Exactly one year ago my family adopted Martha.
She is a long-legged tan hound mix with a whole lot higher energy level than we bargained for.
After living the past decade with a mellow and more timid canine, getting used to Martha’s exuberance took my family quite a while to get used to. Although well worth it for us, I have to say owning a dog certainly takes a good deal of time and patience.
With a dog needing so much exercise and with a total of over 365 daily walks, it’s natural that after some time Martha and I found our favorite routes in the area. Taking a quick stroll down to the sea wall is especially nice around sunset, and taking a loop into Newbury and back is perfect for longer excursions, but nothing can top our favorite trail spot in town; March’s Hill.
March’s Hill is named for the March family, first settlers of Newbury before 1650. The family owned the land for several generations.
The town park became available for public recreational use over sixty years ago thanks to Clara Savigart DeWindt, a former member of the Audubon society and an avid nature-lover, who donated the land so that other Newburyport residents could enjoy the views from the park as much as she did. The popular Ms. DeWindt led many nature walks and taught classes to share her love of preservation and the natural world.
Prior to Ms. DeWindt’s ownership of March’s Hill, the land was utilized by local militiamen during the War of 1812 as an observation point towards Plum Island. Men would situate themselves at the peak of the hill to watch for british navy ships attempting to approach along the coast.
Today, the park has become one of Newburyport’s most popular stops for local nature lovers, dog owners, and sledders alike.
In winter-time the perfect bowl shape of the park becomes the ideal slope for sledders, and after a good snow dozens of locals can be found in the area with sleds in tow. However, as soon as the snow melts, walkers, dogs, and dog owners get their time to shine once again.
March’s Hill is home to a handful of pleasant paths in the woods, and some lead toward the direction of our local water tower. Many of the routes lead off in their own directions to connect later on, though each is certainly as lovely as the next with some leading up over ridges and other remaining closer to ground level. For those looking for a longer jaunt, a trail near the water tower leads to the serene and historical landscape of Oak Hill Cemetery, where dogs are allowed on leash.
For owners wanting their pets to have more free reign, March’s Hill is one of four parks in the city that have off leash hours.
This is awesome for dogs like Martha that need more space to run and often owners bring throwing toys or meet up with other dog owners to really wear out their canine pals. To see the rules of the park, a post at the bottom of the hill’s staircase lists any restrictions. Off leash hours are from sunrise-11am and 4pm-sunset except during sledding season.
Additionally, in the future the Rail Trail II project also hopes to extend the reach of the town’s biking and walking path throughout the South End.
This will be excellent news for walkers and dog owners who could walk the length of the trail and then cross into March’s Hill for an even longer stroll through the tranquility of the forest paths. By the end of the year hopefully the park is well on its way to becoming another gem along the Rail Trail’s path that both locals and visitors will be able to enjoy as much as Martha and I do.
For more general information on March’s Hill be sure to visit the Clipper Heritage Trail Website at:
http://www.clipperheritagetrail.com/tour_downalongandridge.php
Happy hiking.