Ward Reservation: Holt Hill and the bog boardwalk

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Photo: NewtonCourt · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

🥾 Hike · Andover

2 hours · Free · No reservation needed

age fit

0–1 yr

★ 2.0

1–3 yrs

★ 3.0

3–5 yrs

★ 3.0

5–10 yrs

★ 4.0

🚗
About 40 min drive
From Newton · Parking: Free lot at the Prospect Rd entrance
🎒
Carrier recommended
Terrain isn't stroller-friendly; a carrier is easier
🌳
Some shade
Great on sunny days · Good on cool days
⏱️
Typical visit: 2 hours
Best seasons: Spring · Summer · Fall

A 700-acre Trustees reservation in Andover: a half-mile gentle climb from the lot reaches Holt Hill, the highest point in Essex County, with the Boston skyline visible on clear days; at the other end, Pine Hole peat bog has a short boardwalk over moss that feels like a sponge underfoot.

💡 Tips

Holt Hill is about 1 mile round trip, and kids 3 and up can walk it themselves; the bog boardwalk is shorter from its own separate entrance. The dirt trails have rocks and cow patties (cattle graze on the summit), so wear good shoes.

What this place offers

✓summit city views

✓bog boardwalk

✓woods

✓pasture

✓dirt trail

✓carrier

Featured in these guides

This weekend's weather in Andover

Forecast at the destination itself (coast and hills often differ from home)

🌦️

Sat 10/17

Showers · 36–60°F · 70% rain

☁️

Sun 10/18

Overcast · 35–59°F · 1% rain

Location

Andover, Massachusetts

Ward Reservation: Holt Hill and the bog boardwalk

🥾 Hike · Andover

What this place offers

Featured in these guides

This weekend's weather in Andover

Location

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