Hike

Halloween on the Hill

The Trustees host a celebration of Autumn and Halloween at Long Hill Sedgewick Gardens in Beverly Massachusetts

The Trustees of Reservations invite you to tour the gardens at Long Hill Gardens in Beverly, Massachusetts to celebrate Autumn and Halloween! Long Hill is excited to bring back our annual Halloween on the Hill event! Come explore our beautiful property as we transform the Long Hill gardens into a celebration of autumn and the Halloween season. As always, there are a few new surprises and of course many more pumpkins this year. Follow our seasonal-themed trail that will feature over 1,500 jack-o'-lanterns, hundreds of mums, elaborate Halloween decorations, light displays, music, and more. This is the perfect Halloween event for the whole family!

When:

Wednesdays-Sundays, October 3-30, 2025 5:30-8:30pm

Location:

Long Hill and Sedgwick Gardens

Trustees of Reservations

Halloween

Haunted Happenings

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Halloween Hoot & Howl at IRWS

At sundown this Halloween season, Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary will be transformed into a magical forest.

Bring the family for a nature-themed Halloween at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary this October. This charming, not-so-spooky event invites visitors to take a hoot-i-ful woodland walk and learn about nocturnal (costumed) animals that live at the sanctuary.

When:

Saturday, October 18, 2025 3:30-8pm

Location:

Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

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Trails & Sails

Essex National Heritage Area sites will offer over 150 free family fun events from September 14-29, 2024 for the annual celebration of TRAILS & SAILS. Discover special places in your backyard and be guided through unique landscapes on land and sea, explore historic properties, and take in cultural experiences of all kinds. Find what makes Essex County like nowhere else during Trails & Sails! It’s all FREE and it’s all located within the 34 cities and towns of Essex County.

When:

Daily, September 13-28, 2025

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Choate Island Day

Spend a day with the Trustees of Reservations in celebration of Choate Island – the crown jewel of the Crane Wildlife Refuge. Here deer and foxes roam through fields that once housed herds of sheep, and osprey fly over breathtaking views of Essex Bay. The island was first home to indigenous farmers and fishers, then to generations of the Choate family, and was later a retreat for Cornelius and Miné Crane, who loved the place so much they decided to be buried at the summit.

When:

Saturday, September 27, 2025 10AM-3PM

Last Admission at 1pm

Location:

Crane Wildlife Refuge on the Crane Estate

Trustees of Reservations

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Fairy House Festival at Veasey Park

Walk the trails to see the handcrafted houses at this year’s enchanted Fairy House Festival. Cast your People’s Choice Award vote for your favorite Fairy House. Stay awhile for magical fun, arts and crafts, food, raffles, live music, and more. Rain or shine. Anyone is welcome to submit a house. Donations collected at the Festival are reinvested back into the Park. Part of Trails & Sails

When:

Saturday, September 20, 2025 10am – 4pm

Sunday, September 21, 2025 10am – 4pm

Location:

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Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts

Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.

When:

Daily during daylight hours

Location:

Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site

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Farm-Forest-Ice Cream Hike

Join this Trails and Sails Hike through the woods in Ipswich for an ice cream treat! A Sails & Trails event.

A group hike from Marini Farm through the forest to White Farms for an optional ice cream. Don’t miss this great opportunity to explore the farm, forest, and nature of Ipswich. The group will meet on Linebrook Road in Ipswich. Bike entrance to Willowdale State Forest just west of Marini Farm. Look for the Event sign. Bring water, sunscreen, bug spray and good hiking shoes. this is a Trails & Sails Event.

When:

Saturday, September 13, 2025 11am-2:15pm

Location:

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Nice n' Easy Hike at Maudslay State Park

Take a nice n' easy stroll at Muadslay State Park with your family in Newburyport Massachusetts!

Take a nice n' easy stroll at Bradley Palmer State Park with your family! Join the park interpreter for a basic recreational hike to explore the diverse landscape on a variety of trails through different areas of the park. For all ages.

When:

Sundays September 21 & 28, 2025 2-4pm

Location:

Bradley Palmer State Park

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Nature’s Myth and Folklore Storytelling Series

Learn about colonial medicine at Pioneer Village in Salem Massachusetts

Come to Pioneer Village for a craft and storytelling event that shares tales of natural folklore and wild wisdom from around the world. These stories inspire an appreciation for different cultures as well as encourage engagement with the natural environment.

