"Fells" is the Saxon word for rocky, hilly tracts of land - an apt name for this scenic area which is rich in local history. This picturesque area was once favored for timber, granite quarrying, ice industry, and water power for the many mills including one that manufactured some of the first vulcanized rubber products. Today, the Middlesex Fells Reservation's 2,075 acres offer a welcome retreat for city dwellers and a suitable terrain for hikers, horseback riders, rock climbers, cross-country skiers and picnickers as well as natural and cultural history buffs.

Special features for visitors include the Sheepfold picnic area, Bellevue Pond and Virginia Wood. The Sheepfold is 10 acres of open field, ideal for picnics, frisbee playing and informal games. Bellevue Pond is a seasonal pond surrounded by trails and wide fire roads, some leading up to Wrights Tower which looks out over the Boston Basin. Virginia Wood, the site of a vanished mill village called "Haywardville" is now a dense hemlock enclave.

• Have a picnic and play frisbee in Sheepfold, a 10-acre open field.
• Hike up to Wrights Tower and look out over the Boston skyline