Harold Parker State Forest
Nature preserve
2,055 acres38.2 mi of trail
Bay Circuit TrailYellow Diamond TrailBlack OpsBlue Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: ToddC4176 · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in North Andover
North Andover has 97 miles of mapped trails, 3.7 for every square mile of land
21% of North Andover’s land is conserved, about 3,482 acres. 2,308 acres are parks and preserves, 73 per 1,000 residents. 96% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #91 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Conserved land
21%
3,482 acres · of 26.3 sq mi of land
Trails
97 mi
3.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,308 ac
73 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
96%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.8 mi
0.2 mi lanes
Highest peak
397 ft
Mills Hill
Lakes & rivers
17
2 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is North Andover?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does North Andover have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, North Andover is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #91 of 283 in Massachusetts. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of North Andover’s overall grade.
Conserved land21% of the land · typical MA town 21% · U.S. 4%ATrails3.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (97 mi) · MA 1.9 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land73 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,308 acres) · MA 91 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home96% of residents within a half mile of a park · MA 93% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 68%
Massachusetts towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 21%; the U.S., 4%), so North Andover’s 21% is ahead of 49% of Massachusetts towns, while its trails per square mile lead 86% of them.
Water is 5% of North Andover’s area (1 of 28 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 20%.
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 38.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ward Reservation
Nature preserve
366 acres8.3 mi of trail
Sanborn TrailGraham TrailJudy Family TrailWard Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Weir Hill Reservation
Park
193 acres5 mi of trail
Weir Hill TrailStevens TrailEdgewood Farm TrailScrub Oak Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Boxford State Forest
Nature preserve
427 acres4.8 mi of trail
Fuller TrailPrice Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Windrush Farm Conservation Area
Nature preserve
252 acres2.6 mi of trail
Cabin TrailTeepee TrailIsland Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Mazurenko Farm Conservation Area
Nature preserve
105 acres1.6 mi of trail
Ridge TrailScout TrailLocust TrailHighland Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Stevens-Coolidge House and Gardens
Park
109 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Boston Hill Conservation Restriction
Nature preserve
25 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 44 parks & preserves
Harold Parker State Forest2,055 acres · 38.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWard Reservation366 acres · 8.3 mi of trail
Weir Hill Reservation193 acres · 5 mi of trail
DirectionsBoxford State Forest427 acres · 4.8 mi of trail
DirectionsWindrush Farm Conservation Area252 acres · 2.6 mi of trail
DirectionsMazurenko Farm Conservation Area105 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsStevens-Coolidge House and Gardens109 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsBoston Hill Conservation Restriction25 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsChaplin Nike Site32 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Jerad Place Conservation Area71 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
North Andover Town Common9 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Stevens Lots26 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsWoodland Estates Planned Residential Development17 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Leonhard Farm54 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Carter Hill27 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBailey Reservation12 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Essex County Greenbelt
Molly Towne PRD Open Space11 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Veterans Memorial Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
ECGA Cudhea11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Ousler Property10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGlennie Woodlot9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Essex County Greenbelt Association
DirectionsFoxwood PRD Open Space36 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Greenbelt Cedar Lane25 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Sharpners Pond Park21 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSeven Oaks Conservation Area19 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Dolan Ox Pasture15 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Porter Peabody11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Huckleberry Lane PRD Open Space10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
ECGA Wilmot8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Grogan Field4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSalem Forest Conservation Area28 acres · Town of North Andover Conservation Commission
Rebecca Wood Lot17 acres
Foster Cedar Swamp13 acres
Cross Meadow Reservation7 acres · Essex County Greenbelt Association
Lost Pond Open Space7 acres
Ayers Cedar Swamp7 acres
Fish Cedar Swamp6 acres
DirectionsSettler's Ridge Planned Residential Development6 acres
Carl Thomas Playground5 acres
DirectionsJerad III Planned Residential Development5 acres
Great Meadow Reservation4 acres
Price Reservation2 acres
Stevens Conservation Restriction2 acres
Beckys Pond2 acres
Who protects it
3,482 conserved acres
21% of North Andover’s land. Water is left out: North Andover has 26.3 square miles of land and 1.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages North Andover’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits984 ac
Other state land808 ac
Town or city527 ac
