Hidden Gem in Belmont: Weeks Pond and Meadow

Belmont has a well-earned reputation as a town of homes: single and two family homes filling every lot available.

But less than half a mile from the busy town center are two places that have reintroducing quiet to Belmont.

Off a cratered road leading up to the top of Belmont Hill is an opening in a stonewall that leads to a trail that sends walkers into a pair of hidden gems that few know exist.

And they would not exist if it was not for the philanthropic gift from the Weeks family which owned the land for several generations before granted it to the Mass. Audubon's Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary to be kept as nature preserves within the national system. 

The pathway – part of the Western Greenway Trail system – brings you first to Weeks Pond, a man-made, algae-covered lake with a small island in the middle that is home to a family of ducks, protected from the many coyotes that have several dens throughout Habitat. 

With benches set up around the pond and under a thick tree cover, the location is quiet and markedly cooler than the surrounding area, a perfect place for silent reflection, to read a book (or Kindle) or just watch the frogs jumping into the water.

Follow the marked trail and enter Weeks Meadow, a wide-expanse of grasses, native flowers, weeds and ... sheep and goats. The livestock – a half a dozen sheep and about 12 goats – are owned by a trainer of sheepdogs. The Habitat leases the land to the trainer which benefits the Habitat as the flock eats all the vegetation especially invasive and non-native plants and weeds.

After having the flock in the location for more than a year, the meadow has returned as grassland which the first settlers would have come across in the 1700s. 

The flock is behind an electric fence – enough of a shock to get your attention – but will eventually come close to anyone who sits or stands next to them, baying to get your attention. 

As with the Pond, the Meadow is quiet and breezy – you are near the top of Belmont Hill – a perfect place to have a small picnic (remember to take everything you bring) or just to lay out a blanket for a moment of serenity in a world of television, smart phones and other people. 

To get to Weeks Pond and Meadow, park in the Habitat parking lot at 10 Juniper Lane and walk down Somerset Street and look for the trail entrance on your left.