Looking for a way to get the kids outside, burn off some energy, and explore somewhere new? The Merrimack Valley is filled with family-friendly trails where you can wander through the woods, walk beside ponds and rivers, search for wildlife, climb to a scenic overlook, or simply enjoy a beautiful fall afternoon together.
Whether your kids are experienced little hikers or you're looking for a short nature walk that won't result in someone asking "Are we almost done?" every five minutes, we've rounded up some great places to explore in Andover, North Andover, Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill, Methuen, Lawrence, Boxford, and beyond.
Pack some water and snacks, lace up everyone's sneakers or hiking boots, and hit the trail!
🌳 Weir Hill — North Andover
65 Stevens Street, North Andover
If you want a hike with a payoff, Weir Hill is one of our favorite choices. The 194-acre reservation has about four miles of trails, with beautiful views of Lake Cochichewick.
Families can stick closer to the lake for a relatively easy adventure or take older kids up the hill for beautiful views. The yellow loop is about 2.3 miles, while shorter blue and red trails allow you to create your own route.
Kids will love: Walking along the water, exploring the woods and reaching the scenic overlook.
Difficulty: Easy to moderate, with some strenuous sections.
Cost: Free.
Good to know: Dogs are permitted on leash, but Lake Cochichewick is a public drinking-water supply, so people and dogs can't swim or wade in it.
➡️ Weir Hill information & trail map
🍂 Ward Reservation — Andover
Prospect Road, Andover
Want to make reaching the top part of the adventure? Ward Reservation offers nearly 10 miles of trails across approximately 700 acres.
One of the highlights for families is Holt Hill, the highest point in Essex County. At the summit, kids can find the Solstice Stones, which mark compass directions and the locations of the rising and setting sun at the solstices and equinoxes.
Another fascinating destination is Pine Hole Pond, reached by a boardwalk over a rare quaking bog. Keep an eye out for interesting plants, including insect-eating pitcher plants.
Kids will love: The Solstice Stones, boardwalk, bog and feeling like they've climbed a "mountain."
Difficulty: Easy to moderate depending on your route; some sections are more strenuous.
➡️ Learn more about Ward Reservation
🪨 Den Rock Park — Andover & Lawrence
Parking available from Stirling Street in Andover and Route 114
This is a fun choice for kids who think a regular walk through the woods sounds boring.
The star attraction is Den Rock, a massive granite outcropping that makes the park feel a little more adventurous. Several miles of trails wind through the property toward Den Rock and the Shawsheen River.
Families looking for a defined route can try the blue-blazed Great Blue Heron Trail, a roughly 1.8-mile perimeter loop.
Wildlife sightings can include deer, foxes, beavers, hawks and songbirds.
Kids will love: The giant rock formations, wildlife and exploring.
Difficulty: Moderate depending on your route.
Parent note: Den Rock itself has cliffs and is used for technical rock climbing, so keep younger children close around steep areas.
➡️ Den Rock Park trail information & map
🌲 Harold Parker State Forest — Andover & North Andover
If your family is ready for a true woods adventure, head to Harold Parker.
This enormous state forest contains miles of trails weaving among forests, ponds and wetlands. Even better, Massachusetts DCR has created suggested self-guided hikes specifically to help visitors choose an appropriate route.
DCR classifies its introductory hikes as relatively short and suitable for most visitors, including families with children.
Suggested routes include:
Sudden Pond Trail
Berry Pond Trail
Stearns Pond Trail
Yellow Diamond Trail
Choose your trail based on your kids' ages and hiking experience.
Kids will love: Ponds, bridges, rocks, wildlife and feeling like they're deep in the forest.
Difficulty: Easy through challenging depending on the trail.
➡️ Harold Parker family-friendly hiking routes
🌿 Goldsmith Woodlands — Andover
For a quieter Andover nature walk, explore Goldsmith Woodlands, one of the many reservations cared for by the Andover Village Improvement Society.
The property offers wooded trails and is especially nice when you're looking for a simple hike rather than a big destination.
AVIS has also been working on a new All-Persons Trail, designed to make this beautiful natural area accessible to more visitors.
Kids will love: Exploring the woods, spotting wildlife and having room to wander.
🌲 Town Forest — Groveland
Groveland has several wonderful conservation areas that families sometimes overlook.
The Groveland Town Forest offers trails through a peaceful wooded setting and is a great choice when you simply want to get everyone outside without making hiking an all-day event.
The Town of Groveland provides downloadable trail brochures so you can plan your route before leaving home.
Kids will love: A traditional walk in the woods and searching for signs of wildlife.
🐸 Meadow Pond Reservation — Groveland
Another Groveland gem is Meadow Pond Reservation, a roughly 78-acre conservation property.
Trails take families through woods and around wetland habitat, making this a nice place to turn your walk into a nature scavenger hunt.
See who can find the first bird, pinecone, acorn, animal track, colorful leaf or interesting rock!
Kids will love: Pond and wetland exploration.
➡️ Groveland Conservation Commission & trail brochures
🌳 Veasey Memorial Park — Groveland
201 Washington Street, Groveland
Veasey isn't just a beautiful location for community events. The property also includes trails that families can explore.
It's a particularly nice option for younger children when you aren't looking for a strenuous hike.
Kids will love: Open spaces combined with a walk through nature.
Difficulty: Easy.
➡️ Groveland trail brochures, including Veasey Memorial Park
🐦 Crane Pond Wildlife Management Area — Groveland
Families with older children looking for a more rugged outdoor adventure can investigate Crane Pond Wildlife Management Area.
