Wow. I've been coming to Rockport to go to the adjacent beaches for half a century and I never knew…read morethis meadow and playground and pond was here. It's a calm, quiet oasis, filled with beautiful flowers and bushes and greens until it isn't. The playground here has a full swing set, and a decent sturdy slide and climbing platform. Plenty of places to sit in solitude or among others. Tons of hidden nooks and crannies with seating including a Lilly pod pond. Huge space for dogs to run. Hidden and on up high is a larger pond that must be filled with fresh water fish. Lots and lots and lots of shade. Perfect area for a picnic. Very very clean and safe.

Nice park, and the beach area is very nice but very tiny. No food concessions, no changing rooms,…read moreno usable showers. Advance parking reservation is required and expensive. App did not provide confirmation email as promised. I did download my QR code, as required, which the attendant seemed mystified by. He eventually let me in.

Stage Fort Park is off the hook. Gloucester in general is fire the seafood is premium and a great…read morevalue in the local restaurants. My favorite, Causeway Restaurant. Where if you get an order to go you think they made a mistake and gave you two orders because they don't fit in one take away container which are huge to begin with take my advice and go. Thank me later. One.

This place is amazing. It's pretty hidden and up a rocky road but it's worth finding. Great area to…read moretake a walk and see the water. We took our dog on a play date with my father's dog and it was so much fun. Leashes are required during certain times of the year, especially when birds are nesting, but it wasn't required when we went and the dogs had a blast running through the huge field and playing. I observed so many birds - including a hawk that flew directly overhead, wow! It was cool when I went so not too busy but I can see it being quite popular on less windy, warmer days. You have to be aware that there is some private property as there are actual homes scattered around the edges of the public area. Parking is free and the lot was pretty big. Gorgeous spot to walk around - we spent over an hour easily.

For my 100th review - a great place for dog walkers and artists! Come here to throw off the…read moreshackles of your leash - for both can roam free here. Only 1 hour by car from Boston/Cambridge. Oh, and... this place is STUNNINGLY beautiful. Absolutely breathtaking. Now on to more good news: it's free of charge and open 7 days a week. Ample parking at the trail head, and a totally decent compost toilet is in the main barn (unlocked on weekends till 4 pm). The Cox reservation was once the home of a mural artist, and is today the headquarters of the Greenbelt Association, a chain of parks on the north shore. To this day the reservation has kept its artsy flair. Painters flock there to capture the stunning views of the Essex River and the golden marshes.

Odiorne Point State Park is a public recreation area that opened in Rye, New Hampshire in July…read more1972. It is administered by the New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation. The park is located along the Atlantic seacoast in Rye, not far from Portsmouth. The area is the site of the Pannaway Plantation: the first European settlement in New Hampshire. Settled in 1622, the plantation was completely abandoned by the 1630s when the settlers moved to nearby Strawberry Banke. The land was settled in the mid-1660s by the Odiorne Family, whom the park is now named after. From 1942 to 1947, the park was the home of Fort Dearborn. The ruins of the deactivated World War II-era fort can still be seen today. Today the park is home to hiking trails, bike paths, a playground, picnic areas, pavilions, and a Seacoast Science Center which opened in 1992. My family and I visited Odiorne Point State Park this summer while we were heading to Maine for a summer getaway. We had some time to kill before we could check in to our AirBnb, so we decided to stop at the park. We had fun exploring the grounds and my two sons especially enjoyed playing on the nautical-themed playground. The highlight of the park is the Seacoast Science Center. There are all sorts of exhibits devoted to the conservation of marine and coastal environments. My two sons loved learning about whales, local shellfish populations, the local fishing industry, the fight against ocean pollution, and underwater exploration. There was even a cool gift shop where we picked up a few things. Whether you live in the area or you're just passing through like us, Odiorne Point State Park is a fun place for the whole family!

I feel the need to preface all of my nature reviews with this: being 90% forested and having around…read more3500 miles of coastline, Maine (and NH) has a tremendous amount of spaces, walkways, paths, and trails of all kinds and of all levels. There's something for everyone. What I'm reviewing is how a spot compares to similar outdoor spots in my personal opinion. Being in nature - and remembering to carry in, carry out - is always five stars! :) Parking? Yes. Loop trail? Yes. Well marked signs? Yes. Element of surprise? Yes. I was looking for state parks in New Hampshire and this one caught my eye because of the name, if we're being honest. It sounded magical! So was the way it was advertised: "picnickers can enjoy sweeping views of the ocean and rocky shore, and explorers can uncover evidence of past military occupation. An extensive network of trails wind through the dense vegetation and traverse the park. [t]he property is also renowned for its... seven distinct habitats that can be visited within an hour's walk. Although the spectacular rocky shore is the one of the most notable, the woodlands, uplands, salt marsh, freshwater and salt ponds, and sandy beach (non-swimming) combine to create one of the region's most diverse nature walks." I like a little bit of everything, and this sounded like it had just that! The first time I came I bought a pass online; when we arrived it was a freak snowstorm and we were the only ones there. So we had a literal winter wonderland to play around it. The views from the coast were lovely and offer plenty of picnic tables to sit and enjoy yourself at, but exploring the woods that day was even more amazing - we spent a lot of time with a big buck who kept finding himself lazily meandering on the same trail as us. Thank goodness for binoculars! And the element of surprise! There was also some tremendously graffitied old batteries, a breakwater (that becomes nearly inaccessible when the tide is high; reversely when the tide is low that same area exposes a Sandy beach), there's an area called Pirate's Cove, an old cemetery, and Dolphin Fountain (which looks like it belongs in France, not NH). This became an immediate favorite! I can't wait to come back and see it in Spring and Summer! (SIDE NOTE: There's also the Seacoast Science Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit, that provides educational exhibits related to the seacoast area for a separate fee; but, I haven't been able to check that out yet!)

