Did you know that November 17 is National Take a Hike Day? And considering how mild the weather has been thus far in November, you should totally take advantage of this day. In fact, the month of November and entire season of autumn in general is a great time for hiking (or walking, biking, or running), especially in beautiful New England. The weather is cool, the remaining foliage is beautiful, and it’s a great way to get some outdoor exercise before the winter’s snowfalls deter us from leaving our houses.
Whether you’ve climbed to the top of Mount Everest, or you’ve never been hiking a day in your life, there are so many ways and places for you to get out there. If you’re a beginner, take a stroll down the 4.3 mile Danvers Rail Trail, which runs through Danvers, Peabody, Wenham, and Topsfield. You can find a trailhead for these paths in Peabody at Lt. Ross Park (formerly Cy Tenney) on Johnson St., just off of Lowell St. Similarly, you could hit the 4.1 mile Marblehead Bike Path that starts in Salem and ends in Marblehead. Both of these trails pass by some small ponds, which makes for a relaxing setting. My favorite aspect of these kinds of trails is that if you’re just trying to take it easy, you can stick to the main paths. But if you want hills and more difficult terrain, venture off the beaten path onto some less-trodden trails!
If these bike paths aren’t enough to satisfy you more intrepid hikers, a more tumultuous local place to try is Breakheart Reservation in Saugus, right off Route 1. A library patron recommended these trails to me when I was trying to get into trail running, and now I pass it on to other hikers and runners. It is a beautiful 640 acre forest with some great rocky, hilly trails for those seeking to test their endurance. Though the reservation’s lakes tend to draw crowds in the summer, it is far less populated in autumn, making for the perfect mindful hike or jog. You might also be interested in the Lynn Woods, a popular destination for distance runners. Lynn Woods is a huge park, at 2,200 acres, and there are various terrains throughout the trails.
We have quite a few hikers on staff who were able to recommend some great local places. Kelley says her favorite local walking spot is the Ipswich River Wildlife Sancturary, a great spot with 12 miles of trails in Topsfield run by Mass Audubon that’s also great for snowshoeing in the winter. She also recommended Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, a Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation park that used to be an estate. This park boasts “great wooded walking (some on carriage roads), views of the Merrimack River, and a pretty cool rose garden when it’s in season.” A similar spot, also a former estate, is Appleton Farms located in Hamilton and Ipswich and managed by the Trustees of Reservations.
For those who crave ocean views, check out Crane Beach in Ipswich, also managed by the Trustees of Reservations, which hosts some interesting trails in the dunes and has been home for the past couple winters to some beautiful snowy owls. You may also like Parker Wildlife Research Preserve on Plum Island, which also hosts some dunes and boardwalks.
Other staff recommendations include Bradley Palmer State Park, Malden Pond, Blue Hills, and Willowdale State Forest.
If these aren’t enough for you, or if you want to venture out of the North Shore area, we have a myriad of Massachusetts and New England hiking guide books available for checkout on our card catalog display.
Still don’t want to take a hike yourself? Read about someone else who does! Learn about Grandma Gatewood, a 65 year old woman who walked solo for 800 miles through the Appalachian Trail, or read Walking to Vermont, the story of a retired foreign correspondent who ventured through the Northeast on foot. You could also pick up Wild by Cheryl Strayed, the memoir or a grieving twenty-two year old woman who hiked 1,100 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail alone.