| Size | 157 acres |
| Trails | 3 (Blue, Red, Yellow), plus connectors Blue trail is gravel with universal access |
| Parking | Multiple paved lots |
| Toilet facilities | None |
| Town | Leominster |
| Trustees Region | Central MA |
| Notable Item | Rhododendrons |
The Background
Most of this property was previously the estate of Harry W. Pierce, a street car tycoon. But a significant portion was donated by Louise Doyle, whose father was mayor of Leominster in the mid-1920s. It wraps around the Boys & Girls Club of North Central MA as well as several other pieces of private property, and there is still a private residence in the Upper Meadow portion. It also houses some of The Trustees’ administrative offices.
The park crosses both Abbott Ave and Lindell Ave, although the portion bordered by Lindell, Abbott and Highland Avenues does not have any trails.
Our Visit
We visited Doyle Community Park on the same day that we went to Redemption Rock — January 5, 2025. The two parks are only a 15-minute drive from each other. It was a bitterly cold and windy day, and the winds were only marginally less uncomfortable here.
As soon as we parked, we looked at the map that The Trustees posted in the parking lot and decided to take the blue trail. We chose it for two reasons: it was the longest and it started at the parking lot. The blue trail is also a universal access trail; it is graveled (or “metalled” as they say in New Zealand) and graded to accommodate wheelchairs and other mobility assistance devices.
We started on the side where the Boys and Girls club is located. The trail snakes between the club and a housing development. In the summer, when the trees are leafed out, it might feel like you’re in the woods; in the winter, it feels like a suburban dog-walking path. And based on all the good doggos we saw, that’s what it is used for. There are some bits and pieces that may be left behind from the grand homes that once stood here, including a big stone fireplace.
When we got to Pierce Meadow, we were in for a big surprise. The meadow is covered with enormous clumps of rhododendrons. Rhododendrons of multiple varieties. And some of those clumps were as large as our house! It must be a heck of a thing to see when the rhododendrons are in bloom. Do you think I exaggerate? I do not.
The side of the park on the other side of Abbott Avenue, however, is much more of an immersion into somewhat manicured nature. The large private home that is located on the property is still visible, and some parts of the park have remnants from what may have been garden features.
This side of the park even has a pretty little pond that we admired as a bluejay loudly scolded us. The pond is picturesque, and has a sign noting that people shooting portrait sessions here should join The Trustees in order to have rights to the images.
Behind the pond is the Grasslands, which is apparently a great place for birdwatching…when it isn’t 19 degrees out with high winds. We would love to go on another day when the conditions are more comfortable.
As we walked, Mike noticed something that had escaped me — the diversity of benches on the property. Mike is a Builder of Things, so it makes sense that he’d notice the benches. We didn’t actually sit on any, so we can’t vouch for their comfort. (On a cold day like that, the stone benches seemed like a one-way ticket to frostbite of the butt.)
The last stretch back to the parking lot feels extremely secluded, like you are in a mystical forest, even though you’re just a few yards away from the road.
And to our surprise, by the side of the path was a mini-Redemption Rock! Mike said, “This is where you trade people that aren’t worth all that much.”
Doyle Community Park is probably not an ideal park to visit on a cold, blustery day, unless you’re a local walking your dog. But those rhododendrons are going to be something to see when they’re in bloom. And the fields must be amazing for bird watching, when the birds aren’t huddled against the trunks of pine trees sheltering against the wind. It will definitely be worth seeing at other times of year.
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