History of the Bay Circuit
The Bay Circuit Trail is best thought of as a “vision in progress.” The concept evolved in 1929 when Charles W. Eliot 2nd, along with a committee of The Trustees of Reservations, proposed a 100 mile band of protected but accessible green space that would stretch from Newbury in the north to Duxbury in the south. It was to be located approximately 20 miles outside Boston, in a sense an outer “Emerald Necklace” as the open space/park system in Boston is called.
Unfortunately the Depression and World War II intervened, and little progress was made until 1955 when Eliot, then Professor of Landscape Architecture at Harvard’s School of Design, brought the project to life by achieving passage of a bill officially establishing the Bay Circuit. But since there was no enabling legislation, little was done until 1983 when funds were finally provided both for planning and land acquisition. Efforts to acquire land were started in many of the 52 communities through which the proposed trail passes, but it was not until 1990 and the formation of the Bay Circuit Alliance that a truly concerted effort to acquire the necessary land and/or conservation easements was begun.
The Bay Circuit Alliance is a non-profit organization whose goal is to establish a trail through conserved green space for passive non-motorized recreation from Newbury to Duxbury, ultimately to be approximately 180 miles long. Since its advent, many miles of trail have been marked and dedicated, and although the current emphasis seems to be more on actual trails, the original vision of preserving and conserving green space has not been lost. In the process of locating potential trails, there often arises the opportunity to acquire and preserve land of natural beauty or of ecological and historical significance. As the urban sprawl pushes outward, the effort to save open space and to establish trails within communities, which also link communities, becomes ever more important.
The Bay Circuit Trail in Ipswich
This, too, might be thought of as a “vision in progress.” At present, there are approximately 11 miles of marked trail in Ipswich. The trail starts just over the border in Rowley at the foot of Prospect Hill. The trail climbs up and over this hill and on through Ipswich conserved lands behind the Dow Reservoir and Bull Brook to Mile Lane. There is a short road walk to Doyon School. The IBCTC hopes eventually to be able to eliminate this road walk. When and if it happens, trail signs will be altered for this and any other route changes.
From Pineswamp Road at Doyon School, the trail leads through Willowdale State Forest East (Pine Swamp section) to Route 1 at West Street. It crosses Route 1 and meanders on through the Willowdale State Forest West (Hood Pond section) into Georgetown. One day, the hope and plan is to have a connecting link to Crane Beach.
The trail is marked with white dollar bill sized blazes:
- Single white blaze: continue straight ahead
- Two white blazes: a change ahead
- And occasionally with the logo of the Bay Circuit
A description of each segment of the trail is included in this guide. Also included are distances, convenient parking areas, and information about the flora and fauna and the history of the area. The trail is open to all comers who seek non-motorized trails for hiking, horseback riding, biking, and cross country skiing in season. We ask only that each person who travels it act as a steward of the land.
