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    Ward Reservation

    4.7 (30 reviews)

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    the bog with snow
    David C.

    I love how vast the trails are here. You have the bog, marsh and elephant rock to make your way to. I tend to get lost, but the journey along the way is refreshing. As I made my way to elephant rock, we arrived just late enough to see the sun set and it was just spectacular! The first time I came and got lost along the marsh. This time, I ended on the opposite of the parking lot. The parking here is $5 or $10 for the day, but you have to leave before 7pm. The trail is marked with colored dots marked on trees, but harder to see at night, so bring a flashlight!

    Jennifer R.

    A little peace of heaven that I never knew existed! Extremely peaceful open air space for my girls to get some energy out and for me to take a breather. Highly recommend

    Teresa S.

    A beautiful place for a nice walk regardless of the season, but particularly spectacular in summer!

    cool
    Karen 2.

    beautiful trails and hill overlooking boston. good for all ages. parking fee unless you are a trustees member is $6. definitely recommend checking it out!

    Mad C.

    Absolutely fantastic place to hike. Great for kids as well. You must visit the 420-foot Holt Hill (highest point in Essex County), as on a clear day you can see the Boston city skyline! There are a total of 13 miles of trails, so you can make the day as long or as short as you want. This also is a popular place to cross country ski in the winter. Check it out, you won't be disappointed!

    Solstice rock. Best view and spot to picnic.
    Jenna P.

    If you hit all of the trails (yellow, blue, red) in a very large loop-like manner, then this is a very good hike considering a mountain is not involved. It is well maintained and has a good amount of signs so you never feel lost. Can get very buggy, even on windy days since there are plenty of swamps nearby. The parking does not appear to be free, but the meter was off the two times I have come here: September and May; so we went for free. May be active between Memorial and Labor Day. Don't quote me on it. A sign did say $5 parking costs for non-members and free for members of some club that nobody probably is aware of until you try to park here.

    Amanda N.

    I would never have found this treasure of a park without some help from my fellow Yelpers... what a fantastic find, though! We were staying in North Andover for a friend's wedding and spent a lovely hour or two stretching our legs on the Ward Reservation trails. The hike up to Ward Hill takes just a few minutes from the parking lot (make it a bit longer - and more scenic - by following Rachel's trail, which skirts around the right side of the hill and ambles through an orchard on the way up) and offers a sweeping view of the Merrimack Valley and the Boston skyline in the distance. There are something like 10 miles of trails meandering through the 700 acre park. On our way down the hill, we continued past the parking lot to the Bog, where we picked up a laminated guide sheet at the beginning of a boardwalk which extends through the marsh to a little pond. The guide gave some interesting information about the flora and fauna of the bog habitat. There were a number of families out on a Sunday morning, many with dogs, and even a few mountain bikers. I would be a regular visitor if I lived in the area and was very fortunate to stumble across it as an out-of-towner (thanks, Yelp!).

    blue dot trail
    Connorsmom X.

    We took the red and blue dot trail to go see the elephant rock and the hill. It was a very easy walk. I wouldn't call it a hike. It only took us about 40mins(with stops taking pictures along the way). My friend and I saw a snake and screamed our heads off while running 100mph away from it. My husband thought the snake was harmless and it was tiny. IT WAS NOT TO US! haha It was a very nice day for a walk (we went Sat around noon time). There were a lot of hikers and bikers. The bikes looked fun. I want to try that next time. It was a nice walk and scenery if you're looking for something easy to do outside. But not for a HIKE. That's just my opinion since I am pretty active and always looking for a challenge. And I just hiked Mt. Monadnock a couple of weeks ago. So I am comparing Holt Hill to that. Sorry.

    The Ward Reservation Trail Map
    Reviews F.

    The Ward Reservation is well marked set of hiking trails with a moderate incline. There are 3 main trails and several single track trails interconnecting the 3 main trails (red, yellow, blue). I hike with my wife and 2 year old at this hiking spot. It's a good family hike and recommend using a kid pack if you're hiking with a child. The summit is an area where the kids can play. It's flat and has great views of Boston skyline.

    Solstice stone
    Alexander C.

    With varying trails the ward reservation is an easy to medium hike that offers something different for most hikers. If you're very experienced and looking for a challenge, this is not the place but nice views and with it not being too crowded I recommend this hike. The red trail that we took can reach a total of several miles and if you wanted to make a couple of hours out of it you definitely could. We only took about one hour though having some hiking experience.

    11/2015

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    Review Highlights - Ward Reservation

    Compared to the breathtaking view at Holt hill, the one at the top of Boston hill slightly disappoints me.

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

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