Tompson Street Reservation is a free 302-acre reservation in Gloucester. It is the largest owned by Greenbelt, Essex County’s Land Trust. You can hike its wooded trails through lowbush blueberry and pitch pine, and climb a large granite ledge, Eagle Rock, for stunning views of Cape Ann and the Great Marsh.

Sunset Mountain, at the southern end, offers another spectacular vista, perfect for catching the sunset. Bring a picnic. Your kids can hunt for many geocaches, and your dog can run off leash, one of the few places allowing this in the summer. Several trailhead entrances, on Bray, Concord and Fernald Streets in Gloucester.

Photo Credit: Essex County Greenbelt

Find more information and download a map at ecga.org.

Written by Patricia Mandell