Historical Highlights of the Course

The above graphic and all information here is credited to the Blanchard Hill site on the New England Lost Ski Areas Project page, which is a great history and has tons of interesting information!

Blanchard Hill operated from 1959 to roughly 1988, and the race peaks out around mile 2 at the top of the former ski area!  Get a great view in and perhaps you'll see a few remnants of snowmaking equipment or a lift base.  I especially like the ad from the Lowell Sun, 1969, advertising afternoon skiing from 1 to 4pm for $1.50!

A read of the site before the race is well worth the time! 

Ferrari Farm, which includes much of Flat Rock Hill, was a 159 acre purchase by the Town of Dunstable in 2006.  This purchase connected "five protected areas owned by the Dunstable Conservation Commission and the Dunstable Rural Land Trust (DRLT)" and created a 425 acre contiguous open space for the town.

Please note!  The Sarah Reed Roby house and barn is now privately owned so please respect the homeowner's property.

Learn more about this conservation effort:

Dunstable Rural Land Trust - Ferrari Parcel Project page

Trust for Public Land - Agreement Would Protect Farm
(Quoted above)

Town of Dunstable - Ferrari Farm Conservation Project mailing

The course may only cover several hundred yards of the Nashua, Acton and Boston Railroad bed, but this is a story about a small railroad built in 1871 to connect Nashua, NH and Acton, MA, where it connected to the Framingham and Lowell Railroad.  Passenger service was offered up to three times a day at it's peak, for a fare of $1 to travel between Nashua and Boston.

Read more!

Wikipedia article on the operating history, bankruptcy and abandonment

A quick read on Abandoned Rails

New England Rail and Stone article, including some fun pictures along various points of the rail bed.

The Flat Rock Quarry produced granite, and was opened in 1873 by Lemay & Tetro.  According to mindat.org, "The grain of the stone is fine, the color a light gray, the cleavage easy, and in quality this rock is considered equal to any in the State".

The Flat Rock Trail Race course goes around the area of the quarry, but do explore the trails after the race if you like!  The quarry is less than a mile walk from the start/finish.