Hike of the Month: Eagle Reserve

Tucked away in the quiet northern woods of Royalston, Eagle Reserve Conservation Area is a hidden gem that offers a rich blend of wild beauty, accessibility, and biodiversity.

Spanning 139 acres, the reserve is a striking patchwork of forest, pond, and wetland habitats—including rare features like a floating Spruce-Tamarack Bog and a beaver-influenced Level Bog. This landscape provides crucial refuge for an array of wildlife and offers visitors a peaceful retreat with no visible signs of human development. Look at the photograph above, and you’ll know there’s even more that makes this place so special.

This wetland is teeming with birdlife. A pair of nesting bald eagles has returned to the area in recent years, and rare pied-billed grebes have also been spotted here. Other common sightings include great blue herons, Canada geese, mallards, black ducks, and hooded mergansers. If you’re very lucky, you might even glimpse a juvenile golden eagle. Here is everything you need to know about your next visit to Eagle Reserve.

There are two trails on the property highlighted below – the accessible David H. Small Community Nature Trail and the more rugged Peninsula Trail. While both trails are within the same conservation area, they have separate trailhead parking areas (more on that below). With that said, here’s what to expect from both trails:

David H. Small Community Nature Trail

• Distance: 0.4 miles

• Elevation Gain: 49 feet

• Trail Type: Out-and-back, accessible trail on a flat, crushed stone surface

• AllTrails Map | 55 Winchendon Rd, Royalston, MA 01368

One of the best ways to explore Eagle Reserve is via the David H. Small Community Nature Trail, an accessible loop made possible through the Massachusetts Recreational Trails Program. This wide, crushed-stone path gives people of all abilities the chance to experience the reserve’s quiet majesty, winding through towering trees toward a viewing platform over the water.