs of birds and frogs. Nearby, Brown’s Pond is a large vernal pool that is an important breeding habitat for woodland amphibians such as spring peepers, wood frogs, and spotted salamanders. The trail continues out of the woods and around a farmfield. It ends at Old Road to Nine Acre Corner, where you can cross the street to return to the parking lot and kiosk.
History of Preservation
Gladys Hosmer donated almost 11 acres of woodland to the Land Trust in 1961. A year later, the J&E Company donated an additional 3 acres. In 1998, the Land Trust joined with the Friends of Mattison Field, local and state leaders, and the Trust for Public Land, a national non-profit organization, to preserve 43 acres of farm field. The land, Mattison Field, is now owned and managed by the Town of Concord.
