Burlington writer Levi Smith wrote beautifully of Arthur Park’s environs in 1907:
“In few places does nature reveal herself in so many and such diverse aspects as here at the Devil’s Den. On the one hand a sense of grandeur, a great cave which stretches back into darkness spanned by massive vaults and arches of weather beaten rock which ascend in unbroken curves and cast dark shadows and reflections in the water at their base… The approach to the Devil’s Den, although at certain times of the year a bit boggy and difficult is not entirely without charm. These are the haunts of the swamp sparrow and hermit thrush. On one side there is always the view and the luxuriant marsh foliage, while on the other are high rocks festooned with thick hanging masses of nightshade, as deadly as it is beautiful. Here are found the rarest ferns. But perhaps the greatest charm of this place lies in its seclusion. It is to all appearances as unfrequented and remote from the world as if it were situated in the wilds of Africa [1].”Little has changed in the intervening century since Smith described the area. Inconspicuously tucked into the hillside across North Avenue from Burlington High School, Arthur Park is a small forested oasis spanning the hill between the North End plateau and the fertile Intervale lowlands below. At a surprising 70 acres, the park is a literal cross-section of Burlington’s natural and cultural history, and accesses a nearby ancient cavern known for generations as the “Devil’s Den” or “Intervale Sea Caves.” Read More...