To celebrate our MECT history and impact, our board of trustees has compiled a list of 60 Places for 60 Years – a collection of favorite places that tell the story of our towns from colonial beginnings, from the first Manchester parcels conserved that seeded the Wilderness Conservation Area (the WCA) and our contributions to the conservation and defense of Powder House Hill to our northern reaches in Essex. (See how we’ve grown!)
Some of the 60 Places highlight areas that MECT conserves through ownership, conservation restrictions, or in partnership with other organizations. And some of the spaces are not yet conserved – though they are very valuable to our communities.
We gratefully acknowledge the Native people on whose ancestral lands we gather, live, work and hike. We have not singled out specific places that may be sacred to the Native communities as we strive to deepen our understanding of their sense of belonging to ancestral homelands.
Learn more about our conservation and defense strategy at mect.org/SaveOurWoods
Print the 60 Places and check them off as you visit. 
Inspired by MECT founders and built under their direction, the boardwalk is an iconic piece of the Wilderness Conservation Area (WCA). The 650 ft long wooden boardwalk crosses over Cedar Swamp and past Heron Pond, and it is a favorite spot for birdwatching; you can spot towhee, wood ducks, and Virginia rail, just to name a few! The boardwalk itself is lined with blueberry bushes, alder, white birch, royal and cinnamon ferns and several sedge and reed species. With a very long straight section, the boardwalk is very picturesque, and makes a nice backdrop for portraits. Send us your Selfies! In the spring and early summer, you may see a state-watch water plant called featherfoil, which floats on the water’s surface and supports white flowers on green stalks.
Sawmill Brook is one of the only cold water fisheries left in northeastern Massachusetts that have adequate water quality and habitat to support wild brook trout; because it also offers limited access to the ocean, the Sawmill and Cat Brook system is also the only potential sea-run brook trout habitat along the North Shore. Because of its rare and unique status it is being considered for the state designation as an Outstanding Resource Waters by the DEP. Sawmill Brook flows under the dirt road here, and there are water control devices in the water to mitigate flood risk. Flow devices discourage damming by beavers – here the flow devices look like green fencing around the culverts.
This plaque was installed in commemoration of the first parcels of land that were bought in 1879 and given to the town of Manchester as “deed-restricted” gifts, ensuring their permanent conservation. It is in an area then known as “Cathedral Pines,” along the edges of the Old Manchester Road, which was popular for scenic “countryside” carriage drives between Manchester and Essex. In the 19th century little, if any, thought was given to building in the woods, but residents did use the woodlots for fuel supply. Alice North Towne, a 24-year-old summer resident of remarkable foresight, determination, and environmental concern became convinced that action was needed to protect the lovely wooded drive in 1878. At Alice’s request, T. Jefferson Coolidge, of Boston and Manchester, and Henry Lee, of Boston and Beverly Farms, agreed to be trustees in purchasing narrow parcels of land along the road to preserve the trees for shade and ornament. In the 1920’s a brass plaque was dedicated and inscribed, “To the glory of God and for the benefit of man these woods are preserved forever.”
Cathedral Pines was once a magnificent grove of old-growth Eastern White Pine and Hemlock. The main road made an “S” turn through it. One of our trustees remembers “being driven on the way to the movie theater in Ipswich at night. This was during the late nineteen forties or early fifties. Proceeding past Cathedral Pines was like driving through a dark tunnel with the trees resembling the buttresses of a cathedral. The road was narrow and there were no utility poles. Consequently, the canopy was completely closed overhead.” So what happened to the Cathedral Pines? The straightening of School Street, and the new Route 128 consumed two-thirds of the Cathedral Pines Grove in the 1950’s. The rest of the trees were exposed to the wind of Hurricane Carol in 1954 which took out most of the remaining giants. Loggers were then brought in to salvage the fallen timber. Today, very few of the Cathedral Pines remain standing. This Eastern White Pine stands in the forest at over 100 feet tall and has likely been growing for around 175 years, even though a lightning strike took off its top at some point. Its trunk is 34 inches in diameter, and you can’t fit your arms around it. In a clearing next to the tree, you can see a well-head that was installed by MECT to measure groundwater levels as part of the defense to the proposed Shingle Place Hill 40B. Measurements were collected in 2022-2023.
