Harold Parker State Forest
Nature preserve
1,004 acres28.4 mi of trail
Oak Tree HillBay Circuit TrailBear Pond TrailWhite Rabbit+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Fletcher6 · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Andover
Andover has 135 miles of mapped trails, 4.4 for every square mile of land
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 17% of Andover’s land is conserved, about 3,356 acres. 2,492 acres are parks and preserves, 68 per 1,000 residents.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #56 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
17%
3,356 acres · of 30.8 sq mi of land
Trails
135 mi
4.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,492 ac
68 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
5.3 mi
0.1 mi lanes · 1.1 mi paths
Highest peak
420 ft
Holt Hill
Lakes & rivers
20
2 beaches
What kind of outdoors town is Andover?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
A trail town4.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, among the top 1% of U.S. towns.Parks close to homeVirtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park.Land that stays wild17% of the land is conserved; a typical Massachusetts town, 21%.History along the way48 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Andover have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Andover is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #56 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Andover’s overall grade.
Conserved land17% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails4.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (135 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land68 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,492 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 80%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so Andover’s 17% is ahead of 30% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 92% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Harold Parker State Forest, with 28.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ward Reservation
Nature preserve
351 acres7 mi of trail
Bay Circuit TrailGreg's TrailMargaret's TrailSanborn Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Deer Jump Reservation
Nature preserve
142 acres5.9 mi of trail
Merrimack River TrailBay Circuit Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Goldsmith Reservation
Nature preserve
158 acres4 mi of trail
Clarence's TrailPine TrailHigh Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Doyle Link
Nature preserve
88 acres3.9 mi of trail
Bay Circuit Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Wood Hill/Bald Hill Reservation
Nature preserve
251 acres3.4 mi of trail
Wood Hill TrailBald Hill TrailWedgewood TrailHaggetts Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Dog Park and Bald Hill Reservation
Cochran Sanctuary
Managed by Phillips Academy
87 acres3.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Pustell Reservation
Nature preserve
117 acres3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 124 parks & preserves
Harold Parker State Forest1,004 acres · 28.4 mi of trail
DirectionsWard Reservation351 acres · 7 mi of trail
DirectionsDeer Jump Reservation142 acres · 5.9 mi of trail
Goldsmith Reservation158 acres · 4 mi of trail
DirectionsDoyle Link88 acres · 3.9 mi of trail
DirectionsWood Hill/Bald Hill Reservation251 acres · 3.4 mi of trail
DirectionsCochran Sanctuary87 acres · 3.4 mi of trail · Phillips Academy
DirectionsPustell Reservation117 acres · 3 mi of trail
Harold R. Rafton Reservation193 acres · 2.8 mi of trail
DirectionsFoster's Island Reservation136 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
DirectionsVale Reservation49 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
DirectionsFish Brook North Reservation333 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPeggy Keck Reservation49 acres · 2 mi of trail
DirectionsBaker's Meadow Reservation66 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsAmy Gordon Taft Reservation62 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsAlbert Retelle Reservation51 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsPole Hill Reservation37 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · Town of Andover Conservation Commission
Shawsheen River Reservation35 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
Indian Ridge Reservation28 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsCarmel Woods36 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsAnn Rawlins Greene Reservation29 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
Skug River Reservation43 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsNat Smith Reservation71 acres · 1 mi of trail
Bellevue Reservation53 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsAndover Recreation Park28 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsDeer Jump/Susan Stott Reservation25 acres · 1 mi of trail · Andover Village Improvement Society
Fosters Pond Reservation43 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsHammond Reservation32 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsLightning Tree Reservation24 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
Serio's Grove Reservation25 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Wilkinson Reservation29 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
West Parish Meadow28 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsBonier Reservation22 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · AVIS
