Sunday Morning Hike- Briar Swamp and Norton Woods Loop (Rockport/ Gloucester)

Join us for a late summer hike through the scenic woodlands around Briar Swamp, which straddles the boundary of Gloucester and Rockport, on the northern edge of Dogtown.

Our route will take us through the Rockport Town Forest and Pool Hill, down to the southern edge of Briar Swamp, then across the boardwalk and over to Common Road and Whale's Jaw.  From there we will detour up to a trail behind Whale's Jaw and along the edge of the Norton Woods, then head back down to the Squam Path and the Town Forest Trail back to our starting point.

The route is a mix of carriage roads and single-track trails, with easy to moderate ups and downs, and plenty of rocks and roots underfoot-- plus several interesting features and curiosities along the way! 

Total distance is about 3.7 miles.  Allow two hours from the starting point.  See the map and route HERE in Gaia GPS

Meeting Spot:  We will meet at the top of Summit Ave. in Haskins Park, on the circular drive near the Pool Hill water tower.  There is plenty of parking.  See the hike map for specifics.

Please arrive early (we recommend planning to arrive between 9:50 and 9:55 am in order to be ready for the group's 10 am departure).  The hike will depart promptly at 10 am.

Please note that dogs are not permitted on the Sunday Morning hikes.  The Cape Ann Sunday Hikes group has a Dog-Friendly Hikes group which is repeating each Sunday Morning hike the following month.  You can join the Dog-Friendly Hikes Google group from The Cape Ann Sunday Hikes  home page to get announcements of each Dog-Friendly hike.