Millstone Hill is the highest peak in the Wilderness Conservation Area, rising to 220 feet. The top is a large, open area of granite surrounded by scrub oaks, white pines, pitch pines, lichens, mosses, and ground plants. If you look East you can see part of Cedar Swamp, eastern Manchester, and the western Gloucester woods. A memorial plaque recognizes the conservation efforts of a vibrant past president of MECT, Charlie Kellogg.
Cedar trees are evergreen trees. The name Cedar Swamp must have seemed more appropriate when this area was dominated by Atlantic White Cedar. Today we see the snags of large cedar trees looming over the boggy wetlands. It has been hypothesized that changes in the hydrology lead to the decline of the Atlantic White Cedar trees here, and some people implicate the return of beavers and flooding of this area. Some white cedar trees still find the habitat conditions hospitable and seedlings are scattered about. Many of the characteristics of a White Cedar Swamp remain. The water and soil are nutrient-poor and particularly low in nitrogen and phosphorus. There is a high iron content in the water. Soil pH is typically acidic (3.1-5.5) and leaf litter decomposition is slow. Coastal Atlantic White Cedar Swamps often include red maple, sweet gum, white pine, hemlock, and occasionally pitch pine. These swamps can have a very dense shrub layer, including highbush blueberry, swamp azalea, sweet pepper-bush and fetterbush which are still found here. The ground layer is dominated by sphagnum mosses. Here you might also see lichens like “pixie cup” lichen “British soldier” lichen and sundew, a carnivorous plant. During the summer months, sedges, cinnamon fern and royal fern, and bright yellow “swamp candles” (Lysimachia terrestris) are prominent. Will the Atlantic White Cedar dominate this area again?
Heron Pond is not a natural water resource. It was created inadvertently through commercial gravel removal in the 1960’s when Cedar Swamp was explored as a supplementary drinking water resource for Manchester and Gloucester. Water from the aquifer beneath marine clays rose to fill the gravel pit, which is now known as Heron Pond. The gravel removal and alternative water source project was abandoned. It has since become vital wildlife habitat, and one of our favorite places to set up trail cams. It is home to beavers, turtles, herons, egrets, coyotes, fishers, and amphibians, and remains a favorite spot for birds.
The prominent ledge rising at the end of Heron Pond is one of the first sites people notice when exiting the boardwalk.
A tranquil intermittent stream that babbles through glacial moraine debris. Nearby is “The Rock Garden”, on the Prospect Ledge trail between Cedar Swamp and Baby Rock trails. This Rock Garden is another example of debris deposited when thick glacial ice melted approximately 12,000 years ago.
Ship Rock is located just before the junction of Prospect Ledge Trail and Cedar Swamp Trail. It is a glacial erratic, a distinct rock carried distances and deposited by a receding glacier, that marks a distinctive spot on the Manchester/Essex town line. Markings on the rock indicated that town selectmen fulfilled their ancient duty to walk the town bounds. Another interesting spot in this area is the small stream that runs through Cedar Swamp Trail prior to reaching Ship Rock. During the spring and after rain showers this stream expands enough to provide that serene sound of water rushing over rocks and small falls. You can sit and find tranquility while enjoying the simple sound of flowing water.
Lichens are noticeable on many glacial rocks and ledge formations within the Wilderness Conservation Area. A lichen is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship. Lichens are particularly common along the Prospect Ledge Trail, north of the Cedar Swamp Trail. Lichen grows very slowly. Rock tripe is the common name for a family of lichen species that look long and leafy like dark lettuce, as seen on this ledge, and the individual organisms may be over 100 years old. This Lichen Ledge is 20 to 40 feet in height.
