Andover Ales & Trails - Hiking Events
Cooler days. Changing leaves. Miles of Andover trails to explore. And, of course, a well-earned beer waiting at the end. This fall, Andover Ales & Trails returns for four Sundays of guided hikes through some of the beautiful reservations and conservation lands right in our backyard.
Each week, local trail experts will lead us somewhere different, from the banks of the Shawsheen and Merrimack Rivers to Boston Hill and the Mary French, Hammond and Skug Reservations. Ales & Trails is about more than a great hike and a great beer. It’s about celebrating the community we call home and the green spaces that make Andover such a special place to live, work and gather. And because the best trails are the ones that lead to a brewery…we’ll finish back where we started, at Oak & Iron, to raise a glass together.
Ales & Trails is a collaboration between Oak & Iron Brewing, Andover Trails, A.V.I.S. and the Appalachian Mountain Club, with support from Friends of North Andover Trails and the Andover Center for History & Culture. Hikes are free, but registration is required and space is limited. Register on the AMC website: https://activities.outdoors.org
HIKE ALONG THE SHAWSHEEN RIVER THORUGH THE SHAWSHEEN AND VALE RESERVATIONS
Sunday, September 27, 2026 | 1:30-3:30 pm
Come join local trail experts from the Andover community for an easy social walk along the Shawsheen River. We’ll hike a 3.0-mile loop hike with an elevation gain of 30 ft. Difficulty Rating: 3 – Easy.
Registration Opens Thursday, September 17, 2026 | 4:00 PM
https://activities.outdoors.org/s/oc-activity/a5UVX000001GOsD2AW/act00023153
MERRIMACK RIVER, DEER JUMP AND RETELLE RESERVATIONS
Sunday, October 4, 2026 | 1:30-3:30 pm
Come join local trail experts and historians from the Andover community for an easy social walk along the Merrimack River. We’ll visit two reservations and see recent habitat restoration work and learn about the native Americans who lived along the river. We’ll hike a 4.0-mile loop hike with an elevation gain of 260 ft. Difficulty Rating: 2 – Relaxed.
Registration Opens Thursday, September 24, 2026 | 4:00 PM
https://activities.outdoors.org/s/oc-activity/a5UVX000001Gwp32AC/act00023290
BOSTON HILL AND THE CHARLES WARD RESERVATION
Sunday, October 11, 2026 | 1:30-4:30 pm
Come join local trail experts from the Andover community for an easy social walk at the Charles Ward Reservation. Join us and learn about North Andover’s ski slope and it’s role in missile defense during the Cold War. We’ll hike a 3.0-mile loop with an elevation gain of 600 ft. Difficulty Rating: 2 – Relaxed.
Registration Opens Thursday, October 1, 2026 | 4:00 PM
https://activities.outdoors.org/s/oc-activity/a5UVX000001GxTN2A0/act00023296
MARY FRENCH, HAMMOND AND SKUG RESERVATION LOOP
Sunday, October 18, 2026 | 1:30-4:00 pm
Come join local trail experts from the Andover community for an easy social walk along the Skug River. We’ll visit the newly rebuilt Mary French Boardwalk and see some of the recent beaver activity. We’ll hike a 4.0-mile loop hike with an elevation gain of 100 ft. Difficulty Rating: 2 – Relaxed.
Registration Opens Thursday, October 8, 2026 | 4:00 PM
https://activities.outdoors.org/s/oc-activity/a5UVX000001GxYD2A0/act00023297
Each week, local trail experts will lead us somewhere different, from the banks of the Shawsheen and Merrimack Rivers to Boston Hill and the Mary French, Hammond and Skug Reservations. Ales & Trails is about more than a great hike and a great beer. It’s about celebrating the community we call home and the green spaces that make Andover such a special place to live, work and gather. And because the best trails are the ones that lead to a brewery…we’ll finish back where we started, at Oak & Iron, to raise a glass together.
Ales & Trails is a collaboration between Oak & Iron Brewing, Andover Trails, A.V.I.S. and the Appalachian Mountain Club, with support from Friends of North Andover Trails and the Andover Center for History & Culture. Hikes are free, but registration is required and space is limited. Register on the AMC website: https://activities.outdoors.org
HIKE ALONG THE SHAWSHEEN RIVER THORUGH THE SHAWSHEEN AND VALE RESERVATIONS
Sunday, September 27, 2026 | 1:30-3:30 pm
Come join local trail experts from the Andover community for an easy social walk along the Shawsheen River. We’ll hike a 3.0-mile loop hike with an elevation gain of 30 ft. Difficulty Rating: 3 – Easy.
Registration Opens Thursday, September 17, 2026 | 4:00 PM
https://activities.outdoors.org/s/oc-activity/a5UVX000001GOsD2AW/act00023153
MERRIMACK RIVER, DEER JUMP AND RETELLE RESERVATIONS
Sunday, October 4, 2026 | 1:30-3:30 pm
Come join local trail experts and historians from the Andover community for an easy social walk along the Merrimack River. We’ll visit two reservations and see recent habitat restoration work and learn about the native Americans who lived along the river. We’ll hike a 4.0-mile loop hike with an elevation gain of 260 ft. Difficulty Rating: 2 – Relaxed.
Registration Opens Thursday, September 24, 2026 | 4:00 PM
https://activities.outdoors.org/s/oc-activity/a5UVX000001Gwp32AC/act00023290
BOSTON HILL AND THE CHARLES WARD RESERVATION
Sunday, October 11, 2026 | 1:30-4:30 pm
Come join local trail experts from the Andover community for an easy social walk at the Charles Ward Reservation. Join us and learn about North Andover’s ski slope and it’s role in missile defense during the Cold War. We’ll hike a 3.0-mile loop with an elevation gain of 600 ft. Difficulty Rating: 2 – Relaxed.
Registration Opens Thursday, October 1, 2026 | 4:00 PM
https://activities.outdoors.org/s/oc-activity/a5UVX000001GxTN2A0/act00023296
MARY FRENCH, HAMMOND AND SKUG RESERVATION LOOP
Sunday, October 18, 2026 | 1:30-4:00 pm
Come join local trail experts from the Andover community for an easy social walk along the Skug River. We’ll visit the newly rebuilt Mary French Boardwalk and see some of the recent beaver activity. We’ll hike a 4.0-mile loop hike with an elevation gain of 100 ft. Difficulty Rating: 2 – Relaxed.
Registration Opens Thursday, October 8, 2026 | 4:00 PM
https://activities.outdoors.org/s/oc-activity/a5UVX000001GxYD2A0/act00023297