Bolton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, located 25 miles west-northwest of downtown Boston. Bolton is conveniently located off Exit 27 on I495, just 45 minutes west of Boston and 20 minutes east of Worcester. Bolton has easy access to I290, Route 2 and 95. The main route through Bolton is Route 117. Bordered by the towns of Harvard to the north, Stow to the east, Lancaster and Clinton to the west, and Berlin to the south, Bolton is also only 15 minutes away from Marlboro, Southborough, Worcester, Concord, Acton, and Framingham. The population was 4,897 at the 2010 census.
Traditionally an agricultural community with a mix of orchards and farms, today Bolton is largely a residential community of newer single-family houses, most on large lots. Residents value the rural character, friendly close knit community, excellent schools, and active lifestyle that Bolton offers.
SCHOOL SYSTEM Bolton is part of the Nashoba Regional School District which includes the towns of Stow and Lancaster. The Florence Sawyer School and Emerson Wing is Bolton’s elementary school serving grades K-8, and Bolton students attend high school along with Stow and Lancaster students at Nashoba Regional High School, located in Bolton. Children may also attend preschool in Bolton at Childrens Horizons on Main Street or at Florence Sawyer in their preschool program.
CONSERVATION COMMISSION AND CONSERVATION TRUST Bolton is fortunate to have two organizations that’s sole purpose is land stewardship and conservation. The Conservation Commission is a town run organization that administers the Massachusetts Wetland Protection Act and the Rivers Protection Act, as well as Bolton’s Wetland Administrative Bylaw. The Conservation Commission protects land by accepting gifts of land, conservation restrictions and acquisition of land in fee and trail easements. The Conservation Department assists the Commission with the management of these protected parcels and trails.
The Conversation Trust is an organization in Bolton that runs separately from the Town Conservation Committee but in many instances work jointly together. The Trust is committed to sustaining the character of Bolton for existing and future generations by engaging the community through events, environmental education programs and land stewardship. The Trust is an independent, all-volunteer, non-governmental organization. The Bolton Conservation Trust depends on membership support, both monetary and volunteering, to succeed in its mission.
You will enjoy the rich, natural landscape that gives Bolton its rural charm and character. Bolton is privileged to have over 2,000 acres of conservation-protected land in over 15 Core Conservation Areas. Bolton’s trail systems provide quality passive recreational opportunities in the form of walking, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. The Conservation Lands also provide access to several historical points of interest from old munition stations to buttonhole factories and hideouts that capture one’s imagination. The Bolton Conservation Commission, the Bolton Conservation Trust, and the Bolton Trails Committee all work in unison toward responsible land stewardship. Please visit the Bolton Trails Committee website to download their new trail guides with maps.