The bench sits on a parcel totaling 30 acres donated to MECT by Richard H. Cobb, of Gardiner, Maine in memory of his wife Dorothy. Funds from MECT’s first Save Our Woods capital campaign (2005-2008) also helped protect this area. The granite bench was installed shortly after the land donation in 2010, and it is a wonderful space to sit and appreciate the surroundings. This is a quiet part of the woods, perfect for contemplation.
Hoar Memorial: Samuel (Sam) Hoar was an avid environmentalist who served on the board of the MECT for many years. He was also a lawyer and dedicated public servant in Essex, Hoar passed away in 2004 at the age of 76. This trail was created by family and friends of Sam Hoar and members of Manchester Essex Conservation Trust in his memory; the trail was completed in 2007 and dedicated in a 2009 ceremony. The trail lies on a 10-acre parcel of land that was purchased by the Trust in 2007, includes 12 stations that allow reflection, and is a section of the Wilderness Conservation Area that is meant to bring peace and solace for those seeking it.
It replicates the 1879 brass plaque at Cathedral Pines, “To the Glory of God and the Benefit of Man These Woods are Preserved Forever 1879.” Al Creighton had it made and installed in the 1990’s.
Large sturdy footbridge on the scenic Homestead Trail.
Tall swamp plants grow on either side as you walk the eastern branch of the Warren-Weld trail.
Few people probably realize where the Essex River originates. The source or origin of a river is often called the headwater. The Essex River starts in two different swamps, south of Rocky Hill Road and west of the Old Manchester Essex Road. These two short tributaries come together just before flowing under Andrews St. This is the area of the northwesternmost headwaters. Protecting the sources of the river water help to maintain water quality and quantity. The wetlands also help mitigate damage from powerful storms and floods. Wetlands function as natural sponges that trap and slowly release surface water, rain, snowmelt, groundwater, and flood waters.
Few people probably realize where the Essex River originates. The source or origin of a river is often called the headwater. The Essex River starts in two different swamps, south of Rocky Hill Road and west of the Old Manchester Essex Road. These two short tributaries come together just before flowing under Andrews St. This is the area of the southeasternmost headwaters. Protecting the sources of the river water help to maintain water quality and quantity. The wetlands also help mitigate damage from powerful storms and floods. Wetlands function as natural sponges that trap and slowly release surface water, rain, snowmelt, groundwater, and flood waters.
Vernal pools are small bodies of water that typically appear in spring when snow melts and last until late summer or fall when they dry up. Due to the absence of fish, numerous species rely on vernal pools for laying, especially salamanders, newts, and wood frogs. Vernal pools are important for biodiversity and are one of the most endangered habitats in the northeast. Vernal pool obligate species (wood frogs, salamanders, fairy shrimp) can ONLY lay their eggs in vernal pools. In 2004-2005, MECT hired wetlands specialists to identify vernal pools for certification in the Wilderness Conservation Area. We continue this effort today, with over 25 pools investigated in Manchester and Essex in 2023.
Baby Rock commemorates the spot where, in 1877, a lost 2 year old boy was found by a search party. He was covered in mosquito bites and was frightened but was perfectly fine otherwise! It is a hopeful spot, one that is marked by a cairn that has been added to for a century (you can see by the lichen on the rocks). Baby Rock can be reached from the Wilderness Conservation Area main entrance by following the Prospect Ledge Trail to the Baby Rock Trail.
Look for the tall beaver lodge at the far end of the large pond. This area is part of the Warren Weld Conservation Area owned and stewarded by Essex County Greenbelt. It exemplifies the cooperation shared by local land trusts. MECT holds a conservation restriction on this area, and trails from this area intersect with trails in the Wilderness Conservation Area, expanding the conserved areas and hiking enjoyment.
