A wooded hill on the former Fort Devens Main Post, west of downtown Ayer, that also hosts the capped Shepley's Hill Landfill; the site is under long-term environmental monitoring and public trail information is not published online as of mid-2026.
What to expect
Dogs
Ayer's dog bylaw treats a dog as running at large whenever it is off its owner's or keeper's premises and not held on a leash by someone able to control it, and the Animal Control Officer must impound any dog found at large or order the…
Managed by
U.S. Army (former Fort Devens); environmental oversight shared with the Town of Ayer and Massachusetts DEP
WebsiteCommon questions
Can I bring my dog to Shepley's Hill?
Ayer's dog bylaw treats a dog as running at large whenever it is off its owner's or keeper's premises and not held on a leash by someone able to control it, and the Animal Control Officer must impound any dog found at large or order the owner to restrain it. No dog may become a nuisance dog,…
What rules should I know at Shepley's Hill?
The site is a capped, monitored former landfill (Shepley's Hill Landfill) undergoing groundwater and gas monitoring as part of the Fort Devens Superfund cleanup.