The last long stretch of the Bay Circuit Trail and Greenway spans from Andover through Newburyport.
In addition to hundreds of miles of hiking trails and picturesque views of the Merrimack and Ipswich rivers, this area of Essex County is among the oldest settled areas in the nation, and that means a bounty of historical sites to check out.
The Andovers
First settled in 1646 as one town, Andover and North Andover have been through a lot. As you trek through the Harold Parker State Forest portion of the Bay Circuit Trail, you can take a break and check out a couple of historical houses.