‘Scoutland”, is a 10-acre camp in the Wilderness Conservation Area that the Boy Scouts of America conveyed to MECT in 2004. The scouts continue to use the property. Written permission from MECT is required in order to use this camping area.
In 2022, MECT hosted Ben Kilham from the Kilham Bear Center to speak about black bears, and how to live with them in our midst, as they are making a comeback throughout Massachusetts. Perhaps they’ll visit Bear’s Den soon! We believe that bears have not lived in our local woods since colonial times, though they may have passed through in recent years. When the colonists arrived, they exterminated bears and other large predators in order to safeguard their farm animals. According to “legend,” around the year 1700 one very canny bear was raiding Essex farms, killing valuable young animals. In early winter after a fresh snow, a young lad came upon bear tracks. He followed the tracks to the mouth of a cave, at the place we now call the Bear’s Den. He ran home to alert his family. A few weeks later, when the boy’s father was sure the bear was asleep for the winter, he gathered a few neighbors, and the party came out to the bear’s den and hunted it down. They took rifles and a torch made of a strong stick with a lump of pine pitch at the end. When they got to the cave, they sent the boy around to the small gap in the backside. His job was to arouse the sleeping bear by poking the burning torch toward it. The men waited by the other opening to deliver the coup de grace. This was said to be the “last bear in Essex.” The capture reportedly occasioned a great feast, as fresh bear meat was a treat. No part was wasted. The colonists used bear fat for soap and waterproofing, and the thick, soft bearskin for blankets.
On an old cart way off Old Manchester Road, an ornamental gravestone deep in the woods inscribed with the date “1770” is somewhat mysterious. The history of the man buried there is obscure. As stated verbally by the late Col. David Story, while at the grave many years ago, this Mr. Bishop, then residing in the south part of town, presumably Essex, was away from home one evening making a call on a distant neighbor. On leaving the neighbor’s house, he apparently lost his way in the intense darkness. His body was found the next spring on the spot where the head and footstone lie, and was buried by order of the Selectmen of the town.MECT purchased this land from the Everett Burnham family of Essex, who had owned it for more than a century. The year “1770” and the inscription “Bishop” can still be made out on the deteriorating headstone in the middle of the woods. The gravestone is located on the Bishop’s Grave Cartway trail in the Wilderness Conservation Area.
Pulpit Rock is a formation of stone that stands vertically resembling a pulpit – either like the raised platform a preacher delivers a sermon or the bow platform of a ship. Many hikers have enjoyed climbing the “pulpit” and exercising their imagination from a new point of view!
Granite Stone Manchester/Essex Town Boundary is a piece of history, and also records recent visits by the town officials who follow traditions to inspect the town boundaries annually. Nearby is a split rock that has fascinated generations of hikers who come to rearrange rocks to decorate “The Monster”.
Bushwhack to this border marker. The Ancient Line trail roughly follows the original boundary between Ipswich and Manchester before Essex was carved from Ipswich.
This will require some bushwhacking, but the northern end to the Old Commoners Wall is easy to identify once you get there.
Trustee George Smith reports that “this wall appears on the Laurel Notch Trail, on the right before the trail rises a bit and then dips down into the ravine. It divided individually-owned woodlots on the town side from land open to exploitation by all. It continues, off and on, to Route 128 and reappears on the other side. It may also be known as Coy’s Line, and it probably dates back to the 1700s. Walls like this tend to be disturbed by falling and uprooted trees, but as it traverses a bare rock portion of Wyman Hill, it retains its original well-built form, looking a little like the Great Wall of China as it traverses up and down bare bones of the hill.”
The Cheever Commons area has a variety of terrain, with cliffs dropping into swamps, and a vernal pool.
Founder Dr. Frances “Quitsey” Burnett, one of MECT’s founders, named this area Anne’s Woods after her sister Anne, who died as a young mother of 4 children. They had enjoyed the area together, searching for wildflowers. This is also the former site of an old mill dam.
