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Saw Mill Brook Access

Located in Thompsonville, Saw Mill Brook is readily accessed from the large parking lot on Vine Street and the cul-de-sac of Marla Circle. Trails in this parcel also connect to trails in St. Joseph Cemetery in West Roxbury.

Saw Mill Brook History and Features

Saw Mill Brook, like all of Newton, was once occupied and cared for by the Massachusett tribe, descendants of whom still live and make new history in the area.

Saw Mill Brook Conservation Area was acquired by the City of Newton “by pieces”. The 1985 acquisition of 15-acres in the low-lying interior was one of the Newton Conservation Commission’s most recent acquisitions.

This forested parcel extends along a section of the perennial stream, Saw Mill Brook, for which it was named. During periods of high flow, the stream burbles melodically as it flows over rocky riffles.

The trail meanders through upland forest with rocky out-croppings and through low wooded wetlands and dense shrub thickets, over bog bridges to reduce damage to the wetland.

The varied topography and vegetation give walkers the impression of being in undisturbed wilderness. The mature oak forest is “regal”. Look for outcrops of Roxbury puddingstone or Roxbury conglomerate, a mix of fine-grained sediments and rock. Thickets of sweet pepperbush are aromatic in the summer. And Saw Mill Brook itself is clear, and in places, fast-flowing stream.

Saw Mill Brook Trail Characteristics

Because of the parcel’s varied topography, rocky outcroppings, and need for “bog bridges”, Saw Mill Brook trails are a bit challenging in places; all are Natural Trails.

Newton’s Natural Trails are unimproved and may have steep, uneven, or rocky/rooty footbeds; elevated plank “bog bridges”, or other obstacles that make the trails challenging to negotiate.

Newton’s Generally Accessible Trails are relatively flat, they have a firm, level footbed, and are mostly free of tripping hazards. They are wide enough to accommodate many mobility devices.

This picture was contributed by Nathan Robbins. It shows puddingstone outcroppings near Vine Street, with Saw Mill Brook to the right.