No one will argue life can get hectic, and when it does I believe the best thing to do is get out into nature, but unfortunately, some people have the issue of not knowing where to go. In this article I’ll give you three easily accessible and absolutely beautiful places where you can escape life for a bit.

One place I visited that is no doubt familiar is the Crane Estate. Most people come for the beautiful beach and the incredibly scenic Crane Castle, but I want to focus on the amazing walking trails that surround the whole estate. These trails take you all around the Crane’s area, bringing you through green woods, amazing dunes, and some rather uncomfortable brambles. The best part is no matter where you are on a trail you always know where you are due to the Crane Castle acting as the center point of the trails. The best part is how accessible the trails are. Just drive up to the Castle and you’ll almost immediately be able to find a trail. 

We all know the Ipswich River, but have you ever explored around the main docking point at the WaterShed Association? For those of you who don’t know, the WaterShed Association is the group in charge of keeping our River sanitary and safe. Along with that, they also provide kayaking, and walking trails all around the river. There is a stone tower down one trail that, with a little maneuvering, you can get on top of. It isn’t very tall but it’s still cool nonetheless. And if for some reason you’ve never paddled up the river and seen some of the amazing sights I implore you to, you really won’t regret it. 

The last area is probably the least known, but it certainly doesn’t deserve to be. Sagamore Hill is a park centered around a, you guessed it, hill! It’s got numerous trails that interweave with each other, horseback riding, and even an observatory. My favorite thing to do is to get to the top of the hill where you can find an absolutely stunning view of Essex county, including Willowdale State Park, and even Cranes. This is a great place to completely lose track of time. The trails are long, on them you’ll walk through many different areas like deep woods, wide open fields, and rolling hills. You never have to worry about being lost because all the trails connect to each other and have color coded markers. And if you have dogs, they absolutely love the place.

Personal time is important, and these three places offer more than enough activities to get your fill. Next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, sad, or even just bored, try to remember these places, and maybe make your way to one of them.