Ward Reservation
Encyclopedia
The Ward Reservation is a 695 acres (281.3 ha) open space reserve
located in Andover
and North Andover, Massachusetts
, 20 miles (32.2 km) north of Boston
. The reserve, managed by the land conservation non-profit organization The Trustees of Reservations
, is notable for its open drumlin
hilltops and vistas encompassing Boston and Salem
. The Ward Reservation offers 13 miles (20.9 km) of trails and former woods roads available for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and cross country skiing; it is also a link in the 200 miles (321.9 km) Bay Circuit Trail
system.
The Ward Reservation contains hayfields, hilltops, wetlands, creeks, swamps, and woodlands. Colonial era stone walls on the property, when combined, total more than 17 miles (27.4 km) long. Hills on the reservation include Shrub Hill, Boston Hill, and the 420 feet (128 m) Holt Hill drumlin, named for the 17th-century settlement of Nicholas Holt, which offers 280 degree views of Boston, Salem, and the Blue Hills
. An arrangement of "solstice stones" on the summit mark annual solstice
and equinox
events. Pine Hole Bog, a rare quaking bog located on the property is accessed via a 700 feet (213.4 m) boardwalk
; The Trustees of Reservations provides an interpretive brochure for the bog at trailhead kiosks.
A network of trails span the Ward Reservation, most notably the Bay Circuit trail which forms a 200-mile (320 km) arc around metropolitan Boston through suburbs west of the city. The trail passes over Holt Hill. A reservation trailhead and parking area is located on Prospect Road in Andover.
Open space reserve
Open space reserve, open space preserve, and open space reservation, are planning and conservation ethics terms used to describe areas of protected or conserved land or water on which development is indefinitely set aside...
located in Andover
Andover, Massachusetts
Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...
and North Andover, Massachusetts
North Andover, Massachusetts
North Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. North Andover is the home of Merrimack College, a private, Catholic four-year institution ....
, 20 miles (32.2 km) north of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. The reserve, managed by the land conservation non-profit organization The Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees of Reservations is a non-profit land conservation and historic preservation organization dedicated to preserving natural and historical places in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is the oldest regional land trust in the world and has 100,000 dues-paying members...
, is notable for its open drumlin
Drumlin
A drumlin, from the Irish word droimnín , first recorded in 1833, is an elongated whale-shaped hill formed by glacial ice acting on underlying unconsolidated till or ground moraine.-Drumlin formation:...
hilltops and vistas encompassing Boston and Salem
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
. The Ward Reservation offers 13 miles (20.9 km) of trails and former woods roads available for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and cross country skiing; it is also a link in the 200 miles (321.9 km) Bay Circuit Trail
Bay Circuit Trail
The Bay Circuit Trail or Bay Circuit is a Massachusetts recreational trail which, when complete, will form an arc through the outlying suburbs of Boston from Plum Island in Newburyport to Kingston Bay in Duxbury, a distance of . of the trail were complete as of 2007...
system.
Geography and recreation
Blue Hills Reservation
Blue Hills Reservation is a state park in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. Managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, it extends into Milton, Quincy, Braintree, Canton, Randolph, and Dedham south of Boston.-Description:...
. An arrangement of "solstice stones" on the summit mark annual solstice
Solstice
A solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year when the Sun's apparent position in the sky, as viewed from Earth, reaches its northernmost or southernmost extremes...
and equinox
Equinox
An equinox occurs twice a year, when the tilt of the Earth's axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun, the center of the Sun being in the same plane as the Earth's equator...
events. Pine Hole Bog, a rare quaking bog located on the property is accessed via a 700 feet (213.4 m) boardwalk
Boardwalk
A boardwalk, in the conventional sense, is a wooden walkway for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles, often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments....
; The Trustees of Reservations provides an interpretive brochure for the bog at trailhead kiosks.
A network of trails span the Ward Reservation, most notably the Bay Circuit trail which forms a 200-mile (320 km) arc around metropolitan Boston through suburbs west of the city. The trail passes over Holt Hill. A reservation trailhead and parking area is located on Prospect Road in Andover.