Hike For a Change 2026

An incredible experience to end the 2026 Hike For A Change! We will be transported from the Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School to the start of the Middleton Rail Trail. The hike will follow the rail trail back to Danvers and we will hike through the campus fields and orchards making our way back to the rail trail in Danvers. We will follow the rail trail back to campus where we will dedicate"Ty's Trail" on the grounds of the Essex North Shore campus.

Please join us for the "Finish Line" party at the Larkin Cottage at ENSATS immediately following the hike! Tickets for the trail dedication and "Finish Line" party are available https://thedirtyhandsproject.org. Hikers will receive a discount code for the party.

Following the Mount Falcon Castle Trail Loop, located adjacent to the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Co, we will hike up over 1,500 feet for a challenging day in Colorado. We will take the Turkey Trail going up and come down via the Castle Trail. Space is limited due to county restrictions.

A special hike in collaborations with the Peabody Veteran's Memorial High School, Dirty Hands Project Club. We will begin the hike at the Ipswich River Trailhead of the Independence Greenway on Russell Street. We will hike through the Lynnfield Woodlot and down an old rail line along the Ipswich River and explore the Bennett Keenan Conservation area before circling back to the trailhead.

Join us as we explore Wannamaker North Park in Goose Creek, SC. This 5.5 mile trail is part of a beautiful network of trails that wind through pine and hardwood forests. A great hike to immerse yourself into the great outdoors! The Wannamaker North Trailhead is located on 455 Westview Blvd, Goose Creek, SC.

Hike for NAMS Students and Faculty Only! Please consider making a donation to support the middle school students.

We will hike from the middle school to the town common and follow the Stevens to Stevens Trail to Weir Hill. We will climb up Weir Hill and take in the view of North Andover. From there we will follow the Mills to Hills trail and make our way back to the middle school. A great 5 Mile Loop around town!

Join us as we kick off the 2026 Hike For a Change at the sourthern terminus of the Bay Circuit Trail along Kingston Bay in Duxbury. We will hike along the streets of Duxbury and through several of the towns' trails and forests. The hike will end at Pembroke High School in Pembroke. A long hike to kick off the Hike For a Change. 

The hike begins at Tubbs Meadow in Pembroke, an area of old cranberry bogs and ponds. The trail continues through woods and backroads and passing along the Great Sandy Bottom Pond. We hike through the Pembroke Town Forest and walk along more cranberry bogs as we cross into the Town of Hanson. We will cruise through the Hanson Town Forest and make our way through the center of town ending the day at Memorial Field on Robinson Street in Hanson. It's a very scenic hike through some of the unique landscapes of the Bay Circuit Trail.  

The hike begins at Memorial Fields in Hudson and goes through the Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area. We will pass through cranberry bogs and wetlands as we make our way towards East Bridgewater. There is a long stretch of road walking before we enter the Satucket River Conservation Area. There are many sections of this hike that could be very muddy, under water, or impassable depending on the weather conditions. 

This hike begins at Reynolds Landing, on Ash St,  in West Bridgewater and end at the Wheaton Farm Community Gardens in Easton. It is a mix of road walking and trail walking with some time spent hiking through the Hockomock Swamp Wildlife Area. There is also a long stretch of the trail that follows massive utility lines and the terrain is made up of chunks of riprap rock, so solid footwear is a must!

A relatively quick hike as we start turning north along the Bay Circuit Trail. We begin at the Wheaton Farm Community Gardens and explore the trails of Easton including the Old Pond Property and Beaver Brook Woods.  We conclude the hike at the Borderland State Park in Sharon. There is a $5 parking fee at Borderland State Park. A great hike to conclude the first five days of Hike For a Change 2025!  

We will start the hike at the beautiful Borderland State Park in Sharon. This is a great state forest to explore as we hike our way along the Bay Circuit Trail. We are leaving the wetlands and cranberry bogs of the South Shore behind as the terrain starts to become rocky and we start seeing some elevation changes.  After leaving the state park, we hike along the shores of Massapoag Lake in Sharon and make our way towards the Moose Hill Sanctuary Center in Sharon. The final mile climb up the hill to the Sanctuary Center is steep, but worth the effort!

We begin with a quick climb up Moose Hill in Sharon where we will have great views of the surrounding area from the Bluff Overlook. We hike through Sharon and into Walpole, crossing Route 1 and entering the Neponset River Water Conservation Project and end the hike at Clark's Pond on Stone St. 

There is a $5.00 parking fee at the Moose Hill Sanctuary Center in Sharon. Moose Hill Sanctuary Center is a MA Audubon property and dogs are not allowed. We will cross Route 1 at Pine Street in Walpole. 

We begin at Clark's Pond in Walpole and hike through Walpole Center and through 3 miles of the Walpole Town Forest. We then hike along backroads of Medfield which will bring us to two of the Trustees properties, Noon Hill and Shattuck Reservation. A big mileage day!

This is a great day of trail hiking. We start at the Trustees property, Rocky Narrows, in Sherborn, and will climb up to King Philips Overlook for a view of the beginning of the Charles River. From there we will hike along trails in the Sherborn Town Forest ending at the Barber Reservation. 