This past weekend, myself and a buddy wanted to get out of Boston and shake up our walking route…read moreand landed on World's End. Be careful when putting the address into your navigation, especially Waze users, as it took us to the totally wrong location at first. Once you arrive, however, parking is pretty straightforward. It costs $10/car. The staff at the hut where you pay for parking was super helpful in letting us know what route would best suit our time constraints. We were even given a map! The trails were pretty clear, some maybe weren't as clearly defined as they could've been. Note for hikers: this does feel like more a stroll in the park as opposed to a true hike. Some hidden paths did feel like one, however, so don't be afraid to venture off what seems to be the most defined routes. We loved the views of the Boston skyline, harbour, and Hull, MA. This place is definitely worth a visit. I'm looking forward to coming back in autumn to see some good foliage!

Large park with great views of Boston and Nantasket beach it's a about 4 miles round trip. There…read moreare different trails and maps around the park. Parking you just go online it's $10 for parking and entrance for every one in your car so it's cheap. There is a rest room you can use near the parking lot.

Great park & venue for outdoor concerts! We went last week…read moreand are planning on visiting again this one for another from the Summer Concert Series. . Between ball games, concerts & more, it's well-used ...but at the same time very well- kept! No issues with parking... Plenty for everyone

What a wonderful park! I am not a parent, but a very involved aunt, and when I had 3 nieces in tow…read morerecently was trying to find somewhere new and fun to take them (I live in Beverly). This did not disappoint. The girls are currently 3, 6, and 7, with varying levels of adventurousness and physical confidence, and they all absolutely loved it. The zipline was a big hit, as was the climbing wall cube thingie. Lots of room to spread out, well maintained play structures that appeal to many ages, and good coffee close by. What's not to like?

This is one of my favorite places in Gloucester. I've been coming here since I was a kid; back…read morethen, we only walked the main trail and didn't do very much hiking. When I rediscovered it, I was surprised how many little trails there are! If you're directionally challenged, like me, you'll probably want to pick up a map before you start walking. The parking lot is pretty small and fills up quickly. Even when it's full, though, I rarely run into other people walking the trails. I love coming here to just pretend I'm in the middle of nowhere, away from all traces of human life... this is the one place I'm happy to be alone, with no music, no kind of stimulation besides the woods. Is there anything better than listening to leaves/branches crunch under your feet, the wind through the trees, the faint sounds of squirrels running on the ground? I think not. Best of all, the trails are easy enough for most people. There are many short trails that connect to longer ones, so if you find it too easy, you can just keep going. I tend to walk longer than I should and end up sore the next day-- but it's always worth it.

What a great park for the north shore!!!…read more We struggle to find places our dog is allowed off leash- so this place is a saving grace!!!! Love that you can spend just an hour or a whole day, since there are so many trails. Not a ton of hills or anything, but the occasionally slight ascent / descent. Followed the yellow and blue trails last time (can't remember the names) and there were a few very unavoidable muddy patches, so make sure you have some footwear you don't mind getting dirty. If you plug it into google maps you may get routed to some awkward non-entrance (we had this problem). Make sure you check Yelp or the Maps app (on iPhone) for the actual entrance. As others mentioned, small parking lot with plenty of street parking. Can't wait to go back!

Beautiful lake. Common place for people to walk, jog etc. especially early in the morning.read more

I went on a walk here with a bunch of friends, but a dog peed on me halfway through. There's glass…read morebottles broken throughout the sidewalk, and all around the area, it is dangerous especially to kids and animals.

A friend suggested that it wouldn't be a good idea to check out the Quincy Quarries Reservation on…read moremy own. So, last year, when I saw an event was scheduled to take place there, I figured it would be a safer time to visit. Well, yes and no. I wasn't the only person going, but because I wasn't the only person going, their parking lot was full, so parking was a bit of an issue. I checked out the grafitti, making my way around the folks standing or sitting around, to get a closer look at the rocks. I stayed on the grassy ground while I noticed some folks climbing up the rocky cliffs, both with and without rock climbing gear.

My friend is from Boston and while visiting here she want to go to the quarries. I thought to…read moremyself "whats the big deal we see graffiti in FL on everything " when we arrived I was surprised at the place. I found myself walking around and reading all I could, wondering how they got to the heights to do the artwork. Why they wrote or painted what they did, how long it took for all this beauty. Next trip I will be adding my name, someplace low! LOL