Brookside Park

A gift to the town of Grantham from Emil & Tony Hanslin in 1984, this 20-acre wooded park has been significantly upgraded by the Grantham Conservation Commission. A new bridge crosses Skinner Brook from near the parking area and leads to the easy trails beyond. The bridge and trails were built by volunteers and financed in large part by a gift from the Byrne Foundation. 

When Skinner Brook runs full it can be quite exciting and beautiful. The photo above was taken looking upstream from near the parking area before the new bridge was built.

Here is another photo from near the parking area before the bridge is crossed.

After crossing the bridge, the first 400-500 feet are handicapped-accessible. There are many signposts (complete with QR Codes) along the loop trail that describe the history, nature, and geology of key features.

When the water level is low one can discover an unusual double pothole in the bedrock upstream along the trail.

There is also a glacial erratic shaped like an alligator and an interesting rock split by water seeping into a small crack, freezing, and expanding many times over the years.

This is a great place to bring young children because the trail is easy and the loop is less than a mile.

Here are some more photos from Brookside Park.

From I-89 Exit 13, head north on the Old Route 10 to reach the park entrance on your left in less than a mile.