This is one heck of a large, double-decker beaver dam, forming two pools, a bit of a waterfall, and a view across the swamp.
Coys Line is likely related to nearby Coys Pond, but we do not know much about its origin.
A large triangular stone marker is the spot where the Essex, Hamilton, and Manchester town borders meet.
A secluded area of bare, smooth ledge with moss, reindeer lichen, high and low bush blueberry – a great place to enjoy a quiet moment at one of MECT’s recent conservation acquisitions (2022). This parcel at the end of Crooked Lane has the entrances to Laurel Notch and Hemlock Glen trails. The purchase secured permanent access to these trails, and the eastern side of the Western Woods of Manchester.
A big chunk of rock, sheared off, typical of Cape Ann granite. How many decades or centuries until it falls?
An easy hike to a small peak with seasonal views of the ocean. Manchester’s standpipe can be seen from near here offering perspective on your location.
The early 1900’s had some extraordinarily cold winters. These wood lots were cut and harvested for survival. An abandoned woodpile, cut and stacked in 1917, provided a nursery of growing material for the next generation of trees. Look for roots growing above the surface of the ground. This was easier to observe in 1963, when our MECT Trustee, George Smith learned about the woodpile trees. This phenomenon often occurs in the wild without the aid of human-cut wood. When a tree falls to the ground, and decays due to the actions of bacteria, fungi, and other decomposers, it provides a rich humus for seeds to take root. Roots of the new trees grow around the fallen trunk and into the ground below as it decays. You will see large roots growing in the open air, supporting a trunk off the ground. The decaying trees are called nursery logs, and although many people find fallen trees messy and inconvenient, they support an abundance of life.
This logging bridge was built to keep the butt end of trees from getting stuck in the creek. Trees cut on Wyman Hill were dragged through the ravine to the Walker Estate cart path.
Laurel Notch is named after the native mountain laurel that are abundant here. Mountain laurel is an evergreen shrub with gnarly branches and clusters of hexagonal flowers which bloom in shades of white and pink. Mountain laurels bloom in late May and early June. The notch refers to a narrow passage through a geological split in the ledge. Polypody ferns grace the rugged rock high above the ground with stems that creep on rock or thin soil over rock. The groundwater in this area demonstrates interesting hydrology. Just to the west of Laurel Notch, a subsurface Cape Ann Divide diverts ground water of the north and west areas into Ipswich Bay, while groundwater at the south and east of this location flows south towards Massachusetts Bay.
Laurel Notch gets its name from the indigenous mountain laurel in this area. Just a bit beyond this to the west/northwest is the Cape Ann Divide. A much smaller version of the Continental Divide, water to the north and west of this divide flows into Ipswich Bay, while water at this mountain laurel bush and in Laurel Notch itself flows in the other direction to Massachusetts Bay.
Hemlock Glen is an excellent ravine just south of Laurel Notch. The trail goes under the Last of the Great Hemlocks; this one fell around 2012.
You may notice some burned trees and logs in this area. MECT Trustee George Smith reports that “There were two recent serious forest fires, in 1957 and 1995. The famous one in 1957 burned the high points of these woods but never touched either ravine. However, notice the second-growth forest can be seen entering from Crooked Lane and especially on the right after the notch where hot southwest winds blew up-slope, with a crown of fires consuming whole trees and much of the organic soil.” “In 1995, the fire started coming down the ravine as a ground fire. I stopped it partway. In fact, I made the front page of the Gloucester and Salem newspapers showing me wielding a wet broom, a bucket of water (water was still flowing in the ravine), and a mask with flames leaping behind me. I always point out the scraggly mountain laurel between the wall and the stone causeway as contrasted to the tight thick bushes farther up the ravine. The latter was burned to the ground, only to come up better than ever, being adapted to fire. Look high on the slope on Wyman Hill, and you will see a few fifteen to twenty-foot white pines. They are survivors of the 1,000 seedlings I planted on Wyman Hill in 1963-64 after the first fire. They look healthy but most will eventually die from fire scars they are unable to heal. Pines on the other areas of the hill have done much better.”
