Boat Ride

CraneOutdoors: Castle Neck Riverboat Tour

Tour the waters of Essex Bay estuary aboard the Trustee's pontoon boat Osprey!

Join us for a cruise in Essex Bay aboard our pontoon boat the Osprey! We’ll view the seldom seen backside of the Crane Wildlife Refuge and take a turn around Choate Island to view the open fields, wooded hillside and historic structures from the water while hearing stories and learning fun facts about the area from our veteran riverboat captains.

When: 
Wednesdays & Fridays through September 2022 Times Vary
Select Mondays Through September 2022 Times Vary

Choate Island Hike

Tour the Choate House on this guided exploration of Choate Island.

Choate Island is the crown jewel of the Crane Wildlife Refuge and is only accessible by boat. Enjoy one stunning view after the next on this rare chance to explore the cultural and natural history of the island. Walk a 1.5 mile network of carriageways and footpaths that lead past The Proctor Barn, White Cottage, and Choate House, all the way to the top of the island where the Crane Family burial ground looks out over Plum Island Sound. This tour includes a complimentary boat ride from the Crane Estate boat dock to Choate Island and back.

When: 
Saturday, June 8, 2019 1:30-4:30pm
Saturday, June 22, 2019 12:30-3:30pm
Saturday, July 6, 2019 12-3pm
Sunday, July 28, 2019 12:30-3:30pm
Sunday, September 15, 2019 1:30-4:30pm
Saturday, September 28, 2019 12-3pm

Explore Underwater Salem with Salem Sound Coastwatch and Mahi Cruises

Explore Underwater Salem with Salem Sound Coastwatch and Mahi Cruises as part of Trails and Sails!

Join Salem Sound Coastwatch (SSCW) aboard the Finback, owned and operated by Mahi Cruises & Charters to explore Salem Sound. Did you ever wonder what lives on the ocean bottom in our coastal area? Come check it out with an underwater camera and a Remote Operated Vehicle that you build yourself with SSCW as your guide. Participants must be comfortable on the water for almost 2 hours. Open to all ages.

When: 
Sunday September 22, 2019 10am-Noon

Cruising the Essex River

Take a guided tour of the Essex Marshes with Essex River Cruises for Trails & Sails

Essex River Cruises hosts a narrated sightseeing tour that winds down the beautiful Essex River aboard Essex River Queen, a pontoon boat. Explore the marshes and discover a habitat brimming with abundant wildlife and the changing landscape that supports it. Bring along your binoculars, cameras and sketchbooks! You're bound to be inspired!

When: 
Saturday, September 17, 2017 8:30-10 am

FREE Merrimack Boat Tours

Mass DCR offers free boat tours on the Merrimack River in Lawerence, MA!

Meet at the Community Boating Program's Bashara Boathouse at Riverfront State Park, Eaton Street, in South Lawrence.  Tours go rain or shine. Hats and sunscreen strongly recommended.  Limited capacity; reservations required.  Call Lawrence Heritage State Park at 978-794-1655 for information and reservations.

When: 
Saturdays July 8, 22, & 29, 2017, 10am-Noon
Sunday, July 16,2017 10am-Noon

Afternoon Sightseeing Cruise

Afternoon Sightseeing Cruise Fall Visit Massachusetts

Take a seat in your classroom-on-the-sea. Absorb the invigorating sea and the rich history of Salem Sounds and its storied ocean front estates with Mahi Cruises & Charters. This tour gets you up close to view the coastline from the water, and gives you a brand new perspective on the splendor of the North Shore's coast.

When: 
September 15, 2012 @ 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Choate Island Walking Tour

Tour the Choate House on this guided exploration of Choate Island

This is a Trails and Sails special program! Enjoy one stunning view after the next as we explore the Crane Wildlife Refuge, an island studded patchwork of salt marsh and tidal creeks located in Essex Bay. During this guided tour, participants will traverse a series of island treasures, walking a spectacular network of carriageways and footpaths, linking cobbled beaches and grassy fields with forested hillsides and historic buildings.

When: 
Saturday, September 17, 2011 10 am - 1 pm

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Appleton Farms offers great farm-based Vacation Week Programs for kids ages 5-11

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Tuesday, April 21

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Barnyard Story Hour at Appleton Farms

Kids can meet the barnyard animals and hear a story at Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts.
Bring your little ones to Appleton Farms for our farm-fresh story hour. We will read books about animals and nature, maybe sing a song or two, then head up to the carriage barn to visit our Nubian goats, Angora rabbits and see what other animals are out and about on the farm. We will engage in...
10:30 am to 11:30 am

Wednesday, April 22

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Stargazing at Mendel Observatory

Mendel Observatory, with the support of volunteers from the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club, hosts public stargazing every Wednesday night
The Observatory, with the support of volunteers from the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club, hosts public stargazing every Wednesday night (weather permitting) starting at dusk or 7:30 pm, whichever is later.  When special astronomical events of interest occur (total lunar eclipses, etc.) the Obs
7:00 pm

Thursday, April 23

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Friday, April 24

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Saturday, April 25

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Annual ECTA Equine Expo & Tack Sale

Essex County Trail Association is hosting the annual Equine EXPO at Topsfield Fairgrounds
Don't miss the 31st annual Equine EXPO & Tack Sale, Saturday, April 25, 2025 from 9-3 in the Arena Building at the Topsfield Fairgrounds on Route 1, Topsfield, MA. Individuals, groups & businesses will make up our booths offering new and used items as well as services for the horse and...
9:00 am to 3:00 pm

Family Day at the Bird Banding Station

Kids will learn about local and migrating birds at Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport Massachusetts
There's nothing like a visit to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge for wonderful family nature experiences, and seeing the bird banding station in operation is at the top of the list. See Mass Audubon scientists evaluate, examine, and release migrating songbirds while you learn about migration...
9:00 am to 11:30 am

CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike

CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike at the Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts
Come explore the lesser-visited corners of Castle Hill and its surroundings with us this season. This hike is a CraneOutdoors guide favorite because it’s got a little bit of all the things that make the Crane Estate such a special place…
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
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