Conservation Areas

The City of Haverhill maintains publicly accessible Conservation Areas to provide residents with beautiful landscapes and improved quality of life.

Brandy Brow Forest

X

X

X

Clement Farm

X

X

X

X

X

Crystal Lake

X

X

X

John's Woods

Permission

X

None

X

X

X

X

Lake Pentucket

X

X

X

Meadow Brook

X

See Reg

X

X

Plug Pond

Riverside Trail

X

Tattersall Farm

Permission

X

None

X

X

Wheeler Woods

X

X

X

Winnekenni

None

None

---

Below are the rules and regulations of Haverhill's Conservation Areas.

Areas

1. Winnekenni Park, about 550 acres surrounding and including Kenoza Lake and Winnekenni Basin.
2. Meadow Brook, about 300 acres surrounding and including Millvale Reservoir and East Meadow River, south of Country Bridge Road.
3. Tattersall Farm, about 85 acres located at 542 North Broadway.
4. John’s Woods, about 65 acres off North Broadway and a part of the Tattersall Farm.
5. Lake Saltonstall (Plug Pond), about 170 acres along and including Lake Saltonstall.
6. Lake Pentucket (Round Pond), about 70 acres along and including Lake Pentucket.
7. Crystal Lake
   1. Rurak Point, about 10 acres on the south side of Crystal Street, along the northern shore of Crystal Lake, located opposite 650 Crystal Street.
   2. Crystal Gorge, about 65 acres on the north side of Crystal Street, opposite Crystal Lake.
   3. Crystal Shores, about 55 acres along the western shore of Crystal Lake near the Crystal Street-Liberty Street intersection.
   4. Crystal Dam, about 95 acres along the eastern shore of Crystal Lake near Lake Street.
   5. Creek Brook, about 59.5 acres along the north shore of Crystal Lake where Creek Brook flows into the lake.
8. Brandy Brow Forest, about 450 acres along the upper reaches of East Meadow River, north of Route 110.
9. Clement Farm, about 50 acres located between Main Street and Little River, adjacent to 1314 Main Street.
10. Wheeler Woods, about 40 acres along the eastern shore of Chadwick Pond, located adjacent to 531 Boxford Road.
11. Riverside Trail, about 7 acres located along the southern perimeter of Riverside Park and the Merrimack River.

Hours and Fees.

Conservation Areas are open to the public from ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset. There is no charge to enter these areas. 

1. Access to Winnekenni Park Conservation Area, outside of these hours, may be granted in writing by the City’s Recreation Director as a condition of a recreational event permitted by the Recreation Department.
2. Access to Winnekenni Castle grounds, outside of these hours, may be granted in writing by the City of Haverhill or its designated authority.
3. Access to Tattersall Farm grounds and John’s Woods, outside of these hours, may be granted in writing by the Tattersall Farm Charitable Foundation Trust.

Property and Goods.

1. No trails shall be cut or marked, nor dams built, nor any structures such as lean-tos, bridges, towers, or handrails constructed without authorization of the Conservation Commission.
2. No person shall cut, break, remove, deface, defile, or ill-use a rock, building, fence, bench, sign, signpost, gate, or other structure or property, or have possession of any part thereof.
3. Archaeological and historical sites shall be left undisturbed.
4. Depositing or leaving rubbish, litter, demolition debris, yard waste, garbage, excavated fill, hazardous waste, or any other foreign substance is prohibited.
5. No person shall engage in business, sell or expose for sale, post, place, or give away any goods, wares or circulars without written permission from the City of Haverhill.
6. No person shall enter Winnekenni Castle without written permission of the City of Haverhill or its designated authority.
7. No person shall enter the Tattersall Farm farmhouse or its associated structures without written permission of the Tattersall Farm Charitable Foundation Trust.

Plants

1. No trees, shrubs, flowers, herbs, or other vegetation or natural feature may be defaced, disturbed, cut or otherwise injured, except as indicated below. Edible fruits may be gathered if not in agricultural areas. Samples may be collected for education or documentation purposes with permission of the Conservation Commission. The Commission or its designee may approve work for trail or other creation or maintenance.
2. No planting of trees, shrubs, flowers, herbs, or other vegetation without permission of the Conservation Commission.

Animals

1. Catching, injuring, destroying, harassing, agitating, feeding, or interfering in any way with birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals or any other wild animal, including its nest, burrow, den or other habitat is prohibited.
2. Hunting and trapping are allowed in season with license and in accordance with applicable laws, with the following exceptions:
   1. Hunting; trapping; and carrying firearms, bows and arrows, trapping gear, slingshots (arm rockets), or similar devices are prohibited at Winnekenni Park Conservation Area, Tattersall Farm, and John’s Woods Conservation Area.
   2. Hunting; trapping; and carrying firearms, bows and arrows, trapping gear, slingshots (arm rockets), or similar devices are prohibited at Meadow Brook Conservation Area, except during Massachusetts trapping, archery, shotgun, and primitive firearm deer seasons.
3. Horse riding is allowed on existing trails. Horse riding at Tattersall Farm and John’s Woods requires prior written permission from the Tattersall Farm Charitable Foundation Trust.
4. Dogs shall remain under the control of the owner and shall be restrained on leashes. All dog solid waste products shall be immediately collected and shall be removed from the site and appropriately disposed. Dog walking at Tattersall Farm and John’s Woods requires prior written permission from the Tattersall Farm Charitable Foundation Trust.
5. Horses and dogs are not allowed within the water bodies of Conservation Areas, nor upon their ice.
6. The release of pets, including but not limited to fish, snakes, turtles, frogs, other reptiles, birds, and mammals, is prohibited.

Boating and Fishing

1. Boating is permitted but shall be in accordance with Chapter 116 of this Code.
2. Fishing is permitted but with the prohibitions defined under Chapter 116 of this Code.

Swimming

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms

1. Possessing or consuming any alcoholic beverage is prohibited, unless otherwise permitted by the City Council for special events.
2. Possessing or discharging any firearms, firecrackers, rockets, sparklers, fireworks, or other explosives is prohibited, except that discharging of firearms is allowed by the hunting provisions.
3. Smoking tobacco products or similar devices is prohibited at Tattersall Farm.

Vehicles

1. No motorized vehicles of any kind are allowed, including but not limited to cars, trucks, snowmobiles, motorcycles and dirt bikes, all-terrain vehicles, and other powered vehicles. Cars and trucks used to access Conservation Areas must be operated in accordance with posted regulations and signage, and applicable laws. Vehicles must be parked in designated areas only. Municipal vehicles are allowed for maintenance and enforcement purposes.
2. Class 1, 2, and 3 electric pedal assist bicycles may be used within Conservation Areas. The use of Class 4 bicycles is prohibited.

Other Activities and Uses

1. Any activities and uses not set forth here require the permission of the Conservation Commission.
2. The Conservation Commission may undertake or contract with others to undertake all necessary management actions notwithstanding any of the other provisions of this document.
3. Throwing balls, Frisbees, or other recreational projectiles is prohibited at Tattersall Farm and John’s Woods. Kite flying requires the written permission of the Tattersall Farm Charitable Foundation Trust.
4. Sledding on or onto any public way, including Castle Road, is prohibited.