Stanley Reservation15 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Sanborn Reservation24 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsFish Brook South Reservation164 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsDen Rock Park (ECGA Land)34 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsMerrimac River Reservation10 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Sakowich Reservation8 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Virginia Hammond Reservation42 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsSacred Heart Reservation17 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsDeer Jump/Spalding Reservation15 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Andover Village Improvement Society
Purdon Reservation10 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Hearthstone Reservation53 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Great Meadow Reservation38 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Mary French Reservation16 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Pomp's Pond Park14 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsAndover Conservation Land10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Belmont Park Reservation30 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Deyermond Park12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHusseys Brook Reservation10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsJenkins Trail Reservation10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Lower Shawsheen Field9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsDug Pond Reservation8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Pulte Open Space8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Salem Street Green Area6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsDeer Jump/Behrakis Reservation6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · AVIS
DirectionsSherman Reservation5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Burns Reservation5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCollins Reservation4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMerrimac River Frontage4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Andover Common4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSpencer Court Reservation19 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Cormier Youth Center Park11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsUpper Shawsheen Field7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSummer Street Green Area5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Charlotte Circle Green Area3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Lupine Reservation2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Shawsheen Road Reservation1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSouth School Woods1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Heffron Road Reservation1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Pheasant Ridge Reservation58 acres
Laconia Drive Reservation41 acres
Iron Gate Reservation39 acres
Somerset Drive Reservation38 acres
DirectionsFieldstone Meadows Reservation23 acres
Windemere Drive Green Area17 acres
Tea Lot Reservation13 acres
DirectionsHaggets Pond Watershed13 acres
Tewksbury Street Conservation Area11 acres
Belknap Reservation11 acres
DirectionsLenox Circle Green Area10 acres
Andover Highlands10 acres
Stinson Road Land9 acres
Starwood Crossing Green Area9 acres
Shawsheen Pines Reservation9 acres
DirectionsHaggets Pond Conservation Area9 acres
Bulfinch Reservation8 acres
Warren "Buster" Deyermond Memorial Park8 acres
River Road West Green Area8 acres
Chandler Road Conservation Area8 acres
Gardner Reservation7 acres
Greenwood Road Land6 acres
Elm Street Green Area6 acres
DirectionsHawyward Green Area6 acres
DirectionsOrchard Crossing Green Area6 acres
Bailey Rd Site5 acres
Larchmont Circle Green Area5 acres
Countryside Green Area5 acres
Red Spring Reservation5 acres
DirectionsGermano Way Green Area4 acres
River Road East Green Area3 acres
High Street Green Area3 acres
Vine Street Green Area3 acres
Great Heron Green Area3 acres
Wethersfield Green Area3 acres
Lowell St. - Lots A & B2 acres
Salem Street Reservation2 acres
DirectionsBallardvale Park2 acres
DirectionsWhite2 acres
Oriole Dr.2 acres
Joyce Terrace2 acres
DirectionsRocky Hill Road Reservation2 acres
Den Rock Park1 acres
Wood Memorial Park1 acres
DirectionsOld School House Green Area1 acres
Rock Island1 acres
Max L. Kates Memorial Field1 acres · Phillips Academy
Castle Park Reservation1 acres
DirectionsShawsheen River1 acres
Indian Ridge Park1 acres
DirectionsRogers Dell1 acres
DirectionsAppletree Lane1 acres
Ballardvale Green1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
3,356 conserved acres
17% of Andover’s land. Who manages Andover’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,071 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits227 ac
Other state land77 ac
State parks37 ac
State conservation37 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government5 ac
Not recorded2,271 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 1,284 acPrivate Conservation · 1,163 acConservation Easement · 421 acState Resource Management Area · 202 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 140 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 245 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 16 of 251 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andover Village Improvement Society Private Conservation | Not recorded | 355 | Unknown |
| Bald Hill Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 200 | Open |