When:

Saturday, September 27, 2025 3:30-4:30pm

Location:

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History Walk at Maudslay State Park

Kids will learn about the history of Maudslay State Park through storytelling by the park interpretor

Join Maudslay State Park interpreter on a tour of the former Moseley Family estate. There are so many stories about the Moseley’s and their beautiful former estate. Join the park interpreter on a guided tour to view the site of the family mansion and their daughter Helen’s house, both areas are picturesque and have open vistas overlooking the Merrimack River. During the walk Moseley Family stories and archival photos of their estate will be shared too.

When:

Saturday, September 20, 2025 2-3pm

Location:

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Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!

Where: Halibut Point State Park

7:00 am to 6:00 pm

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Nice n' Easy Hike at Breakheart Reservation

Join the Park Interpreter for this weekly guided hike! Each trip will highlight natural and historic features unique to Breakheart. Hikes are moderately paced and range from 2-3 miles over sometimes uneven and rocky terrain. Best for ages 8 years and up. Meet at the Visitor Center.

Where: Breakheart Reservation

9:30 am to 11:30 am

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CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike

Come explore the lesser-visited corners of Castle Hill and its surroundings with us this season. This hike is a CraneOutdoors guide favorite because it’s got a little bit of all the things that make the Crane Estate such a special place…

Where: Castle Hill on the Crane Estate

10:00 am to 12:00 pm

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Gloucester's So Salty 2026

Celebrate the fish city’s recognizably salty character with local cultural institutions and businesses during the 5th Annual Gloucester’s So Salty festival sponsored by the Cape Ann Museum in partnership with Discover Gloucester! This annual event brings over 2,000 people to the downtown area each...

Where: Downtown Gloucester, Where: Cape Ann Museum, Where: Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church , Where: Sawyer Free Library Temporary Space, Where: Local Colors

10:00 am to 4:00 pm

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Native Seed Sowing at Long Hill

Join Cole Campbell, production horticulturist at Native Plant Trust, for this native seed-sowing workshop at Long Hill Public Garden in Beverly, MA. Learn about our native plant seeds, and then get your hands in the soil to sow some seeds that you can take home with you.

Where: Long Hill and Sedgwick Gardens

11:00 am to 12:30 pm

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Saturday, January 31

Animal Tracks | Family Nature Series

This event with North Shore Nature Programs is geared toward families of all ages who would like to learn about the signs and tracks that animals leave behind! We will explore outdoors and look at tracks, chewed sticks, scat, nests, beaver constructions and more! Waterproof and warm...

10:00 am to 11:30 am

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CraneExplorer: Family Full Moon Hike in the Dunes

There is almost nothing more peaceful than a evening walk at the Crane Estate, and we would like to invite your family to join us for a unique hiking experience. With the full moon rising over the Atlantic, we’ll start with a sunset stroll along Crane Beach admiring this spectacle before heading...

Where: Castle Hill on the Crane Estate

4:30 pm to 6:30 pm

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Sunday, February 1

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!

Where: Halibut Point State Park

7:00 am to 6:00 pm

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Watching the Coastal Edge at Halibut Point

Meet at the Halibut Point State Park visitors center to learn about the role Halibut Point has played in America’s military history. One day after the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, U.S.

Where: Halibut Point State Park

11:00 am to 12:30 pm

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CraneOutdoors: Family Winter Wildlife Walk

A CraneOutdoors Family Winter Wildlife Walk will take you on a stroll through the Crane Beach dunes while learning about the plants and animals that call this special place home. You may be familiar with Crane Beach, but have you ever visited the dune trails? The dunes of Castle Neck are a much...

Where: Crane Wildlife Refuge on the Crane Estate

1:00 pm to 3:30 pm

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Sunday STEAM Club at North Shore Children's Museum

Join in on Sundays at 2:30 for STEAM Club for ages 5-11. Each week participants will explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math with our NSCM staff! Every STEAM club session will see your kids participating in hands-on activities while exploring a new topic. Space is limited, please...

Where: North Shore Children's Museum

2:30 pm to 4:00 pm

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Snow Moon Winter Celebration

Come to Spencer Peirce Little Farm to celebrate the season under the stillness of February's full Snow Moon! Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm opens its gates for a winter celebration that honors the beauty of the lan

Where: Spencer Peirce Little Farm

3:00 pm to 6:00 pm

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