Eastern White Pine – This magnificent tree clocks in with a circumference of over 118 inches and dbh or diameter at breast height is about 38 inches.
The scientific estimate of the age of this tree is 155 years, emerging from the pine nut back in the 1860s.
Nearby, a stately beech stands with a circumference of 69 inches and an estimated age of over 100 years. This ancient beech seems to be fairing better than the young beech saplings against Beech Leaf Disease.
On your way to this beautiful spot, you can choose Laurel Notch or the Hemlock Glen trails from the 25 Crooked Lane, Manchester trailhead, and catch a few more of the 60 Places for 60 Years.
This is a fun little bridge that rolls under your feet as you walk on it. Owl’s Nest is a fairly long and pleasant trail deep in the Western Woods.
Stand on top of the rock and look out across West Beach toward Misery Islands and Marblehead. Easy view in the winter, which is much more limited when leaves are on the trees.
Clara Bowdoin Winthrop donated about 7 acres of land to MECT for conservation in 1970. This land provides hiking access from neighborhoods in the area. The Clara B Winthrop Woodland Nature Preserve was conveyed to the founders with the condition that the land be maintained as a nature preserve for the benefit of the public, the community and the neighborhood through the protection of natural wildlife habitat and native plant and animal life.
The town of Manchester has owned parcels on Powder House Hill since 1810, when the powder house was built to store gun powder and explosives a safe distance from the village. Other parcels were purchased to prevent harvesting timber, and to conserve the park in the center of town for recreation. There have been numerous threats to the conservation of the area, including a planned location of a cell tower. MECT has worked with the town to protect and steward this land, and purchased 9 acres on Powder House in in our very first year, in 1963.
A short easy walk to a vernal pool with an interpretive sign
Minnie B. Ball Nature Study Area. Minnie was a Manchester school teacher in the latter half of the 1900’s.
In 1636, Salem granted nine people 400 acres in Jeffreys Creek, which soon became Manchester. This stone wall is along that original 400-acre boundary.
The Longevity Bench Project was created by Manchester citizens. The goal of the Longevity Bench Project is to place a Longevity Bench every half mile along popular walking loops. Their website states: “This will encourage good health and longevity for people of all ages and abilities. A connection to nature for people increases a sense of well-being and heightens awareness of our surroundings.” This Longevity Bench is installed on MECT conservation land that was donated by Adele Ervin. Much of the Kettle Cove marsh behind the bench is conserved or owned by land trusts including MECT and The Trustees, conserving the view for all to enjoy. Recently, a privately owned section of the marsh has been restored through the efforts of the owner and DeRosa Environmental Consulting, including an osprey nesting platform. Will this be the year that the osprey choose this for home?
Hooper Trask is a fairly challenging loop, that at one point includes a view of the ocean behind a nearby home.
In 1847, a wooden bridge over the tracks was built when Old Long Hill Road was rerouted away from Wolf Trap Creek.
Another heap of rocks, much larger and perhaps more natural than the one on Heap of Rocks Hill.
Imagine the early 1900s, with a wood-planked deck area, people relaxing at tables and chairs, and swimmers jumping off the deck to cool off in summer.
A lovely crossing of Cat Brook at the border of Manchester and Gloucester with one granite, and another more modern concrete, marker.
Cranberry Pond is far and wide in front of you from the massive outcropping at the northeastern end.
Tri-border of Gloucester, Essex, and Manchester. This takes some bushwhacking, and it is not at the exact peak of the small hill, but it is fun to explore and imagine the folks over 300 years ago who laid out these borders. It seems they were in the woods and fields often, gathering firewood, working the land, cutting ice in the winter, and cooling off in the summer in the shade and ponds.
A colonial or Native American mine. Cape Ann granite naturally splits in orthogonal planes.
