Ward Reservation, North Andover MA

• 4-star hikes
• 1 to 4 mile options
• Easy | Gain 170 to 500 feet
• North Andover, MA | Northeast Region
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An eye-level shot captures the Solstice Stones on Ward Hill, a circular stone arrangement set into a grassy field beneath a blue sky with scattered white clouds. At the center of the installation sits a large, flat round stone with a smaller cylindrical stone resting on top, from which narrow stone slabs radiate outward like spokes on a wheel across the green turf. In the background, a distant tree line stretches across the horizon under a bright daytime sky, with a dark band of dense forest edging the right side of the clearing.

The Solstice Stones on top of Ward Hill.

Nobody knows who in distant history placed the mysterious Solstice Circle stones that adorn the small summit of Holt Hill just outside North Andover. Only kidding. The real story is a bit more recent and a bit less mysterious. Mabel Ward visited Stonehenge in 1911 and came home so taken with the place that she had a ring of granite stones set up on her own property, arranged to catch the sunrise on the first day of each season. They have been marking solstices and equinoxes on this quiet Massachusetts hilltop ever since.

We have mapped two of the most popular routes within Ward Reservation, the short Yellow Loop and the route that extends to cover the Blue Loop.

Trail Options Expand KMZ · Google Earth ·

⬤ 4★ Yellow Loop & Pine Hole Pond 1.3 mi loop, easy, gain 170 ft
GPX File · AllTrails · Directions GPX?

⬤ 4★ Yellow & Blue Loop 3.7 mi loop, easy, gain 500 ft
GPX File · AllTrails · Directions

$ Paid parking

⬤ 4★ Yellow Loop & Pine Hole Pond
This short trail begins with an out-and-back spur across the Bog Trail boardwalk to a viewpoint over the picturesque Pine Hole Pond. After tracking back to the main loop, head up the steps and follow a tree-lined route into a section of forest. Before that you will get some great views across pastures that look toward a distant Boston skyline. Continue counter-clockwise on the loop and head up a gentle incline to the broad, round summit of Holt Hill, where you will find both the Solstice Stones and a fire lookout tower.

The tower traces back to 1924, when a steel structure was first raised here to keep watch over the surrounding woodlands, and it was rebuilt to its current form in 1971. It is now fenced off with no trespassing signs, still part of the state's active fire lookout network but closed to visitors. Thankfully you are not missing much by staying on the ground, since the best views are already available across the grasslands on top of the hill.

An eye-level shot captures a person wearing a red shirt standing on a wooden viewing platform overlooking Pine Hole Pond at the Ward Reservation, looking out toward the dark water and the dense forest lining the opposite shore. A wooden bench and an informational plaque sit along the railed platform in the foreground, while a bright blue sky filled with textured white clouds stretches overhead.

Into the morning sun, on the Pine Hole Pond boardwalk.

⬤ 4★ Yellow & Blue Loop
Extending your hike into the Blue Loop leads you eastward into a variety of woodland scenes. Follow the mostly single track trail down the side of Holt Hill, then up to the equally small summit of Boston Hill, where Elephant Rock rests, surrounded by some open space and grasslands. A map can come in handy on this route to help negotiate a small network of trails that are mostly, but not always, well signposted. We chose a counter-clockwise route on the Blue Loop, though you could go either way.

Ward Reservation was donated by Mabel Ward a memorial to her husband, Charles W. Ward, and we're grateful to The Trustees for protecting and preserving the reservation's forests and grasslands. The reservation's main trailhead is located at the end of the residential Prospect Road, and includes a moderately large parking area. A small parking fee is payable, and there is no annoying penalty for visitors with out-of-state license plates.

An elevated view frames a sunlit meadow with a single lone tree in the foreground, bordered by a dense expanse of green forest that rolls toward the horizon. Dark, leafy tree branches frame the upper corners of the view, while the faint, hazy outline of the distant Boston skyline is barely visible against the bright sky in the far distance.

Meadow and distant Boston skyline, from Yellow Loop.

An eye-level shot captures a tall metal fire lookout tower rising above a dense green forest line, adjacent to a grassy field with a narrow dirt pathway cutting through the tall, golden-brown grass in the foreground. The tower features an enclosed white cabin at the top outfitted with multiple antennas, set against a vibrant blue sky dotted with soft white clouds.

Holt Hill Fire Lookout Tower, unfortunately inaccessible.

An eye-level shot captures a dirt hiking trail winding through a lush, sunlit forest along the Blue Loop, flanked by vibrant green ferns and dense patches of underbrush. Tall, mature trees rise on both sides of the path, casting dappled shadows across the forest floor while filtering bright sunlight through their leafy canopies overhead.

Much of the Blue Loop is a shaded forest trail.

An eye-level shot captures Elephant Rock, a large, weathered gray boulder sitting amidst a field of tall grass, yellow wildflowers, and low brush along the Blue Loop. The rock formation stands out against a backdrop of dense green trees and a clear blue sky crossed by a few thin, wispy clouds.

Bring some imagination to the Elephant Rock.

External links:
Red Loop (3.0 mi, 280 ft) at AllTrails

Trailspotting nearby:
4★ Swamp Walk (1 mi)
4★ Middleton Rail Trail (3 mi)
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