Joint81 ac
Private owners12 ac
Not recorded1,694 ac
State Resource Management Area · 1,601 acConservation Easement · 965 acLocal Other or Unknown · 532 acPrivate Conservation · 346 acAgricultural Easement · 225 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 703 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 13 of 138 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harold Parker State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 631 | Open |
| Lake Cochichewick State Resource Management Area | Other state land | 583 | Open |
| Boxford State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 387 | Open |
| Town Farm Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 159 | Open |
| Purgatory Swamp Conservation Area Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 106 | Closed |
| Stevens Coolidge Place Reservation Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 101 | Closed |
| North Andover Country Club Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 88 | Restricted |
| Cyr Recreation and Recycling Center Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 81 | Open |
| Jerad Place Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 71 | Open |
| Weir Hill Reservation Private Conservation | Not recorded | 47 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
53 places to go in North Andover
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in North Andover
American Legion Beach
DirectionsStevens Pond BeachHours: Mon–Fri 9 am – 7 pm
DirectionsPlaygrounds in North Andover
Drummond Playground
DirectionsPlus 28 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in North Andover
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in North Andover
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Scenic views in North Andover
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in North Andover
Mills Hill397 ft elevation
DirectionsBoston Hill384 ft elevation
DirectionsTown Farm Hill384 ft elevation
DirectionsClaypit Hill381 ft elevation
DirectionsOsgood Hill344 ft elevation
DirectionsByers Hill325 ft elevation
DirectionsWoodchuck Hill315 ft elevation
DirectionsWeir Hill308 ft elevation · In Weir Hill Reservation
Directions6 more peaks
Russell Hill302 ft elevation
DirectionsFoster Hill295 ft elevation
DirectionsBarker Hill289 ft elevation
DirectionsBruin Hill276 ft elevation
DirectionsAslebe Hill249 ft elevation
DirectionsCarter HillIn Carter Hill
DirectionsPicnic areas in North Andover
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in North Andover
Giving Garden
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 17 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 50.2 miHorses · 15.9 miUnpaved · 45.4 mi
Bay Circuit Trail4.2 mi
Yellow Diamond Trail2.3 mi
Stevens Trail1.4 mi
Black Ops1.1 mi
Fuller Trail1.1 mi
Lake Trail1.1 mi
Blue Loop1.0 mi
Osgood Hill Trail1.0 mi
Lock 'n' Load Trail0.9 mi
NRT0.9 mi
15 more trails
Eagle Trail
0.8 miWeir Hill Trail
0.8 miBruin Hill Summit Path
0.7 miWoodchuck Trail
0.7 miSanborn Trail
0.7 miEdgewood Farm Trail
0.6 miTown Farm Trail
0.6 miGraham Trail
0.6 miStevens To Stevens Trail
0.6 miJudy Family Trail
0.6 miWard Trail
0.6 miScrub Oak Trail
0.5 miShawsheen River Trail
0.5 miHalf Mile Hill Trail
0.5 miRidge Trail
0.5 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
0.6 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
27Tennis
21Soccer
15Baseball
12Basketball
7Football
4Pickleball
3Lacrosse
2Field hockey
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →14 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 9 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Samuel Osgood HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itGeorge Kunhardt EstateBuilding · listed 1976
About itKittredge MansionBuilding · listed 1976
About itNorth Andover Center Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1979
About itMachine Shop Village DistrictDistrict · listed 1982
About itCapt. Timothy Johnson HouseBuilding · listed 1990
About itCarlton-Frie-Tucker HouseBuilding · listed 1990
About itCol. John Osgood HouseBuilding · listed 1990
About itHouse at 922 Dale StreetBuilding · listed 1990
About itSamuel Frye HouseBuilding · listed 1990
About itTavern Acres Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1995
About itOsgood HillDistrict · listed 1999
About it2 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in North 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 | 77 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 62 | 50 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 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 North Andover →
Next door
North Andover and its neighbors
North Andover has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Andover135 miNorth Andover97 miBoxford82 miHaverhill68 miMiddleton40 miNorth Reading26 miMethuen15 miLawrence15 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Andover | 21% | 3.7 | 73 | 96% | A+ |
| Lawrence | 9% | 2.2 | 4 | 99% | A− |
| Boxford | 24% | 3.5 | 307 | 91% | A+ |
| Methuen | 7% | 0.7 | 8 | 71% | B |
| Andover | 17% | 4.4 | 68 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Middleton | 21% | 3.0 | 178 | 99% | A+ |
| North Reading | 11% | 1.9 | 50 | 94% | A+ |
| Haverhill | 19% | 2.1 | 10 | 85% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in North Andover
Where can I hike in North Andover?
The longest trail networks: Harold Parker State Forest, 38.2 miles; Ward Reservation, 8.3 miles; Weir Hill Reservation, 5 miles; Boxford State Forest, 4.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of North Andover is conserved land?
21% 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 North 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 North Andover?
0.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.2 of painted or protected lanes and 0.6 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near North Andover?
45,413 acres of parks and open public land lie inside North Andover or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,677 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does North Andover have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #91 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 North 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 →