Spring Outside with The Trustees

Unfurling flowers fill the crisp breeze with a delicate, sweet scent mixed with damp, earthy notes from the thawing ground; Spring wafts through the New England air. As the days grow longer, many Trustees special places come out of hibernation to offer a variety of outdoor experiences centered on the season’s vibrancy.

However, spring’s window of opportunity is short! To help you plan what to do with it, here are three ideal weekend trips—whether you love emerging blossoms, raging waterfalls, or meandering rivers. Dig for those lighter layers buried in your dresser drawer and get outside before spring melts away into the heat of summer.

Flower Blossom Fans

Trustees Public Gardens are some of the best places to catch diverse arrays of spring flowers in bloom, and three on the North Shore make a perfect weekend day trip. Advance tickets are required for some locations, so plan accordingly!

Start your day at Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens in North Andover where Spring BloomFest takes place from Thursday, May 1 through Sunday, May 4. This festival-style celebration of tulips, daffodils, and other bulbs opens the gardens over a long weekend this spring. Take the daily garden tour at noon—included as part of your festival admission—or participate in an additional Spring Container Garden Workshop if you’re looking to improve your green thumb. Play some yard games, visit the Bulb Information Station, and grab food and coffee from one of the many vendors while you’re there!

After you’ve had your fill of the flower festival, hop in your car and drive 35 minutes to Long Hill in Beverly. Sweet aromas and vivid colors await you at this botanically diverse hillside garden estate. Amble around the historic Sedgwick gardens and the new Summer Garden, both flourishing with life as flowers unfurl around every corner. Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy in the shade of the front lawn’s towering beech tree, under the estate’s portico, or in one of the many garden “rooms.” Perhaps you grabbed food to-go from a vendor at Spring BloomFest earlier in the day!

Now that you’re refueled, take the 20-minute drive along backroads to Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich. Park at the top of the hill and wander down to the Italian Garden where two perennial borders—composed of thousands of pink, white, and blue flowers—complement the elegant concrete walls and grass ramps. Walk across the gravel road to find the show-stopping Rose Garden with heirloom roses and clematis that add layers of complexity to the stunningly preserved architectural ruins.

All three public gardens are less than 30 miles apart—one hour driving—and offer myriad spring blooms to view at your own leisurely pace.

Spring Melt Marvellers

As the snow recedes to reveal spring’s budding flowers, all of its trapped water is released into a torrent of raging rivers and streams. Water roars over cliffs, thundering as it splashes into deep pools carved into the rock over millennia. This seasonal burst of meltwater creates a mesmerizing spectacle for hikers, and you can witness three of these awe-inspiring displays in a single day at Trustees special places.

Your journey begins at Royalston Falls near the New Hampshire border. It’s the longest hike of the day—about 2.5 miles out and back—so it’s best to get it done early. The descending trail leads you through an ancient granite gorge carved by prehistoric glacial meltwater. While it can be strenuous and slippery at times (please use caution), you’ll be rewarded for your efforts with a 45-foot waterfall dramatically plunging into a dark pool veiled in mist.

Once you’ve hiked back to your car, take the 10-minute drive south towards Athol to Doane’s Falls. Three falls—Upper, Middle, and Lower—await you along a half-mile trail following Lawrence Brook. Spring runoff drops and swirls as it weaves its way over mid-stream boulders, flat granite slabs, and small islands to feed Tully Lake. While the trail might get strenuous in places due to the height of the falls, there is a short accessible path available to access both the Upper and Lower falls from two separate parking lots.

Continue heading south from Doane’s Falls until you reach the third and final stop at Bear’s Den. The drive takes about 20 minutes and passes through both Athol and Orange if you’re looking to stop for a quick bite to eat. When you reach the parking lot, you’ll be greeted by a short, quarter-mile trail that takes you to an enchanting waterfall (if you turn left) or an old mill site (if you turn right). At the height of the spring thaw, water bounds across large boulders and ledges, cascading roughly a dozen feet into a swirling pool surrounded by 70-foot-high walls of rock and trees. Just be cautious walking along the trail, as there are steep drops and rocky terrain throughout.

All three waterfalls are less than 18 miles apart—30 minutes driving—and offer nearly four miles of trails to marvel at the surging spring waters.

Charles River Paddlers

Flowing beneath a canopy of budding trees sits the Charles River, its gently flowing water bolstered by the spring runoff from Echo Lake and the melting ice. With water levels rising and vibrant greenery starting to reclaim the riverbanks, now is a great time to embark upon a kayak or canoe trip. The Trustees care for a half-dozen landscapes directly connected to the Charles River, making a day’s journey down the waterway all the easier.

Launch your paddling adventure at Cedariver in Millis. A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers canoe launch sits about 800 feet from the parking lot along Forest Road, so it’s recommended you drop your boat off before parking. Once you launch, you’ll paddle north along a meandering stretch of the Charles River with plenty of twists and turns. On your right, you’ll pass Shattuck Reservation’s wetlands before gliding by floodplains that include Medfield Meadow Lots.

Before long, you’ll paddle under a railroad bridge and enter Rocky Narrows in Sherborn. Known as the “Gates of the Charles,” it became The Trustees’ first reservation in 1897. Stop at the canoe landing just past the rocky narrows themselves to get out and stretch your legs. There are seven miles of trails and footpaths to explore, including the Blue Trai,l which takes you to multiple overlooks with views of steep, hemlock-covered granite cliffs that form the narrow river passage you just went through.

Once you’ve had your fill—of both vistas and a packed lunch—hop back in your boat for the short trip to Peters Reservation in Dover. There is a small canoe landing if you want to get out to do some more hiking, which includes a trail connecting to Chase Woodlands. Otherwise, you can continue your journey downriver for eight more miles to your next stop. Along the way, you might catch a glimpse of Pegan Hill in the distance if the trees along the river aren’t completely covered in leaves yet.

The winding river path will take you through the heart of South Natick before you take a 180-degree twist around an open field known as the Charles River Peninsula in Needham. Take your boat out at the MassDCR Redwing Bay boat launch which shares a parking lot with this Trustees reservation before exploring the 20-acres of old hay fields (if you have the time).

All four reservations are about 20 miles apart and will take a full day to paddle on the Charles River. Plan ahead for someone to pick you up to take you—and your boat—back to the launch point in Millis.