The Bay Circuit Trail in Ipswich

The Bay Circuit Trail is approaching the fulfillment of an eighty-year old dream – a permanent public recreational trail and greenway, linking parks and open spaces in fifty-seven Boston area communities, 200 miles from Duxbury and Kingston on the South Shore to Ipswich and Plum Island on the North Shore. Eleven miles of marked trails are in Ipswich.

Within a stone’s throw for millions of people in eastern Massachusetts, the Bay Circuit Trail is ideal for hiking, biking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. Extending through 34 towns, this “outer Emerald Necklace” stretches from Plum Island in the north to Kingston Bay in the south.

The Bay Circuit Trail in Ipswich enters Willowdale State Forest and continues north to Rowley through the town owned Dow-Bull Brook preservation land. An eastern branch of the Bay Circuit Trail separates in Willowdale State Forest, and continues through Bradley Palmer, the Discover Hamilton Trail, the Pengry Estate, Appleton Farms, and New England Biolabs, from which some day it will hopefully continue to Crane Beach.

The Bay Circuit Trail Map & Guide is the essential day-hiker’s companion to the 200-mile-long trail and greenway encircling Boston This guide, the first trail-friendly, waterproof map and guide to the entire BCT―features three easy-to-use topographical maps. Included are more than 30 multi-use trip suggestions, safety tips, natural and cultural history sidebars, and more. Scale and parking identification allow for easy navigation to trailheads. These maps are based on highly accurate digital trail data compiled by AMC’s staff cartographer.

Trail description and Map files are in PDF format. If you have difficulty opening any of these files, right click on the file, save to disk, and then open the saved file using Adobe Acrobat reader. Click here to see our interactive map.

How to Use the Maps and Guide

Map sections for the Bay Circuit Trail

• Description of Section1A, Map 1A, Newbury, Newburyport, Rowley
• Section 1B Hamilton & Essex is not yet available
• Description of Section2, Map 2, Rowley, Ipswich, Hamilton, Topsfield, Georgetown, Boxford
• Description of Section3, Map 3, Boxford, North Andover, Andover
• Description of Section4, Map 4, Andover, Tewksbury, Lowell
• Description of Section5A, Map 5A Tewksbury, Billerica, Bedford
• Description of Section5B, Map 5B, Lowell, Chelmsford, Carlisle, Westford
• Description of Section6, Map 6,Carlisle, Bedford, Acton, Concord
• Description of Section7, Map 7, Concord, Lincoln, Wayland
• Description of Section8, Map 8, Sudbury, Framingham, Marlborough, Southborough, Ashland, Sherborn
• Description of Section9, Map 9, Sherborn, Medfield
• Description of Section10, Map 10, Medfield, Walpole, Sharon
• Description of Section11, Map 11,Sharon, Easton
• Description of Section12, Map 12, Easton, the Bridgewaters
• Description of Section13, Map 13, East Bridgewater, Pembroke, Hanson
• Description of Section14, Map 14,Pembroke, Duxbury, Kingston