Saturday afternoon was a good day for a walk in the great outdoors, and the Mattapoisett Land Trust's Old Aucoot District properties were a perfect place to explore the wilderness and learn a little about the area's history.

President Gary Johnson greeted the group at the parking lot of the Mattapoisett Friends Meeting House and said, "This is the largest group we've ever had."

A quick jaunt across Route 6 had the hikers on land trust property, which takes up approximately 300 acres of land.

After a look at the historic blueberry patch the trust is restoring, the hike began in earnest, crossing a bridge built and installed by Eagle Scout Brian Buckley, and eventually ending up at Grace Pond.

"Local lore has it that this is from rum running," said land trust member Don Cuddy.

He explained that the vernal pool is thought to have been created when land was removed to create a landing strip to bring liquor into the area during Prohibition.

It currently hosts four mallard ducks, which are just a few of the birds that can be spotted on the property.

There are several miles of trails already on the land, but Johnson said a more extensive trail network is already in the works.

Maps of the trails and information on all of the Mattapoisett Land Trust's properties can be found at www.mattlandtrust.org.