After consuming a week’s worth of calories at a single meal, if you’re ready to burn some of them off, a hike might be in order. Whether you indulged in stuffing, pie or turkey, getting outside and enjoying the fresh air might be just what you need. Of course, you could also take a hike before you eat.
Whether your family likes to walk off dinner or you want to try a new tradition this year, there are plenty of trails in the area that are easy for the whole family.
Here are several easy-to-moderate trails in the greater Gardner area that are perfect for walking off Thanksgiving dinner.
Gardner
Lake Wampanoag Wildlife Sanctuary at Raymond Street in Gardner has two trails that are considered easy to hike and are less than a mile each. The sanctuary has the Meadow Trail and the Moosewood Trail, which are marked with blue and yellow circles. There is plenty of parking at the access point.
The Perley Brook Reservoir at 110 Clark St in Gardner is an easy, relatively flat 2-mile loop. People can find the trailhead sign on Clark Street. Parking is allowed on the street.
Ebenezer Keyes Conservation Area in Gardner has two access points on Keyes Road and two designated parking areas. One is just down Keyes Road, and the other is a parking lot on Princeton Street. In the conversation area, six different trails range from easy walkable to moderately difficult.
Rome Conservation Area at Brookside Drive in Gardner is considered to have easily walkable trails. A trailhead or parking area is not available, but parking is permitted on the side of the road.
Ashburnham
Mount Watatic State Reservation in Ashburnham has a 3-mile loop that is considered moderately difficult. The trailhead and designated parking are on Route 119 in Ashburnham.
Mount Watatic
Kirby Conservation Area, owned by North County Land Trust, has seven easy trails. There isn’t a trailhead or parking lot, but parking is allowed on the side of the road. To find the conservative area, drive north on Rindge Turnpike and turn right on Wilker Road. Continue on Wilker Rd until it turns sharply to the right, then turn left to access Kirby Conservation Area.
Paul C. Dunn Woodland Preserve is the second-largest conservation area owned by the Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust and features a 1-mile loop trail. The blue-blazed loop trail is considered easy, and hikers will start in the parking lot and end back at the parking lot. The 166-acre conservation land is at 2 Hewitt Rd in Ashburnham, on a dirt road directly across from Blueberry Rd. Parking is available at the kiosk.
Hubbardston
Post-Thanksgiving dinner hikers have access to a 1.4-mile trail loop at the Underwood Road Conservation Area in Hubbardston. The trail loop is considered easy and walkable, and parking is available on Underwood Road.
Also in Hubbardston is the Mount Jefferson Conservation Area, which has six trails that form a 3-mile loop called the Laurel Loop. It’s considered an easy-to-moderate hike, depending on the link trails you take. There is a parking area on New Templeton Road, where the Laurel Trail starts. Instead of doing all three 3-mile hikes, hikers can do the Copper Mine Trail, which connects to the Laurel Trail and returns to the parking area.
Phillipston
Another land conservation owned and maintained by Mount Grace is Fox Valley Wildlife Sanctuary. At the sanctuary, a 1-mile loop trail offers hikers a look at the area’s diverse plant species that inhabit the area, including the Christmas fern. Fox Valley is located at 166 Lincoln Rd in Phillipston. The entrance for the sanctuary is on the right side of Lincoln Road, past the sign for Popple Camp Brook Wildlife Management Area. There is a parking area by the kiosk.
Templeton
Dwelly Farm Conservation Area in Templeton has a couple of easy trails. The trailhead and parking area are on Barre Road.
The Monomonac Hill Conservation Area is the newest in Winchendon, purchased and maintained by North County Land Trust. The conservation area is open to the public year-round.
Winchendon
Monomonac Hill Conservation Area in Winchendon has a moderately difficult one-mile trail. The trailhead and small parking area for two or three cars are at Lakeview Drive in Winchendon. Parking is allowed on the street.
People can access Whitney Memorial Forest trails that overlook the Millers River from downtown Winchendon at 201 Benjamin Street. There is an information kiosk at the Benjamin Street access point, and parking is at the end of the street. There is a new, easy, .7-mile trail that would make a great post-Thanksgiving dinner walk for the whole family, and the trail can also be accessed on Prospect Street. No parking is available on or near the Prospect Street entrance, but hikers can park in downtown Winchendon, only minutes away from the access point.
Another 1-mile trail in the Fern Glenn Conservation Area at 633 Teel Rd in Winchendon. The entrance to the conservation area is off Teel Road, and there will be a dirt driveway on the left, past two houses. At the end of the dirt road is a parking area and the start of the trail. This looped trail is considered an easy hike and there is a state-certified vernal pool for hikers’ viewing pleasure.
This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Easy hikes to walk off Thanksgiving dinner in greater Gardner