The first half of this hike features a mix of short wooded trails and short hikes through neighborhoods. We cross through Ashland center and hike through Mill Pond Park and through the vast Ashland Town Forest end the day at Crossing Blvd in Framingham. A great way to spend a Saturday!

The hike begins in Marlborough at Callahan State Park. We will make our way to the highest point of the BCT, Nobscot Hill, in Sudbury and end the hike at Tippling Rock in Sudbury. This hike is all trail hiking and features some amazing views of the Boston skyline. A great way to celebrate Mother's Day!

The start of the hike is along a public water supply and dogs are not allowed. There is not a lot of parking so registration will be limited. 

A personal favorite. A great hike starting out in Wayland Center and hiking along the Mass Central Rail trail before entering the Jericho Town Forest and hiking through Drumlin Farm in Lincoln. We hike through Lincoln center and end the day at the Walden Pond State Reservation in Concord. A very enjoyable hike through woodlands and farms. 

Drumlin Farm is a MA Audubon Property and dogs are not allowed. There is a $5.00 parking fee at Walden Pond.

We begin at the famous Walden Pond State Reservation with a loop around Walden Pond before making our way through the historic town of Concord. From Concord we hike along an old railroad bed through the Great Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary and finish in Bedford Center. 

Dogs are not allowed at Walden State Reservation. There is a $5.00 parking fee at Walden State Reservation. 

The birthplace of the American Revolution! We start at the Minuteman National Park and pass over the Old North Bridge. There will be a bit of sidewalk and street walking as we make our way through Concord into Acton. We then hike around Spring Hill and end at the Nashoba Brook Conservation area in Acton. This hike will be muddy and buggy as we spend a lot of time hiking through wetlands. 

Beginning at the Nara Park trailhead in Acton, we will follow the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail to UKG/Crosspoint Towers in Lowell. This is a beautifully maintained, paved, mostly flat, rail trail that extends from Concord to Lowell. Please note: this hike will be longer than last year! This is a great hike for anyone that prefers walking on sure-footed terrain! 

The hike in Lowell begins at the Concord River Greenway Park and passes by the Lowell Memorial Auditorium. We hike through several neighborhoods on our way to Tewksbury where we will hike along the Merrimack River into Andover. In Andover, we hike through some of the amazing AVIS properties and end the hike at Bald Hill. A long hike as we get closer to the finish line! 

Starting at Bald Hill in Andover, we will hike through a series of AVIS trails, streets of Andover, and through the Phillips Academy campus. We end the day at the Ward Reservation. There are a few steep hills to climb and portions of this hike could be buggy. 

Ward Reservation is a Trustees property and there is a $5.00 parking fee for non members. 

We will begin the hike at the Ward Reservation, a Trustees property, in Andover and hike through the Skugg River and Harold Parker Forest i and end at Berry St in North Andover. A great day to explore some great properties. 

Ward Reservation is a Trustees Property and there is a $5.00 parking fee for non-members. 

A fun afternoon hike will be a great way to kick off Memorial Day weekend! We will begin at the Boxford State Forest in North Andover. We will explore this unique state forest that encompasses parts of Boxford, Middleton, and North Andover. We will hike through the Wunnegen Conservation Area and Lockwood Forest before completing our twilight hike at the Boy Scout Park in Boxford. 

The shortest mileage day of the entire hike! A good hike for a Saturday morning. We begin at Boy Scout Park in Boxford and hike through Boxford Center and several neighborhoods on our way into the Georgetown/Rowley State Forest. A great hike for everyone, and even the dogs! 

The hike will begin at the Georgetown/Rowley State Forest in Georgetown, MA. We will hike through the forest into Rowley and then through the Cleveland Farm Forest in Boxford. We enter the western side of Willowdale State Forest in Ipswich and hike east, crossing Route 1, and ending the hike at the Willowdale State Forest on Linebrook Road in Ipswich. A big trail hiking day! 

This route can be very wet, muddy, and buggy and there is potentially times we may have to detour. 

We begin the hike at the beautiful Trustees property, Appleton Farm, in Ipswich and hike through the series of trails on that property ending up on the Pingree Reservation on Hamilton. From here we will hike through Bradley Palmer State Park and ending at the Willowdale State Forest on Linebrook Road in Ipswich. A long hike that has a little bit of everything- farms, forests, hills, and much more! 

Appleton Farm is a working farm and dogs are not allowed on property. There is also a $5.00 parking fee for non-Trustees members. 

The final miles of the Bay Circuit Trail! The hike will begin by hiking up Old Town Hill in Newbury with an amazing view of Plum Island Sound and the Seacost of New Hampshire. From here we will hike through the marsh and follow Hay Street to Tendercrop Farm crossing over Route 1A to the Spencer Pierce Little Farm. We will hike along the Plum Island Turnpike finishing the Hike For a Change at Plum Island center. Join us as we celebrate completing the Bay Circuit Trail at the Sunset Club on Plum Island.

Due to the limited amount of parking at Old Town Hill, we will be shuttling hikers from Plum Island to the start of the hike at Old Town Hill. Details will be emailed a week before the hike.