COSS Day Before Thanksgiving Walk

Background, Purpose, and Operational Plan

For nearly 20 years, the Chelmsford Open Space Stewardship (COSS) group has hosted the Day Before Thanksgiving Walk at Thanksgiving Forest. What began as a way to reclaim the forest from destructive activity has grown into one of the town’s best-loved traditions, drawing hundreds of residents each year.

Why the Walk Was Started

When COSS first began stewarding Chelmsford’s conservation lands, Thanksgiving Forest had a poor reputation. On the day before Thanksgiving, the forest was a gathering place for illegal and destructive activity including cars driving into the woods, fires left burning, underage drinking, and large amounts of trash. Chelmsford Police, already stretched thin on one of their busiest days of the year, could not dedicate officers to the site because their resources were needed elsewhere in the community.

COSS sought a different solution: replace the illegal activity with a positive, legal community event. While researching the history of the forest, COSS found an old photo of residents gathered at the Thanksgiving Rocks on Thanksgiving Day. That inspired the idea of creating a new tradition, a community walk held the afternoon before Thanksgiving at the same time the problems usually began. By drawing families and residents to the forest, the walk would reclaim the site and replace disorder with celebration.

Challenges and Solutions

• Poor Accessibility and Trail Safety: Trails were buried under deep oak leaves, hiding rocks and trip hazards, and side paths made navigation confusing.
  Solution: For nearly 20 years COSS has cleared trails and the rocks prior to the walk by removing leaves, glass, and other debris to improve footing and accessibility. This practice was implemented to prevent slips, trips, cuts, and other injuries, and it ensures families of all ages can safely participate. These measures have proven effective, as there have been no reported incidents in 20 years of running the walk. For the 2025 walk and beyond, trail and rock clearing can only be performed within the guidelines approved by the Conservation Commission. While this balances access and conservation priorities, it could reduce or eliminate some safety initiatives.

• Glass and Safety at the Rocks: Decades of broken bottles left glass embedded in soil and leaf litter. Slopes were slick and unsafe.
  Solution: COSS removes glass and debris, clears leaves, and improves footing. These steps are critical to keeping children and families safe while exploring the rocks and surrounding areas. Future ConCom restrictions may limit the extent of these measures, which could increase the risk of injuries.

• Illegal Fires: Fires at the rocks were a recurring hazard, and the Thanksgiving weekend was always the worst, encouraging some visitors to think it was acceptable to have a fire. Eliminating the major illegal gatherings has reduced follow-up events and drastically reduced fires on the site.
  Solution: COSS replaced uncontrolled fires with a permitted, contained fire in the historic natural fireplace at the base of the Thanksgiving Rocks. The fire is monitored by support staff, fully extinguished after the event, and only permitted when CFD clears the site and there are no red flag warnings.

• Negative Reputation: The site was known as a problem area.
  Solution: COSS created a positive, family-oriented event featuring food, history, and community, which transformed the forest into one of Chelmsford’s most welcoming family trails.

Event Elements

The walk is not just a trail outing but a community celebration. Each year includes:

• Gathering at the entrance lot with a welcome speech.

• Permitted fire in the natural fireplace at the Thanksgiving Rocks after clearance by CFD.

• Troop 75 providing free hot chocolate and cookies.

• Educational talk on local history, aimed at children and kept under 15 minutes.

• Climbing and exploring the rocks, supervised for safety.

• Family-friendly trail walk with access prepared in advance.

The event runs rain or shine, even during storms, in the true New England tradition.

Operational Plan

One Month Before

• Conservation Commission: Submit request and confirm scope of trail and rock area cleanup, including glass removal and safety preparation. Guidelines for 2025 and beyond may limit the extent of clearing.

• Fire Permit: Apply to CPD Fire Prevention for a cooking fire permit at the natural fireplace at the rocks. Follow all red flag weather warnings.

• Notifications: Inform CPD and Fire Department of event. No on-site presence required, but calls will be made before and after as required.

Four Weeks Before

• Troop 75: Confirm troop will provide snacks and hot chocolate.

• Publicity: Announce event to community.

• Trash Management: COSS confirms trash responsibility. Ensure entrance trash barrel is empty prior to event.

One Week Before

• Trail Cleanup Day: Conduct yearly cleanup of trails and rock area as a separate volunteer event. For nearly 20 years, COSS has removed leaves, glass, and other debris from trails and rocks to improve footing and accessibility. This practice was implemented to reduce slips, trips, cuts, and other injuries and has been effective, as there have been no reported incidents in 20 years. For 2025 and beyond, cleanup work must be performed only within the guidelines approved by the Conservation Commission. While this balances access and conservation, some safety initiatives may be limited or removed.

• Dog Waste Scan: Check park entrance and gathering area.

• Garden Protection: Post “Keep Out” signage around the flower garden at the entrance.

Event Day (Day Before Thanksgiving)

Timeline

• 1:30 PM

  • Fire started at the natural fireplace at the rocks after CFD clearance.

  • Support staff in place at the rocks.

  • Entrance staff ready to guide walkers and welcome families.

• 2:00 PM

  • Walk begins from entrance lot with welcome speech.

  • Trail walk to the rocks.

  • History talk, maximum of 15 minutes, child-focused.

  • Free snacks and hot chocolate at the rocks.

  • Families explore and enjoy the fire, rocks, and conversation.

• 3:00 PM

  • Event cleanup begins. Site is left cleaner than when the group arrived.

Logistics

• Signage: Cones, barriers, and directional signs set up if trails are not fully cleared. All signage removed after event.

• PA System: COSS provides portable PA for history talk.

• Safety: Fire is contained, monitored, and extinguished after event. Support staff oversee rocks and climbing areas. Key safety measure is ensuring rocks and trails are free of leaves and debris. In 20 years of running the walk, there have been no safety incidents due to these initiatives. Future ConCom limitations could reduce some of these practices, which may increase risk.

Ownership

COSS retains the rights to the Day Before Thanksgiving Walk and all its elements. COSS continues to oversee planning, permitting, cleanup, and execution each year.