Here are some hikes you might like to try
Visit the first 4 Places on our list. A short and simple walk, passing the Founder’s Boardwalk (#1), to the 1879 Plaque (#3) at Cathedral Pines and Shingle Place Hill.
Loop around Places 1 through 8. Walk to the Founder’s Boardwalk. Enjoy the sites as you cross the boardwalk. Poke around at the far end and climb Millstone Hill, exiting the summit either westerly or southerly to the Old Road and then toward the traffic you’ll hear on Rt 128. Come back along the road, taking a detour to see the 1879 Plaque. You’ll be in Cathedral Pines and walking beside Shingle Place Hill.
Enter the green Charlie Trail off Southern Av and proceed up to #12, Cobb Memorial Bench. You can retrace your steps back or first go explore some of the Places on the Prospect Ledge or Baby Rock trails.
Drive to the 3 car parking area on Andrews St (which is a right before you get to the Old Road). For a shorter trip, walk to the Stone Marker (#14) at the Old Road gate off Andrews St. From there you can walk a short back and forth 
on the Old Road, or you can do any number of loops you like visiting various Places. Alternatively, you could walk a couple-mile loop 
starting at the parking area and going down the orange Homestead Trail. Eventually, turn left on the blue Bears Den trail, make your way to the Old Road that connected Manchester and Essex, turn left, and come back to the Andrews St marker and back to your car.
Park at the Warren Weld entrance on Apple St. Do a quick loop stopping at the large beaver pond (#21), and then coming back along the parallel trail. Or go further on the Caesars Lane Trail to Bishops Grave Cartway and decide how you’d like to come back.
Enter Anne’s Woods at the Pine St exit of Rt 128. It’s an easy walk to the scenic Old Mill Dam (#31) . Make a loop around the Dug Hill trail, or first bushwhack 
to the triangular border marker (#34), before coming back past Coys Line (#33) and the beaver dam (#32).
Park by the gate at the end of Crooked Lane and explore the Western Woods. The picnic table (#35) is a super short walk . A very scenic walk is up the white Laurel Notch Trail for a mile and then turn left on the red Hemlock Glen Trail and come back a mile to your car.
The Western Woods can also be explored by entering off Pine St. before you go under the Rt 128 overpass. Go up one of the steep trails along Rt 128 and then head south or west toward Beverly.
A third entrance to the Western Woods is off Highland Av. Follow the trail in there to get to Owl’s Nest.
The Clara Winthrop Nature Preserve off Jersey Lane behind Winthrop Field is a nice trek off the beaten path.
Walk just one or two loops , or walk all four loops to see all 4 of our 60 Places at PHH. Enter at the parking area off Pleasant St, via Scout House property off School St, or the green access trails off Pine St.
The Hooper-Trask Trail is a fairly challenging loop trail with some nice views. Park at the very end of Magnolia Av by the railroad tracks.
Cross up to the 1847 Railroad Bridge that was built for access to Long Hill when the tracks were built, cutting off the original road. From there you have entrance to the entire Long Hill area.
You can also park at Dexter Pond to walk on the MECT Conservation Restriction allowing access to miles of trails on Long Hill. Check out the foundation of an old swim and picnic platform (#56) on Fire Pond. The Cat Brook crossing (#57) of the Gloucester border is a beautiful spot deep in the woods that connect all the way to Mt. Ann and Rt 133 in Gloucester.
And while in Long Hill, don’t miss Cranberry Pond (#58) and consider bushwhacking up to the top of Heap Of Rocks Hill (#59) .
Finally, from Essex or the Monolith’s, explore east of Southern Av ( and ). You’ll find many stone walls, old foundations, pits that were dug, and even evidence of long ago quarrying (#60). Again, these woods stretch all the way to Gloucester. You can take a 7+ mile walk to the Red Rocks climbing before crossing Rt 133, going through Thompson all the way to Essex Bay .