Hiking Weir Hill, North Andover, MA
[box style=”rounded” border=”full”]
Location: Weir Hill, North Andover, MA
Date: August 11, 2012
Distance: 2.3 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 235 feet
Our Hiking Time: 2 hours roundtrip
Trail Blaze: Yellow circle
Difficulty: Easy[/box]
For the past few years, we have been hiking Weir Hill in North Andover, MA. With four miles of trails that run along Lake Cochichewick, Stevens Pond, and up to a scenic vista and airplane beacon, the easy to moderate terrain is perfect for a leisurely jaunt. Though we have hiked here many times, today was special because instead of riding in her Deuter Kid Carrier, Addie hiked most of the trail herself!
From the trailhead, we followed the Stevens Trail up to the scenic vista. From here, we could see North Andover and Lawrence, and off in the distance, New Hampshire. We met a sweet couple who were enjoying the view as they relaxed on a stone bench. As we chatted, it turned out the woman had rowed for one of our colleagues at Greater Lawrence Rowing. It’s such a small world!
After a brief water break, we followed the trail downhill and alongside Steven Pond, until it merged into the Alewife trail. Walking along the shore of Lake Cochichewick, the Alewife ended at the Cochichewick trail, which continued along the shoreline. As we completed our loop, we turned left onto the Edgewood Farm trail for the last bit of our hike.
It was a great day for making new puppy friends, as there were a lot of dogs on the trail. Addie was elated, and insisted on petting every single one we met.
I was impressed with Addie’s determination to hike the entire trail, though her little legs did tire out on occasion. In those moments, she would stretch her arms up and ask, “I hold you, Mama?”
Though her speed slows us down, it is a joy to watch her explore nature. Today she found hickory nuts, acorns, slugs, snails, a beetle, a garden snake, a bluejay feather, and mushrooms. She examines each one, and always asks, “What’s this?”
Addie asking Grandmama to identify the acorn she found.
As Addie tired out, we found that asking her to find the trail blazes kept her energy up, and a smile on her face. She would look around, and as she spotted a yellow circle would point and shout, “right there!”
Weir Hill is a perfect place for little ones to begin hiking. As Addie becomes more adept, we will be able to follow one of the more moderate trails. The folks on the trails are always friendly, and for a dog-lover like Addison, each hike provides countless opportunities to pet puppies!
Directions to the trailhead:
From I-93: Exit 41, take Rt. 125 North 7.3 mi. Merge left onto Rt. 114 West and then right back onto Rt. 125. Follow for 0.2 mi. and turn right onto Andover St. Continue for 0.6 mi., bear right at fork, and continue 0.2 mi. to intersection. Proceed straight for 0.1 mi., turn left onto Stevens St., and continue for 0.8 mi. to entrance and roadside parking on right.
From I-495: Exit 42, take Rt. 114 East 1 mi. Turn left onto Rt. 133 East and follow for 0.2 mi. to traffic light. Proceed straight onto Andover St. Continue as above.