| Goldsmith Private Conservation | Not recorded | 153 | Unknown |
| Indian Ridge Country Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 140 | Restricted |
| Harold Parker State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 125 | Open |
| Pomps Pond Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 119 | Open |
| Deer Jump Reservation Private Conservation | Not recorded | 107 | Unknown |
| Cochran Sanctuary Private Conservation | Not recorded | 96 | Unknown |
| Fish Brook Wetlands Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 85 | Open |
| Bald Hill Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 80 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
52 places to go in Andover
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Andover
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Andover
Christ Church Playground
DirectionsPenguin ParkIn Upper Shawsheen Field
DirectionsSouth Church Playground
DirectionsPlus 22 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Andover
2 fishing spots without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Andover
6 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Andover
Holt Hill420 ft elevation
DirectionsWood Hill367 ft elevation
DirectionsPine Hill299 ft elevation · In Cochran Sanctuary
DirectionsCarmel Hill249 ft elevation
DirectionsPole Hill203 ft elevation · In Pole Hill Reservation
DirectionsRattlesnake Hill180 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Andover
Picnic TableIn Wood Hill/Bald Hill Reservation
DirectionsPlus 3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Andover
Camp Evergreen
DirectionsCamp EvergreenJim Lescatoff
DirectionsCamp Maude EatonGirl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts
DirectionsLorraine CampgroundIn Harold Parker State Forest
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 20 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 37.0 miHorses · 22.4 miUnpaved · 69.5 mi
Bay Circuit Trail9.0 mi
Merrimack River Trail5.5 mi
Helen's Trail2.0 mi
Oak Tree Hill1.6 mi
Vale Trail1.3 mi
Wood Hill Trail1.3 mi
Black Birch Trail0.8 mi
Greg's Trail0.7 mi
Hammond Trail0.7 mi
Bald Hill Trail0.7 mi
15 more trails
Hemlock Trail
0.7 miHarold's Trail
0.6 miBailey Path
0.6 miStott Trail
0.6 miBear Pond Trail
0.5 miLowell & Lawrence Railroad
0.5 miAndover and Wilmington Branch
0.5 miClarence's Trail
0.5 miWhite Rabbit
0.5 miHearthstone Village Trail
0.4 miPine Trail
0.4 miHaggetts Trail
0.4 miLindsay Loop
0.4 miWedgewood Trail
0.3 miMargaret's Trail
0.3 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
5.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
1.1 mi
off-road bike paths
4.0 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
55Tennis
22Soccer
21Basketball
20Baseball
6Softball
3Pickleball
3Lacrosse
2Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →48 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 10 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Benjamin Abbot HouseBuilding · listed 1975
About itShawsheen Village Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1979
About itAbbot-Battles HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itAbiel Pearson HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itAndover National BankBuilding · listed 1982
About itAndover Town HallBuilding · listed 1982
About itArdenBuilding · listed 1982
About itAsa and Sylvester Abbot HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itBarnard BlockBuilding · listed 1982
About itBenjamin Jenkins HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itBradlee SchoolBuilding · listed 1982
About itChandler-Bigsby-Abbot HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About it36 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Andover: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 35 | 38 | 46 | 58 | 69 | 78 | 83 | 82 | 74 | 62 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Andover →
Next door
Andover and its neighbors
Andover has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Andover135 miNorth Andover97 miTewksbury39 miNorth Reading26 miDracut21 miWilmington17 miMethuen15 miLawrence15 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andover | 17% | 4.4 | 68 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Tewksbury | 15% | 1.9 | 51 | 93% | A+ |
| Methuen | 7% | 0.7 | 8 | 71% | B |
| Wilmington | 12% | 1.0 | 29 | 91% | A |
| Dracut | 15% | 1.0 | 13 | 83% | A− |
| Lawrence | 9% | 2.2 | 4 | 99% | A− |
| North Andover | 21% | 3.7 | 73 | 96% | A+ |
| North Reading | 11% | 1.9 | 50 | 94% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Andover
Where can I hike in Andover?
The longest trail networks: Harold Parker State Forest, 28.4 miles; Ward Reservation, 7 miles; Deer Jump Reservation, 5.9 miles; Goldsmith Reservation, 4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Andover is conserved land?
17% of its land, against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Andover’s trails?
Harold Parker State Forest and Ward Reservation don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Andover?
5.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.1 of painted or protected lanes, 1.1 of off-road paths and 4.0 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Andover?
43,791 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Andover or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,764 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Andover have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #56 of 283 in Massachusetts. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Andover neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →