Ravenswood Park, Nature reserve in Gloucester, Massachusetts, United States
Ravenswood Park is a nature reserve on the outskirts of Gloucester, Massachusetts, covering forested land with granite outcrops, small ponds, and a network of marked hiking trails. The terrain is hilly and wooded, with sections of swampy ground and open rocky ridges that change the character of the walk from one stretch to the next.
The land was donated in the late 1800s by Samuel Sawyer, who wanted it kept as open space, and it passed to the Trustees of Reservations shortly after. Over the following decades, neighboring parcels were added, gradually bringing the reserve to the size it is today.
The park is known locally as a place for walking and quiet time in the woods, and it draws people from Gloucester and the surrounding Cape Ann area year-round. The granite outcrops scattered along the trails give the landscape a feel that is hard to find elsewhere on the North Shore.
The main entrance is off Western Avenue along Route 127, where there is a small parking area. Some trail sections can get muddy after rain, so sturdy shoes make the walk more comfortable on wet days.
Mason A. Walton lived as a hermit in these woods for over 30 years starting in 1884, and he became known as the Hermit of Gloucester. A plaque on a boulder marks the spot where his cabin once stood, though most visitors walk right past it without noticing.
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