Come check out the Stevens to Stevens Trail, a scenic trail connecting the Old Center Common to Weir Hill. Along the way, we’ll learn about the Old Center’s history as the site of the town’s original settlement.
 
We'll meet at the North Andover Old Center Common, at the corner of Andover St and Osgood St. The event is free and family friendly.  Heavy rain cancels. Dogs must be leashed.

Note: Registration is now full for this event! Watch for our next nature walk coming soon.

Join us for our spring nature walk, led by Merrimack Valley Bird Club president Zoltan Poleretzky. No experience is necessary for this easy morning walk where we’ll look for migratory birds and other North Andover wildlife.

The location has been shared with participants.

Note that we are limiting the size of this group, so please RSVP to glen@fonat.org to let us know if you are coming. (If we have extra interest we will get a second walk on the calendar.)

Join us to check out the lesser-explored trails in the wilderness where North Andover, Middleton, and Boxford meet. We’ll begin our hike on Middleton’s “Lost 50” trail, and then continue along the ancient roads and cart paths of Boxford State Forest.

We'll meet at the Lost 50 trailhead on North Liberty St in Middleton. This spot can be tricky to locate. For GPS, navigate to 200 Liberty St in North Andover (the corner of Liberty St and Watkins Way) and look for a North Liberty St sign. Continue down North Liberty St, (a dirt road), until you see the trail head on your left.

The event is free and family friendly. Heavy rain cancels.

Come explore this little known trail system along the Bay Circuit Trail, through town conservation land and state forest behind the Cyr Recycling Center . The hike should last about 2 hours.

Our hikes are free, open to all and family friendly. Dogs should be leashed.

We'll meet at the soccer field parking area at the far end of Berry St near the junction with Route 114.. (Note this is not the soccer field parking lot on Sharpner’s Pond Rd.)

Join us for an extended tour of Boxford State Forest/Bald Hill Reservation. We will trace the edges of the 2024 wildfire to see how the forest has begun to regenerate.

Note: We'll hike for approximately 4 hours instead of the usual 2 hours!

It is likely to be snowy and icey. so please bring snowshoes or a traction aids like Microspikes or Yaktrax. Please also dress for the weather & bring water & snacks for yourself. We will hike for four hours & usually cover approximately 8 miles, but the distance will be dependent on conditions.

Rescheduled to February 15th!

Join FONAT to check out a wooded loop through the Leonhard-Eldred Farm conservation restriction along the border with Boxford.

We'll meet at the end of Bruin Hill Rd. This hike will last about an hour. The event is free and family friendly. Heavy rain cancels.

Come explore the trails at James Swamp (the Reynolds Conservation Area) with FONAT. The walk will be shorter than our usual trips, lasting about an hour or so. If there's sufficent snow cover, this will be a snowshoe trip.

Did you know you can see the Boston skyline from Bruin Hill? For our December hike, we’ll check out the trails at Greenbelt’s Bruin Hill Reservation. This hike will be shorter than our usual hikes, coming in at about an hour.

We'll meet at the trailhead on Winter St where the power lines cross the road. The event is free and family friendly.  Heavy rain cancels.  

Note: This event was originally scheduled for Nov 2, but has been moved to the following Sunday.

Come check out North Andover's Osgood Hill, as we hike the Stevens Trail to Half Mile Hill.

We'll meet at the trailhead at the Stevens Estate carriage house. (Drive up the hill to the estate and proceed to the farthest parking lot.)

The event is free and family friendly.  Heavy rain cancels.  

Come explore the trails and new boardwalks at Mazurenko Farm and Carter Hill. The hike should last about 2 hours and promises beautiful views as we ascend Barker Hill and Carter Hill.

Our hikes are free, open to all and family friendly.  Dogs should be leashed.

We'll meet at the Mazurenko Farm main parking area on Bradford St.

Join FONAT’s first “family hike”, as we climb up Boston Hill to Elephant Rock. At the summit we’ll take a break to enjoy the beautiful views and a snack.

The meeting place will be the Brightview retirement community on 114.  (The trailhead is on the far end of the parking lot.)

The event is free and family friendly.  Heavy rain cancels.

In 1968, the Defense Department selected North Andover for the nation's first Sentinel Anti-Ballistic Missile base. Come explore Boxford State Forest with FONAT while learning the fascinating history of this unique corner of North Andover, what's left behind, and what could have been.

Our walks are free and family friendly, and will take about two hours. Heavy rain cancels. Dogs must be leashed.

We will meet at the state forest parking area at the end of Sharpner’s Pond Road in North Andover.

Come hike across Ward Reservation with FONAT. The hike will last about 2 hours as we hike from North Andover’s Boston Hill to Andover’s Holt Hill! We’ll enjoy the panoramic views of the Boston skyline from unique cleared hilltops dotted with blue birds, and check out Ward’s famous solstice stones.

Note this hike will be strenuous, as we’ll be climbing two of the highest hills in Essex County.

The meeting place will be the Brightview retirement community on 114.  (The trailhead is on the far end of the parking lot.)

The event is free and family friendly.  Heavy rain cancels.

Join us to explore the miles of scenic trails at Den Rock Park.

Our hikes are free, open to all and family friendly.  Dogs should be leashed.

We'll meet at the Den Rock Park parking area across the street from the North Andover Mall.

For our May hike, we'll explore North Andover's Salem Pond. Far from the beaten path, Salem Pond is situated deep in Harold Parker State Forest, accessible only on foot. One of the forest's 9 man-made ponds, it was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corp in the 1930s.

We'll meet at 1pm from the park headquarters parking area on Middleton Rd in North Andover. (Not the pavilion or Berry Pond parking areas.) For GPS, use 305 Middleton Rd North Andover.)

