Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/976908
114114 Check out these places to hike if you want: TO DISCOVER A HIDDEN GEM With no signs and a tiny parking lot adjacent to a self- storage facility on Route 133, Red Rocks Conservation Area in Gloucester is easy to miss. Make the effort to find it, however, and you'll be rewarded with a rocky climb up to some of the best views available. A WALK THAT 'S FOR THE BIRDS e Parker River Wildlife Refuge in Newburyport was founded to provide a safe haven for migratory birds. Today, birders spot dozens of species from bald eagles and osprey to piping plovers and loons. A LOT OF DRAMA WITHOUT A LOT OF EFFORT Just a few minutes' walk in Rockport's Halibut Point State Park brings you to the top of the towering granite walls of a water-filled quarry that closed in 1929. Follow the easy, tree-shaded trails around the pit for views that can reach as far as Maine on a clear day. A BOTANICAL RAMBLE At Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, plant lovers can wander around formal 19th-century gardens through cascades of azaleas and rhododendrons and by clusters of colorful wildflowers. A BOLD EXPEDITION e Bay Circuit Trail stretches 230 miles from Plum Island all the way down to Kingston, passing through dozens of towns. Start at the northern end and the only limit to your hike will be your own ambition. WHEELCHAIR ACCESS At Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield, a paved road that is closed to vehicles allows easy access for wheel- chairs, and a half-mile trail along the Ipswich River lets chair users get off the main drag.