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The best things to do north of Boston are on the North Shore and in the Merrimack Valley: Salem's museums, the beach and dunes at Crane Beach in Ipswich, fried clams in Essex, whale watching from Gloucester, the wildlife refuge on Plum Island, the mill museums of Lowell and the trails of the Middlesex Fells. Most of these are a day trip by MBTA Commuter Rail from North Station, and all of them are outside the city, so plan the return train before you go.
This guide is organized by trip, with the train line and the practical catch for each. Salem gets a short entry here because it has its own guides: our things to do in Salem and the Boston to Salem ferry cover it in depth. For towns to the west, such as Concord and Lexington, see our guide to things to do west of Boston.
How do you get north of Boston without a car?
Two Commuter Rail lines from North Station cover most of this guide. The Newburyport/Rockport Line splits after Beverly: one branch runs up the coast through Manchester, Gloucester and West Gloucester to Rockport, and the other runs inland through Hamilton/Wenham and Ipswich to Rowley and Newburyport. Salem and Lynn are on the shared stretch. The Lowell Line runs northwest from North Station to Lowell.
North Station is on the Green and Orange lines. Commuter Rail trains are less frequent than the subway, especially on weekends, so check the MBTA timetable for your return before you leave Boston. For Crane Beach and the Middlesex Fells, a car or taxi is the realistic option for the last few miles.
Salem: museums, 1692 and the October crowds
Salem is the easiest trip north: about 50 minutes by ferry from Long Wharf in season, or a Commuter Rail ride to Salem station. The Peabody Essex Museum on Essex Street is the big museum, open Thursday to Monday and closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The Salem Witch Museum interprets the 1692 trials, and the House of the Seven Gables is a house built in 1668 by the merchant John Turner, open daily. Guided Salem day trips from Boston are also bookable on Viator.
October changes the trip. Salem Haunted Happenings runs all month, and Destination Salem recommends booking ahead for October weekends. If you want Salem quieter, go in September or in early November.
Crane Beach and Castle Hill in Ipswich
Crane Beach is run by The Trustees, a Massachusetts conservation nonprofit, on a property of 1,234 acres of beach, dunes and maritime forest. The Trustees count more than 350,000 visitors a year and maintain 5.5 miles of trails through the dunes and a pitch pine forest on Castle Neck. Castle Hill on the Crane Estate, a separate Trustees property at 290 Argilla Road, runs tours of the Great House.
The Trustees describe Crane as a four-season place for walkers and birdwatchers, not only a summer beach. Outside the summer season (Memorial Day to Labor Day) there is no running water or rinse station, and restrooms close 20 minutes before sunset. Call the Crane Beach information line at 978-356-4354 for same-day parking and conditions.
Fried clams in Essex
Woodman's of Essex, at 119 Main Street in Essex, has been in business since 1914, and the family says Lawrence Chubby Woodman invented the fried clam there more than 110 years ago. Whether or not you accept the claim, it is the classic North Shore clam shack stop, and Essex is the next town over from Ipswich, so it pairs with a morning at Crane Beach.
Gloucester and Rockport on Cape Ann
Gloucester, on Cape Ann, is the base for whale watches to Stellwagen Bank, a national marine sanctuary about 12 miles off the coast. Cape Ann Whale Watch, at 415 Main Street, is in its 47th season and sails from Gloucester. Whale watches are seasonal, so check the operator's schedule for your dates. Without a car, take a whale watch from Boston's Long Wharf instead.
Rockport is the last stop on the coastal branch. Its best-known street is Bearskin Neck, which runs out into the harbor. Back in Gloucester, the Rocky Neck art colony keeps a cultural center at 6 Wonson Street.
Plum Island and Newburyport
Newburyport is the other end of the Commuter Rail line, near the New Hampshire border. Its draw for outdoor visitors is the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island, established in 1941 and now more than 4,700 acres of beach, dunes, salt marsh, cranberry bogs and maritime forest. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service records more than 300 bird species there and the refuge protects habitat for the federally threatened piping plover. The visitor center is at 6 Plum Island Turnpike in Newburyport.
Lowell National Historical Park
Lowell, at the end of the Lowell Line, is where water-powered textile mills turned the Merrimack River into an industrial city in the 19th century. The National Park Service runs Lowell National Historical Park from a visitor center at 246 Market Street. The Boott Cotton Mills Museum has a working weave room, and historic trolleys run through the park and downtown. It is the trip for anyone interested in industrial history, women's labor history or immigration.
Hiking in the Middlesex Fells
The Middlesex Fells Reservation is the closest large woodland north of the city, with its headquarters on Woodland Road in Stoneham and trailheads in Medford. The state Department of Conservation and Recreation lists more than 100 miles of mixed-use trails, an off-leash dog area at Sheepfold Meadow, and canoe and kayak rentals on Spot Pond, where private boats are not allowed. Swimming, fires and grilling are not permitted. Parking is free at several lots, including the Sheepfold on Route 28; the gates open at 9 a.m. Wright's Tower, a stone observation tower, is best reached from the South Border Road pull-offs in Medford.
Which trip should you pick?
- First visit, no car: Salem, by ferry one way and train the other.
- A beach day: Crane Beach, with lunch at Woodman's in Essex.
- Wildlife and birds: Parker River refuge on Plum Island.
- A history day that is not the Revolution: Lowell's mills.
- A half-day hike: the Middlesex Fells.
- Whales: Gloucester, in season.
Back in the city, the North End is the neighborhood called north and it is not a day trip at all. If what you want is the Paul Revere House and cannoli, start with our top things to do in Boston.