Family on boardwalk Join today and get outside at one of our 60+ wildlife sanctuaries.
Family on boardwalk Join today and get outside at one of our 60+ wildlife sanctuaries.
Pond reflects the blue cloudy sky and pine trees surrounding the banks.
© Linda MacMillan

Rutland Brook Wildlife Sanctuary

  • Petersham
  • 1779 Acres

Plan Your Visit

Adjoining neighboring conservation lands, Rutland Brook is part of one the most extensive parcels of uninterrupted protected land in central Massachusetts. Here, moderate-to-strenuous interlinking trails wind though cathedral-like stands of hemlocks and white pine and along boulder-strewn Rutland Brook.

Directions to Rutland Brook

Property Regulations

  • Foot travel only; please stay on trails (day passes are available for powered mobility devices)
  • Dog walking and horseback riding are prohibited; please leave all animals and pets at home (service animals welcome)
  • Camping, collecting, smoking, hunting, fishing, releasing of animals, and feeding wildlife is prohibited.
  • Commercial photography needs prior approval; please see all photography guidelines.

Facilities

  • Parking
    Parking

Explore Rutland Brook

  • Black butterfly with white bands and orange dots on the wings.
    White Admiral, Rutland Brook, Petersham
  • Large rocks on a hill, mixed with green trees.
    Rutland Brook, Petersham
  • A fallen log in a pond with plants and moss growing from it. Tall pine trees and green vegetation surround the pond.
    Rutland Brook, Petersham
  • A bare forest floor with tall tree trunks. Green canopy is visible.
    Rutland Brook, Petersham
  • Person in a hat looking out over the pond, a dead, fallen tree in front of them.
    Rutland Brook, Petersham
  • Rushing, rocky brook in a forest. Mossy trees and tree stumps on the banks.
    Rutland Brook, Petersham © Lucy Allen