Our walks are free and family friendly, and usually last about two hours. Heavy rain cancels. Dogs must be leashed.

Come explore this little known trail system along the Bay Circuit Trail, through town conservation land and state forest behind the Cyr Recycling Center . The hike should last about 2 hours.

Our hikes are free, open to all and family friendly. Dogs should be leashed.

We'll meet at the soccer field parking area at the far end of Berry St near the junction with Route 114.. (Note this is not the soccer field parking lot on Sharpner’s Pond Rd.)

For this hike, we're trying something a bit different— we'll hike for approximately 4 hours instead of the usual 2 hours!

Over 300 acres of Boxford State Forest burned in a forest fire in November. Come spend the afternoon exploring the extent of the burned area, as well as the non-burned areas to the east.

Participants should come prepared for an extended-length hike of approximately 4 hours. Microspikes, Yaktrax or other traction aids recommended unless we have a complete thaw or enough snow to use snow shoes.

Join Friends of North Andover Trails for an afternoon hike or snowshoe. Bring snowshoes if there is enough snow or Microspikes, Yaktrax, or similar traction devices if it is icy.

Our hikes are free, open to all and family friendly.  Dogs should be leashed.

We will begin at the a new location this year, at the trailhead to Greenbelt's Farnsworth Reservation. Use 700 South Bradford St for GPS. Park along the street.

This hike will last about two hours. Heavy rain or snow cancels, but we will go in light snow.

For our January hike, we'll explore North Andover's Sudden Pond, one of the forest's 9 man-made ponds. We will also take a short detour to the marker stone where North Andover, Middleton and North Reading meet.

We'll meet at 1pm at the park headquarters parking area on Middleton Rd in North Andover. (For GPS, use 305 Middleton Rd North Andover, MA.) Our walks are free and family friendly, and usually last about two hours. Heavy rain cancels. Dogs must be leashed.

Join us on a guided hike at Glennie Woodlot, as we cross a the Glennie bridge to the little known trails at Town Farm North. The hike will be a bit shorter than our usual walks, coming in at about an hour.

The event is free and family friendly.  Heavy rain cancels.  Leashed dogs are welcome.

Join us to explore Woodchuck Hill and a wonderful trail connection created in 2017 as an Eagle Scout project.

Come check out the Stevens to Stevens Trail, a scenic trail connecting the Old Center Common to Weir Hill. Along the way, we’ll learn about the Old Center’s history as the site of the town’s original settlement.
 
We'll meet at the North Andover Old Center Common, at the corner of Andover St and Osgood St. The event is free and family friendly.  Heavy rain cancels. Dogs must be leashed.

Join us to check out the lesser-explored trails in the wilderness where North Andover, Middleton, and Boxford meet. We’ll begin our hike on Middleton’s “Lost 50” trail, and then continue along the ancient roads and cart paths of Boxford State Forest.

We'll meet at the Lost 50 trailhead on North Liberty St in Middleton. This spot can be tricky to locate. For GPS, navigate to 200 Liberty St in North Andover (the corner of Liberty St and Watkins Way) and look for a North Liberty St sign. Continue down North Liberty St, (a dirt road), until you see the trail head on your left.

The event is free and family friendly. Heavy rain cancels.

Harold Parker State Forest, located half in North Andover and half in Andover, is a hidden gem, with a wide variety of trails accessible for hiking and biking. We will walk past beaver dams and ponds, traveling on a well-maintained forest trail, making our way first to the old soapstone quarry site and finally to the historic Jenkins Mill site.

A wonderfully diverse 2-hour walk. Children are very welcome. Dogs can come along, but they must be group friendly and leashed.

We'll meet at the parking area on Middleton Road at the "pavilion" between Jenkins and Harold Parker Roads. (Look for event signs. For GPS, use 614 Middleton Rd, North Andover. Note this is NOT the Berry Pond beach parking area.)

Join us for a hike up Weir Hill, down to the lake trail, and then up to the summit of Osgood Hill The hike should last about two hours, with refreshments served at the top of the Osgood hill!

Our meeting place will be the Weir Hill main entrance on Steven St.

Our hikes are family-friendly, and leashed dogs are also welcome to join in. Check back here for any updates due to weather.

Come explore Ward Reservation's Sanborn Trail with FONAT.  Starting from the Boston Hill trail head at Brightview, we'll hike to the scenic Holt Hill solstice stones to enjoy the view of the Boston skyline. The hike will last about 2 hours.

Come explore the trails at Mazurenko Farm and Reas Pond with FONAT. The hike should last about 2 hours and promises beautiful views as we ascend Barker Hill and Carter Hill.

Join FONAT to check out a wooded loop through the Leonhard-Eldred Farm conservation restriction along the border with Boxford.

We'll meet at the end of Bruin Hill Rd. This hike will last about an hour. The event is free and family friendly. Heavy rain cancels.

Come spend the afternoon exploring Boxford State Forest. For this hike, we're trying something a bit different— we'll hike for approximately 4 hours instead of the usual 2 hours! See how beautiful the forest really is as you follow portions of the Bay Circuit Trail across the Boxford border, explore a large red pine plantation nicknamed of the "Enchanted Forest", observe a beaver lodge & its inhabitants' recent activity, and more.

Participants should come prepared for an extended-length hike of approximately 4 hours. Microspikes, Yaktrax or other traction aids recommended unless we have a complete thaw or enough snow to use snow shoes.

Come explore the trails at James Swamp (the Reynolds Conservation Area) with FONAT. The walk will be shorter than our usual trips, lasting about an hour or so. If there's sufficent snow cover, this will be a snowshoe trip.