Located in the town of North Andover, Massachusetts the Weir Hill Reservation is a great place to discover with your wheelchair van rental Boston. Take in the scenic Lake Cochiewick and of the broader landscape of the Merrimack Valley today!

A little history

Back in the day, prior to the European settlement of the area, the Weir Hill Reservation was occupied by the Algonquian peoples. A 1968 archaeological survey identified a campsite at the southeast end of the reservation. It is likely that Native Americans periodically set fire to the hill to improve the landscape for deer hunting and used fishing weirs to catch alewives in Cochichewick Brook before they reached Lake Cochichewick to spawn. The reservation takes its name from these weirs.In the mid 17th century, early settlers cleared the slopes of Weir Hill for grazing sheep and cattle. In the 18th and 19th centuries, milldams were built along Cochichewick Brook to lumber and gristmills.

Take a hike

Rising gently above Lake Cochichewick, Weir Hill offers hiking trails that pass over the crest of the 305 foot double drumlin and track the shore of the lake. A rail trail runs along part of the hill, overlooking Lake Cochichewick. Many North Andover residents also use the trail system for cross-country, mountain biking, and its shores to go swimming. There are several trails that you could opt to take with your wheelchair van rental Boston. Walk along the 075 mile Edgewood Farm Trail to reach the shore of Lake Cochichewick, which makes up the majority of the east and south edges of the Weir Hill Reservation. You will find that Lake Cochichewick is easily the most scenic in the area. In fact Great Pond Road was laid out on the east short to take advantage of the views across the lake and Weir Hill which can be seen rising just beyond. An interesting fact to know when you travel with your wheelchair van rental Boston is that Lake Cochichewick has long served as North Andover's drinking water supply, thus public access remains limited.

A scenic view

For a quite different, but equally memorable experience, take the 0.71 mile Stevens Trail up the spine of Weir Hill to where a scenic overlook opens on the right. Wheelchair van rental Boston hikers can enjoy a broad panorama of the Merrimack Valley spreading below. On days of good visibility, you can see Mount Wachusett rising in the distance beyond Worcester, and northwest of Wachusett, New Hampshire's Mount Monadnock.

Preserving nature

Generations of agricultural use, wildfire, cutting and mowing have created a patchwork landscape on Weir Hill that supports ten different types of plant communities including a 60 acre oak and hickory, hillside seeps, intermittent streams, and wet meadows. Several threatened species can be found on Weir Hill, including the white bog orchid, violet bush clover and butternut trees. Beginning with the park's establishment in 1968, Weir Hill Reservation has been expanded numerous times since to include more woodlands and conservation area.

The Trustee of Reservations

When you travel with your wheelchair van rental Boston to the Weir Hill Reservation you will find that the Trustees of Reservations owns and maintains the property. The Trustees of Reservation preserve, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts.

Before you go

The Weir Hill Reservation is a great place to visit year-round, sunrise to sunset. Admission is free to all.

For more information when you visit with your wheelchair van rental Boston to the Weir Hill Reservation check out the Trustees of Reservations official website at www.thetrustees.org