Terms
Outside Now is a free guide to what is happening in the natural world across Massachusetts. It is general information, written to help you notice things. Using it means you agree to the plain terms below.
General information only
Nothing here is professional, medical, legal, or safety advice, and nothing here is a promise that a place, a trail, or a sight is safe or will be there. A card is a starting point. You decide what is right for you, your family, and your pets.
Conditions change
Weather, ice, water levels, trails, wildlife, closures, hunting seasons, and event details can change faster than a card can. What a card says may be out of date by the time you go. When the weather or the ground looks wrong, trust what you see, and turn back.
Check before you go
- Check that a place is open to the public, and what the rules are, with the landowner or the agency that manages it.
- Check for hunting seasons, closures, parking limits, and any rules about leashes, collecting, or picking.
- For an event, check the time, the price, and whether it is still on with the organizer.
Identification
A short description is not enough to be sure what a plant, a mushroom, a bird, or an animal is. Do not eat anything wild on the strength of this site. Do not touch or approach wild animals. If you may have been bitten or scratched, or may have touched something you cannot name, call a doctor or your local health department.
Your own risk
You are responsible for your own choices outdoors. To the extent the law allows, Outside Now is provided as is, with no promise that it is complete, current, or right, and it is not responsible for loss or injury from using it.
Sources and links
Cards point to agencies, organizations, and other sites. We do not run them, and their pages and rules can change on their own.
Questions and changes
Email hello@outsidenow.site if something looks wrong. If these terms change, this page changes with them, and the date below moves. See also the privacy page. Last updated November 6, 2026.