Hikes & Other Places

So, this was a long loop of a trail. Entering from the “Stevens Estate” lot, there is a short “feeder” trail to get to the main reservation area. I DEFINITELY suggest heading to the LEFT as you start the loop trail. The left starts with several hills, so take them on while you are still fresh. The section to the right (where we ended up finishing) was a much flatter path and would have throw us at the hillsides after already walking 5 miles.

We took a hike through the Georgetown-Rowley State forest along with another friend and his dog

The Middlesex Fells is a reservation area that spans a large space in Medford and Winchester that surrounds the reservoir. We started at a trailhead on the Medford side near the tower.

This was one of our favorite hikes. Along the way, there are some really nice views, including the Boston skyline which is visible from several hilltops. This trail also includes a hilltop which is the highest point in Essex County.

This starts at a location owned by the Trustees of Estates. If you are a member, the parking is free (use your membership number to get a free parking pass) otherwise, parking costs $6.

There are a large number of trails that criss-cross this property. We started with the Pine Point Loop. This 2-mile trail has several spin-off loops if you want to add some additional distance. It’s a very easy walk. In mid-February, there were still some sections that were very icy, very muddy, or both. Some sections were still snow-covered as well. It was a nice, relaxing walk and let us get most of the zoomies out of Maizey in a section of fields and forest which are pretty open, especially at this time of year.

The first place we started with was in Chelmsford, our hometown. The Cranberry Bog Reservation stretches between Chelmsford and Carlisle. There is parking on Elm Street in Chelmsford and on Curve Street in Carlisle. The loop is just over 2 miles — but, be aware, there are several dead end trails that end in private back yards. We ended up cutting back to the street and walking back to the Elm Street parking that way.