A vibrant network of open spaces between the Merrimack Valley and Mystic River watershed into Boston.
Here are just some of the remarkable open spaces that you can visit either along the Mystic Link Trail or nearby. If we have missed your favorite place let us know!
Bare Meadow is right at the northern end of Reading and walking through it connects to the interesting Mattera Cabin at the other end, where there is lots of good parking. (The cabin is not currently open for use.)
Boxford State Forest is the big area, but the Windrush Farm, next door, is also a great place to visit and hike… and see horses.
This lake is the partial water supply for Burlington (along with MWRA water). So no swimming, etc, but the views and surrounding woods are wonderful.
Two connected areas in the north of North Andover. There is both wild spaces and cultivated farm land in these parks, along with wetlands and ponds, totaling over 146 acres.
There is a lot to see in this rich environment of forest, wetland, and open water, with many boardwalks. Good signs by the host town of Tewksbury.
This area is a combination of many historical sights run by different authorities, including the US Navy, The National Park Service, The Boston Freedom Trail, and a few others!
Wilmington’s Dog Park connects to a trail along the historic Middlesex Canal, a remarkable piece of history. The Dog Park is also known as Town Park. You can park right off route 38, also known as Main Street, to explore both walks.
These are three separate Andover areas, but connected by trails so we are showing all three as one “place”.
There is a lot to see in this rich environment of forest, wetland, and open water, with many boardwalks.
Harold Parker State has 35 miles of trails, many lakes and ponds, and even has campsites. There are so many trails that you have to pay attention to keep from getting lost!
Horn Pond in Woburn is a VERY popular place to walk, but you can easily avoid busier areas by choosing many smaller side trails away from the lake – or climb the mountain with great views of Boston from the top.
These are also three separate areas, but connected by trails so we are showing all three as one “place” in the town of Andover.
This is a paved trail around a well-maintained park. This park features a pond for fishing, a playground, and sports fields.
These two neighboring parks offer hundreds of acres of wetland and woods trails.
This is not a wilderness hike, but a lovely walk around a lake and most if not all of the walk is wheelchair friendly. The Lake is like the jewel of Wakefield.
Wilmington’s Lubbers Brook is a smallish but pleasant spot with lovely views of wetlands. Like everywhere these days it is dog-friendly but only on leash.
The Maillet Conservation land is next to the Thelin Bird Sanctuary, and both can be visited, although Thelin is more bird friendly than people friendly. The Maillet project has been a major stormwater project along the Aberjona River.
Mary Cummings has extensive wildflower and grassy meadows, which is unusual; the wildflowers stands can be huge in summer. In addition there is a large wetland with walkways, a boardwalk over one large area, plus many kinds of mature forest.
This surprising little park has a pond and many lovely views. Arlington also has connections to the Mystic Lakes, and other good walking spots.
Although cut in two by Route 93, both the East and West parts of the Middlesex Fells provide miles of great hiking and biking.
The Mystic Link Trail runs along a narrow bit of land along both lakes, and this is the Mystic Lakes State Park. These two lakes offer lots of good walking with lovely water views.
Two separate but nearby North Andover parks, both overlooking lovely Lake Cochichewick. Osgood alone has 200 acres of land, and Weir adds 194 more, so there is lots of room to roam here.
“The current name of Pomp’s Pond refers to Pompey Lovejoy, a freed slave who built a cabin near the pond on Abbot Road, fished, and farmed nearby land.”
Reading Town Forest is a large wooded area in the north of Reading. It skirts the Ipswich River, and depending on weather and recent rain you might get close enough to view the river.
This reservation runs along the Merrimack River so along with woods you can get great river views along with woods and wetlands. It was named after Al Retelle, who convinced Andover to create a Conservation Commission.
A small park, but as promised, contains some amazing boulders, in the western part of Tewksbury.
This is mostly in Burlington, but the trails take you into nice areas of Wilmington as well.
This rail trail, known as the Somerville Community Path, while hardly wilderness can be very beautiful, with big trees looming overhead and peaceful walkers and bikers strolling by.
Swan Pond in North Reading is a water supply lake, but is also a large natural area with many other ponds, wetlands, and great walking trails. While the big lake is off limits at least one of the other ponds has spectacular beaver activity where these critters are creating their own ponds and lakes.
There are a whole group of wonderful open spaces in and around the Tewksbury State Hospital, including the Pinnacle Trail, the Pines Cemetery Trail and Side Loop, The State Hospital Trail, and Pines Cemetery Main Trail.
This remarkable piece of land has an interesting history which you can read about at the website of The Friends of The Landlocked Forest. It has lots of trails and is quite popular with mountain bikers.
This park entrance is right across the street from the large fields where people fly model planes, which you are welcome to observe from the side of the field.
We have grouped four separate parcels into one page: they are all nearly connected, with miles of trails through woods and wetlands, with ponds here and there.
The Charles W. Ward reservation in Andover and North Andover is the northern end of the Mystic Link Trail. It is a large reservation run by The Trustees, with a wide variety of landscapes. There are wetlands, open fields, forests, and views to distant places.
Wilmington’s Town Forest is a nice quiet place for a walk in the woods. Look for the sizable boulders left by the glacier. The forest borders on Andover and you can easily walk into Andover forest land from here. There is a water town high up from which there are views outward.