Weir Hill Reservation; Trail Guide & Turn-by-Turn Directions

Walk the scenic trails along Lake Cochichewick at this 500-acre pristine Trustees property leading to lake views atop an open meadow! 🥾💚

beautiful trail leading to views over lake cochichewick with golden leaves framing the view at weir hill reservation

In this post I tell you everything you need to know to do this Weir Hill loop trail taking you all along the shore of Lake Cochichewick and up to the top of Weir Hill meadow with views. Learn where to park, trail details, and turn-by-turn trail directions to help you find your way! ☺️

Living next door in Connecticut, I love taking road trips to various parts of MA to try new hikes. This property along with the nearby Ward Reservation hike will keep me coming back to this area and see what it looks like in different seasons!

Weir Hill Location:

Weir Hill is located just 28 miles north of Boston in the town of North Andover, Massachusetts. Established in 1646, North Andover is one of the oldest towns in the state!

North Andover has a picturesque New England downtown center alongside the grounds of the prestigious Andover and Phillips Exeter Academy Schools. And you should definitely stop in town and visit one of the cafes before or after your hike! ☕️

🌲Weir Hill Trail Overview🌲

Weir Hill Reservation is a 500-acre conservation area with rolling hills and lakefront trails all protected and managed by The Trustees.

The highlight of this trail is the view from Half Mile Hill’s summit, rising 305 feet above wide-open grassy meadows offering views of Lake Cochichewick and the surrounding Merrimack Valley.

According to The Trustees website, before being settled, Weir Hill was likely a site of activity for Indigenous people.

man and woman standing in a shadow on the shore of lake cochichewick in massachusetts with black dog playing in the water and tree branch framing the picture.

multiple big dogs resting atop a big hill of a meadow overlooking lake cochichewick

A 1968 archaeological survey found evidence of a campsite at the southeast end of the hill. It’s believed that Indigenous groups burned parts of the hill to make it better for hunting and used underwater fish weirs—woven fences held up by stakes—to catch alewives in Cochichewick Brook before the fish reached Lake Cochichewick to lay their eggs. The reservation is named after these fish weirs.

We visited on a Saturday and ran into several happy hikers here with their dogs. Several were locals who visit almost everyday and almost all had their dogs off-leash on the open meadow and along the lake. We were surprised at how dog-friendly this trail was!

🥾 Weir Hill Trail Details 🥾

The trail quickly guides you over a dam spanning Stevens Pond, beneath a beautiful stone train trestle, and into the forest. Going clockwise around the loop, the trail winds its ways all along Lake Cochichewick, providing wide-open views of the lake at several points.

After the flat walk along the lake you’ll encounter a brief uphill which leads to the spectacular views atop Half Mile Hill.

Miles: 3.99 miles
Elevation: 387 ft elevation gain
Level: Moderate
Trail Type: Loop
AllTrails link 🔗
Average Time: 1 hour 45 min
Parking: Click here to navigate to 42.68925, -71.10634
Dog-friendly: Yes! Nothing technical or difficult here, gentle paths and lots of opportunity for water
Trail Highlights: trail all along Lake Cochichewick with water views

📍Find the trailhead: This loop trail begins at the parking area along Pleasant Street. From the North Andover Town Common, head southeast on Massachusetts Ave for one tenth of a mile. Enter the roundabout and take the third exit onto Great Pond Rd. After 0.5 miles turn left onto Fox Hill Rd. then right onto Pleasant St where you’ll see the parking lot on your left after 0.04 miles.

🗺️ TURN-BY-TURN DIRECTIONS 🧭

From the parking lot, find the start of the trail in the northern corner of the lot. Take a right at the fence that says positively dogs on the sign and walk towards and through the tunnel.

2. At 0.13 miles you’ll see the trail kiosk where the loop starts. Take a right to begin the loop here. You’ll be walking all along the water here with Lake Cochichewick on your right.

red and orange colored trees in autumn surrounding a lake

3. At 1.20 miles, see a sign that says ‘reservation boundary’, continue straight as the trail runs along the water.

4. At 1.45 miles, stay right to continue walking along the water. Continuing to follow the trail keeping the water on your right. Let dogs enjoy a dip now and then!

5. At 1.7 miles, continue to stay straight along the trail keeping the water at your right.

6. At 1.8 miles, turn left at the stonewall where you’ll begin walking uphill.

7. At 1.9 miles, you’ll arrive at the open meadow, turn right to start walking up to the top of the hill.

8. At 2.1 miles you’ll be at the top of Weir Hill and lookout over Lake Cochichewick.

9. After taking in the view, make your way down the meadow on the trail you just came up and turn right at the bottom to walk on the narrow path which is about the 2.3 mile mark.

10. At 2.5 miles, cross a sidewalk area and find the gravel path with the sign saying ‘Joyce’s Trail’. You’ll be walking behind a condo area.

11. At 2.55 miles, you’ll see a bench. Bear right here to walk behind the bench.

12. At 2.67 miles you’ll see a fenced in garden area. Continue along the path behind the garden area.

13. At 2.8 miles, bear right to walk on the yellow blazed trail. You’ll see the yellow circles on the trees.

dirt path running through the woods with yellow marker on the tree

14. At 2.88 miles, bear right to continue to stay on the yellow circle trail.

15. At 3 miles, continue staying straight on the yellow circle trail.

16. At 3.20 miles, turn left and start going uphill along the yellow circle trail.

17. At 3.81 miles, you’ll arrive at the trail kiosk where you started the loop. Turn right to exit the way you came in.

That’s it, friends!! 🩷 I hope you enjoyed this trail guide all about Weir Hill. I’d love to hear if this post was helpful to you, leave a comment below!