Woodland & Wetland

Welcome to John's Woods

Overview

This rustic trail traverses through forested wetlands and across Fishin Brook 

Address: 755 N Broadway, Haverhill, MA 01832

Parking: Graveled parking area

Land area: 66 acres

Length: 1.1 miles

Hiking Difficulty: Easy to moderate

See also: Tattersall Farm Charitable Foundation Trust 

Historical Background

Part of the Tattersall property, John’s Woods is named after the eldest son, John Tattersall, who enjoyed maintaining this section of the farm. Before the Tattersall’s acquisition of the land, this portion of land was the site of an old schoolhouse which operated around the 1860 to 1870. The schoolhouse itself no longer remains, but you can see its foundations east of the parking lot. To the west end of the parking lot, you can find more foundations. Here was the site of the Chase family house, who owned this property during the mid-1800’s before the Tattersall family bought the land.    

Environmental Features

The area is home to a wide variety of trees from Red Maple, Black Cherry, and White ash to White pine, Oak, and American Hornbeam. If you look in the vicinity of the old foundations you may run across an early successful forest, where you may find apple trees and various other small trees. Invasive species such as the Japanese Barberry and Winged Euonymus are present here as well. The Low growing bushes found here provide cover for large ground-nesting birds like the Ruffled Goose and Wild Turkey. If you are quiet enough when approaching the field, you may spot white-tailed deer. Further along the trail, you will find the Fishin' Brook which provides suitable habitat for the native Brook Trout. Smaller in comparison to brook trout found in lakes and major rivers, the brook trout in Haverhill only grows to 3 or 4 inches when mature.

Get Involved

Become a Haverhill Trails Steward

Trails stewards are volunteers who help make our trails clean and safe by picking up litter, removing tripping hazards, and letting us know if larger issues arise. We also meet for group workdays and hike locally in Haverhill's conservation areas.

Contact Us

Haverhill City Hall
4 Summer Street
Haverhill MA, 01830

Monday - Friday 8:00 - 4:00
Call Center 311 (within city limits)
(978) 358-1311 (outside the city)

Online Service Requests