Parsons Reserve
Updated daily: Daffodil season has not yet begun, but the Reserve is open year round for hiking.
This Reserve is NOT handicapped accessible.
Donor : William Parsons
Acreage : 32 acres
Location : Russell’s Mills Village | View Google Map
Year Acquired : 1992, 1999, and 2005
Access Point : Horseneck Road, just south of Russell’s Mills Village
Directions : There is limited parking at the Russell’s Mills Landing on Horseneck Road, just south of Russell’s Mills Village. After parking, you can carefully cross Horseneck Road north of the tennis courts and look for the Parsons Reserve sign over the wooden fence. The trail goes up the hill into the woods.
Volunteer Stewards : Karen Rocha & Larry Shwartz
Additional Regulations: No mountain biking and no horseback riding.
What to know during daffodil season:
- At the daffodil field, we will ask for a $5 donation per person for those who are not DNRT members (join DNRT here!)
- Daffodil season is entirely dependent on the weather. Generally, flowers are in bloom from mid-April to early May.
- Parking is limited. Please park at the Town Landing. If the Landing is full, please proceed south and park in the additional area on the right hand side of the road. There is only space for about 50 cars. Cars parked along the roadside will be ticketed by the Dartmouth Police.
- We highly recommend visiting at less crowded times. School vacation week (April 16 – April 22) and weekends are busiest and finding parking can be difficult.
- There is an 8-10 minute hike through the woods from the parking area to the field. This is a steep trail. Please plan accordingly. This trail is NOT suitable for strollers, wagons, or wheelchairs.
- In addition to DNRT’s standard Rules & Regulations:
- Stay on the trail at all times!
- Do not step on the daffodils – if they are crushed, they will die.
- Do not pick the daffodils.
- No commercial photography, no accessories (such as freestanding lights), and no props (such as chairs and balloons) are allowed.
- Dogs must be on leash throughout the entire Reserve and all dog waste must be removed.
Description
The Parsons Reserve is a lovely and ecologically significant property. Destruction Brook meanders through the property on its way to Slocum’s River, the floodplain cutting a wide swath between the towering rock outcroppings that dominate portions of the Reserve. A fecund vernal pool provides habitat for a variety of common and rare species. Wild turkeys roost in the oaks along the edge of the pool, and the beautiful beech grove nearby provides shelter for picnickers. Salamanders, wood frogs and rare plants call the place home, and deer wander the paths, foraging on the young shoots of briars and other understory plants. On the northern end of the property a wooded glade fills with hundreds of daffodils every spring. The Reserve’s southern trail to Horseneck Road is dotted with mature rhododendrons planted by Mr. Parsons when he acquired the property in the 1960s.
