Walk along a peaceful forest road before following the summit trail to the top of Bruin Hill. 

WALKING TIME 1 HOUR

SIZE 144 ACRES

OWNER ESSEX COUNTY GREENBELT, TOWN OF NORTH ANDOVER, COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS 

MILES OF TRAILS 1

SUGGESTED WALK

The trail begins where the power lines cross Winter St. The trail enters the woods along the power lines on the right-hand side, about 50 feet from the road. The entrance is marked with a sign on a tree and may be hidden by vegetation in the summer months. After following a well-established forest road, look for a newer trail forking left, heading up the hill. Follow Greenbelt markers on trees. The hill’s summit is wooded and unmarked. The trail emerges at the utility corridor. Cross the corridor and then look north to see your car a half mile away on Winter St. Look south to see if you can spot the Boston skyline. Re-enter the woods and cross a stone wall to enter town-owned former pasture land.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Mature oak, ash, white pine and birch can be found here. Look for small cedar trees too. Heron and owls can sometimes be seen nesting in the tall dead trees along the other side of Winter St.

HISTORY

Bruin Hill was donated to Essex County Greenbelt in 1970. The town-owned parcel was purchased along with Foster Farm in 1998. Until relatively recently, it was a cow pasture. 

The parcel connects to Foster St along what was historically known as Bruin Hill Lane, but is now blocked by metal gates along the utility corridor. In addition to the National Grid transmission lines, the Maritimes & Northeast pipeline was installed along the corridor in 2002. The underground pipeline brings natural gas 700 miles, from Nova Scotia to Salem Harbor.