Alley Pond Park

"Fun with the Family"

Although this 654-acre preserve has been chopped up by several major highways, the resulting mosaic of wetlands, woodlands, and ponds provides a diverse habitat for more than 300 species of birds and wildlife, from fiddler crabs to great blue herons. Begin at the Upper Alley Pond Nature Center, which offers a small petting zoo and eco-exhibits, then follow the Cattail Trail boardwalk that opens onto a viewing platform set over a green salt marsh. To the west is scenic Oakland Lake, a nearby stand of oaks and beeches several centuries old, and a 155-foot tulip tree that’s taller than the Statue of Liberty.