Summer is a wonderful time to explore the great outdoors and we're very lucky in Massachusetts to have some beautiful landscapes. Whether you're looking for the mountains, the ocean, the forest, or just something off the beaten path, New England has something for you. Take a look at some of these local travel guides for outdoor inspiration.
Don't forget that we have a MA State Parks Paking pass you can reserve with your Andover card! It's a great way to save some money on your day trip.
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Hiking Massachusetts : a guide to the state's greatest hiking adventures
by Benjamin B. Ames Lace up your boots and sample 50 of the finest trails Massachusetts has to offer. This hiker's paradise offers not only mountaintop vistas but also historic landmarks and pristine seashore. Hike along cranberry bogs in Massasoit State Park, trace the edge of a cliff overlooking the Merrimack River in Maudslay State Park, follow the Appalachian Trail over Becket and Walling Mountains in October Mountain State Forest, or walk the state from Rhode Island to New Hampshire on the Midstate Trail. Veteran hiker and outdoor writer Ben Ames will introduce you to these trails and more. Use this guide for: detailed route maps for each trail; accurate route profiles showing the ups and downs of each hike; tips on equipment, trip planning, and hiking with dogs and children; accurate directions, difficulty ratings, trail contacts, and more. |
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AMC's best day hikes near Boston : four-season guide to 60 of the best trails in Eastern Massachusetts
by Mike Tougias Discover fifty pockets of wilderness bursting with flora and fauna on scenic trails within an hour of Boston. Ideal for families, nature lovers, and hiking enthusiasts, AMC's Best Day Hikes Near Boston leads explorers to the area's most intersting woodlands, reservations, and nature preserves from the North Shore to Concord and the Lincoln Woods, from the Middlesex Fells to the Blue Hills Reservation, and south to the Cape. This handy guide includes directions, trail maps, photos, and Nature Notes that highlight the natural history of the area, including rare bird species and ancient trees. |
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Fodor's Boston
by Victoria Abbott Riccardi Detailed and timely information on accommodations, restaurants and local attractions highlight these updated travel guides, which feature all-new covers, a dramatic visual design, symbols to indicate budget options, must-see ratings, multi-day itineraries, Smart Travel Tips, helpful bulleted maps, tips on transportation, guidelines for shopping excursions and other valuable features. |
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Appalachian Trail guide : Massachusetts-Connecticut
by Sue Spring Provides local history, background information on trail landmarks, and topographical maps for the 141 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Massachusetts and Connecticut. |
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Moon Outdoors Take a Hike Boston : 86 Hikes Within 2 Hours of the City
by Jacqueline Tourville Landscapes, craggy summits, and quiet, wooded hills lie just a stone's throw from New England's largest urban center. Because of the stunning scenery around the city, hiking in Boston is more than a trek around town. In Moon Take a Hike Boston, avid outdoorswoman Jacqueline Tourville shows you the best hikes in and around Boston—all within two hours of the city. With details on public transportation options and clear directions on how to reach the trailhead, Tourville has all the bases covered. Annotation |
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Moon Outdoors New England Hiking : The Complete Guide to More Than 400 of the Best Hikes in New England
by Jacqueline Tourville Avid hiker and freelance writer Jacqueline Tourville invites you to grab your hiking gear and get away from life's daily grind in Moon New England Hiking. Packed with useful information, Moon New England Hiking covers a wide selection of hiking trails from beginner-friendly, low terrain treks to alpine adventures in New England's higher elevations. Tourville provides lists that appeal to a variety of hikers' interests, such as Best Hikes for Fall Foliage Viewing, Best Coastal or Island Hikes, Best Backpacking Hikes, and Best Hikes for Kids. Complete with details on what to pack, what to wear, and tips on hiking ethics, Moon New England Hiking gives travelers the tools they need to create a more personal and memorable hiking. |
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The North Shore literary trail : from Bradstreet's Andover to Hawthorne's Salem
by Kristin Bierfelt Their pages of verse and prose have been read and enjoyed by generations; now witness firsthand the inspiration for those perfectly penned lines of Longfellow, Frost and Harriet Beecher Stowe. Discover the strong feminist voice of Judith Sargent Murray as you stroll down Middle Street in Gloucester, or navigate the narrow, winding streets of Marblehead and flip through the eighteenth-century journals of the sailor Ashley Bowen. Plan a literary themed cultural outing or simply take a closer look at your town's local landmarks. From the "gem-emblazoned shore" of "lovely Lynn" to the gleaming gables in Hawthorne's Salem, this book uncovers some of the North Shore's most precious literary treasures |
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Walking the cape and islands : a comprehensive guide to the walking and hiking trails of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket
by David Weintraub The Cape and Islands--Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket--provide some of the best walking and hiking in coastal New England. There is a great variety of terrain and scenery, from the crashing Atlantic Ocean to pristine kettle ponds, from densely wooded tracts to open expanses of salt marsh, and from sandy shorelines to wildflower-carpeted grasslands. Walking the Cape and Islands is the first comprehensive guide to the area's best walking and hiking trails. In includes: 72 walks ranging in length from 0.4 miles to 11.2 miles and in difficulty from easy to difficult; for each walk, a complete route description, driving directions to the trailhead, and a detailed, easy-to-read map; at-a-glance Info providing essential information such as distance, difficulty, time to walk, trail surface, and more; trail-use data showing whether bicycles, dogs, or hunting are allowed on the described route; and health stats showing the number of steps and estimated calories burned. Although designed primarily for walkers and hikers, this book will also appeal to joggers and mountain bicyclists. The book is illustrated with photographs by the author, a professional photographer. |