Weir Hill

Weir Hill is a free, 194-acre Trustees reservation at 65 Stevens Street in North Andover, open daily from sunrise to sunset. Its four miles of trails climb a 305-foot double drumlin and follow more than a mile of the Lake Cochichewick shoreline. The name is pronounced "wire hill." Dogs are welcome on leash, but the lake is North Andover's drinking water, so no swimming, wading or dogs in it.

The Hill and the Name

The Trustees describe Weir Hill as a 305-foot double drumlin rising gently above Lake Cochichewick. It takes its name from the fish weirs, fences of woven stakes, that Indigenous people once set in Cochichewick Brook to catch alewives before the fish reached the lake to spawn. In colonial times sheep and cattle grazed the hill and nearby brooks powered gristmills. Generations of farming, fire and mowing left the patchwork of fields, woods and rare barrens habitat that The Trustees now manage.

The Trails

The Trustees count about four miles of easy-to-moderate trails, strenuous in places. Their map (July 2023) shows three marked routes:

• Yellow loop, 2.3 miles. The Edgewood Farm Trail to the lakeshore, then south on the yellow-blazed Cochichewick, Alewife and Stevens Trails toward the Pleasant Street entrance, Stevens Beach and back. This is the long, lakeside walk.
• Blue trail (Weir Hill Trail), 0.8 mile. Over the top, through barrens habitat.
• Red trail (Scrub Oak Trail), 0.5 mile. Also through the barrens.

The Trustees say the blue and red trails lead to hilltop views of Lake Cochichewick and, to the west, Mount Wachusett and Mount Monadnock. Their map also marks a scenic vista, an old foundation, an airplane beacon and a birch stand.

Longer Walks

The Mills to Hills Trail runs west of Stevens Street through wet meadows to Osgood Street and on toward North Andover's historic mills and downtown. The Stevens to Stevens Trail connects Weir Hill with the Stevens-Coolidge House and Gardens, crossing other conservation and Stevens family land. See things to do in Andover and North Andover.

Lake Cochichewick

The lake wraps the east and south sides of the reservation. It is North Andover's public drinking water supply, so The Trustees restrict swimming, wading and dog access. Canoes and kayaks may launch from the town's launch near the Pleasant Street entrance, under the town's permit rules. See Lake Cochichewick.

Parking and Directions

Park at the main lot on Stevens Street (65 Stevens Street). A second entry with a kiosk is on Pleasant Street. Both kiosks have a map; The Trustees suggest photographing it. Their directions: from I-93 Exit 35, Route 125 north 7.3 miles, merge onto Route 114 west and back onto Route 125 north, bear right onto Andover Street to the rotary, take Stevens Street and follow it 0.8 mile to the lot on the right. From I-495 Exit 101, Massachusetts Avenue to the rotary, then Stevens Street.

Rules

• Free to all; open daily sunrise to sunset.
• Carry in, carry out.
• Dogs on leash. No dogs, swimming or wading in the lake.
• No fires of any kind; The Trustees note wildfires are not uncommon on the hill.
• No hunting, no motorized vehicles, no metal detecting.
• Portrait photographers are asked to become Trustees members first.

Weir Hill and Harold Parker

Weir Hill is a short drive north of Harold Parker State Forest through North Andover. Weir Hill gives you views and lakeshore on a short walk; Harold Parker has 35 miles of trails, swimming at Berry Pond and a campground. The Trustees' Ward Reservation in Andover is the other big hill walk nearby.