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Area Recreation
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Area RecreationTown Recreation Programs Nonresidents may participate in all programs. Carlisle
- and see the summer
program in particular Playgrounds In Carlisle there is the public school playground, called "Carlisle Castle" since most of it is a wooden castle-shaped climbing structure. It is located in the wooded area at the corner of School St. and Church St. Through August 8 it is not available until after 3:00 because our town’s a summer "camp." But during the rest of August it ought to be available. There is also a small playground designed for children under age 6 below the tennis courts further down Church St. There are also nice public playgrounds in all neighboring towns. For example there is one across from the public library in Bedford on Mudge Way, just off for the Great Rd./Route 225 on the right. Swimming in ponds and small lakes Walden
Pond State Reservation Spring
Brook Park NARA Park Micozzi Beach/Nutting
Lake Forge Pond in Forge
Village, Westford Edward's Beach in
Nabnasset, Westford. Berry Pond, Harold
Parker State Forest Breakheart Reservation Willard Brook State
Forest Swimming pools I just now found about free state swimming pools. Here are the nearest free state swimming pools. We have not been to them, so we cannot recommend them:
Ocean beaches north of Boston (all about an hour’s drive) Salisbury Beach State
Reservation Hampton Beach State
Park Wingaersheek Beach Crane Beach And for more: http://www.seecapeann.com/beach_article.html Cycling Riding in our neighborhood and on some streets in Carlisle is OK for the children if not during busy traffic times: weekends and between approximately 9:30 am and 2:30 pm on weekdays. During these times it would be safer for children to ride from our house along certain streets in Carlisle. The main roads have too much fast traffic for young children, but a section of East St., from Rutland St. to Maple St., has a bicycle lane, so it is safe. The "loop" from next door to our house around Tophet Road / Carleton Road / East Riding Drive is fairly safe. Some of the hills in our neighborhood and elsewhere are quite steep, so young children, with bikes without gears, may find it difficult. Some of the trails in Great Brook Farm State Park are wide enough and OK for bicycles. Although ours are not "mountain" bikes, you might try it. You could even ride to Great Brook Farm State Park from our house via North Rd., but a section of that road is very narrower with curves. The nearest paved bike pathway is a former railroad track called "Minuteman Commuter Bikeway". It goes from Bedford all the way into Cambridge (11 miles). It starts at the corner of South Rd. and Loomis St. in Bedford. There is a bike shop at the start, where you may also rent bicycles or inline skates (Roller blades). This is a flat and easy ride, although not scenic, since it was a railroad line. It also passes near a small airport, which is noisy. We still recommend it, because it is very safe, and even young children can ride very far on it. You can stop in the center of Lexington, lock up the bikes, and look around there. It is best to ride when bike traffic is less: in the middle of the days on weekdays. On weekends and commuting hours on weekdays the bikeway can get crowded. Another bike/pedestrian pathway, which is not paved, is 5.5-mile Battleroad trail in Minuteman National Historical Park between Concord and Lexington. We have not yet ridden on it, but our friends recommend it. It is more scenic, and this is probably the best way to visit this park, with various small historical sites spread out. http://www.nps.gov/mima/ A little further away is the new Nashua River Trail, an 11-mile paved bikeway (also a former railroad bed) between Ayer, Dunstable, Groton, and Peperell, which we have ridden once. It is mostly in the woods. The nearest town on it is Groton. Trail walking/hiking Carlisle has many
good public trails, mostly in the woods, which are indicated on the Trails
Map booklet. The maps are also online: The widest trails (and hence you are a little further from the underbrush and mosquitoes) are in Great Brook Farm State Park. We have also enjoyed the trail at Conant Land, which starts behind the Town Hall on Westford Rd., near the center. Canoe and kayak rentals South
Bridge Boat House Movie theaters (cinemas) Movie listings in nearby towns (Google search on our zip code 01741) (Although it is probably a better idea to borrow videos or DVDs free of charge from the public libraries.) Miniature Golf Kimball
Farm (also an ice cream stand) Bowling Acton
Bowladrome & Arcade
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