Petersham, Massachusetts is one of the most strikingly beautiful and ecologically significant small towns in all of New England — a Worcester County hilltop community whose perfectly preserved National Register common and vast surrounding conservation landscape make it a destination naturalists and quiet-seekers plan pilgrimages around.
The Fisher Museum at Harvard Forest is an absolutely magical destination — meticulously crafted dioramas depicting New England forest history since the 1700s that visitors describe as losing track of time exploring. Swift River Reservation offers mossy brook trails perfect for young children.
For dining, Clamber Hill Inn serves perfectly cooked duck and filet in a romantic inn setting so special that visitors living nearby wish they could give more than five stars.