Town of Upton, SVT Open District 9 Trails

In a ribbon-cutting ceremony held on the afternoon of November 12, the Town of Upton and SVT officially opened the trails at the District 9 Schoolhouse Conservation Area. 

SVT staff, representatives of the Town, members of the Upton’s Future community group, and others gathered at the trail head on Mechanic Street for a short reception before heading out to explore the new trails. 

In 2022, SVT assisted the Town of Upton in its effort to purchase the 92-acre property along the Upton-Grafton line to protect it from a proposed 200-unit housing development. A citizen’s group known as Upton’s Future also played an important role in the project by raising funds for the purchase and encouraging their fellow residents to support the project at a Special Town Meeting.

 In October 2025, SVT closed on a conservation restriction that permanently protects the District 9 land.

During the trail-opening ceremony, SVT’s Davnet Conway and the Town of Upton’s Bill Taylor thanked everyone for working so hard to conserve this land that protects important water resources and is part of a mosaic of conservation lands. Representatives of Upton’s Future also expressed their enthusiasm and gratitude for the successful conservation effort that helped to protect the rural nature of the area. 

SVT’s Dan Stimson thanked the local partners and many volunteers who have worked for the past two years to create a 2-mile trail network and a new parking area at District 9. (District 9 Schoolhouse Conservation Area is named in honor of a former schoolhouse that was located nearby.) Thank you to everyone who supported this conservation project. 

We encourage you to visit the property and explore the trails for yourself. Our Trail Maps page provides maps in English, Portuguese, and Spanish.