The enormous conservation area stretches well beyond Groveland and provides a much wilder experience than a neighborhood nature trail.
Best for: Older kids and families comfortable navigating larger natural areas.
Parent tip: Download a map ahead of time and plan your route rather than simply wandering into such a large property.
➡️ Groveland recreation trails & maps
🐢 Hovey's Pond — Boxford
Hovey's Pond makes a wonderful destination if your kids enjoy looking for wildlife.
The 30-acre pond is surrounded by conservation land. From the public access and parking area, families can reach several conservation areas, including Millbrook Farm Conservation Area, Hovey's Pond Meadow and the Heron Rookery Trail.
And here's a fun landmark for the kids: the town's directions suggest watching for the black-and-white "Oreo" cows at Millbrook Fields Farm as you approach!
Kids will love: The pond, birds, cows and wildlife.
➡️ Hovey's Pond information and trail map
🌲 Explore Boxford's Conservation Trails — Boxford
Boxford is filled with conservation land — more than 750 acres of town-managed protected conservation property is open to the public.
That means there are plenty of opportunities to discover smaller trails that may be much less crowded than the region's better-known hiking destinations.
➡️ Boxford Conservation Commission
🍁 Millvale Reservoir & Meadow Brook Conservation Area — Haverhill
For a peaceful walk around the water, check out the trails around Millvale Reservoir in Haverhill.
Wooded trails surround the reservoir, making this a pretty destination for a family nature walk — especially during fall foliage season.
Kids will love: Water views, woods and wildlife spotting.
Difficulty: Easy to moderate depending on the route you choose.
🚶 Spicket River Greenway — Lawrence
Not every family outing needs to involve climbing hills and navigating tree roots.
The Spicket River Greenway offers approximately 3.5 miles of green spaces and walking paths connecting parks and neighborhoods throughout Lawrence.
That makes it especially useful for families with younger children who want to walk part of a trail and then stop at a park.
The Greenway connects several green spaces, including Dr. Nina Scarito Park, Manchester Street Park and William Kennedy Community Park.
Kids will love: Being able to combine a walk with playground time.
Difficulty: Easy.
➡️ Spicket River Greenway information & interactive map
🛝 Manchester Street Park & Spicket River Greenway — Lawrence
If you're introducing little ones to hiking, this might be one of the easiest places to start.
Manchester Street Park includes a portion of the Spicket River Greenway along with two playground areas — one designed for ages 2–5 and another for ages 5–12 — plus a grassy lawn, pond overlook and picnic areas.
Take a walk, have a picnic and finish at the playground. That's a pretty good formula for keeping little hikers happy!
🚲 Methuen Rail Trail & Nevins Bird Sanctuary — Methuen
The Methuen Rail Trail provides families with a flatter alternative to a traditional woods hike.
The trail connects toward Lawrence and Salem, New Hampshire, and also provides access to Nevins Bird Sanctuary, one of Methuen's conservation properties.
This can be a particularly good choice for families who prefer walking, biking or jogging on a more predictable trail surface rather than navigating roots and rocks.
➡️ Learn about the Methuen/Lawrence Rail Trail
🥾 Pawtucket Farm Wildlife Sanctuary — Lowell
1413 Varnum Avenue, Lowell
If you're willing to venture toward Lowell, this newer Mass Audubon sanctuary offers a nice collection of relatively short trails.
For families with little hikers, having shorter trail options can be a huge advantage — you can explore without committing everyone to a three-mile trek.
The Huckleberry Trail is approximately one-third of a mile, although it is one of the property's steeper and more rugged trails.
Kids will love: Fields, woods, birdwatching and wildlife.
🍁 Bonus: Worth the Short Drive
🐦 Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary — Topsfield
87 Perkins Row, Topsfield
Technically just outside the Merrimack Valley, but this one is too good for families to leave off the list!
Mass Audubon's Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary has more than 10 miles of interconnected trails through forests, fields, wetlands and along the river.
Kids can climb glacial landforms, investigate enormous rocks, walk through the former arboretum on the Rockery Trail, watch for turtles, herons and other wildlife, and explore a variety of habitats in one visit.
Kids will love: Wildlife, ponds, boardwalks, giant rocks and the feeling that there's always something new around the corner.
Good to know: Pets aren't permitted at Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries, other than service animals.
➡️ Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary
🎒 Tips for Hiking With Kids
A family hike doesn't have to be long to be a success! Start small, especially with younger children, and let the experience be about exploring rather than reaching a certain mileage.
Bring water, snacks, bug spray, sunscreen and an extra layer, and wear sturdy shoes. In fall, remember that daylight disappears earlier than you might expect.
Make the hike more fun by giving kids something to do along the way. Try a nature scavenger hunt, count bridges, look for animal tracks, photograph five different leaves, listen for birds, or let the kids take turns being the "trail leader."
And always check the property's website before leaving home for current trail conditions, parking information, closures and regulations.
🥾 What's Your Family's Favorite Merrimack Valley Hike?
Did we miss your family's favorite trail, conservation area or secret place to explore?
Let Macaroni KID Merrimack Valley know! We're always looking for more family-friendly places in Andover, North Andover, Methuen, Lawrence, Haverhill, Georgetown, Groveland, Boxford and Middleton to add to our local guides.
Save this guide and choose a new trail each weekend. You might be surprised by how many outdoor adventures are hiding right here in the Merrimack Valley! 🍂🥾🌲
