Noanet Peak Loop Hiking Guide
Noanet Woodlands is a Trustees of Reservations property in Dover with more than 16 miles of shady trails and wood roads. The loop to Noanet Peak is the one most people come for: a gradual climb through the woods to a granite outcrop where, on a clear day, the Boston skyline shows on the horizon. Along the way are the ponds and stonework of an early 19th-century iron mill.
Permit: The Trustees charge nonmembers an $8 parking fee at Noanet Woodlands; members park free. The lot on Powissett Street holds about 30 cars and closes when full.
Up to the Peak
AllTrails lists the Noanet Peak Loop at 3.1 miles with about 525 feet of gain, an hour and a half to two hours on foot. The route starts on a gentle incline, swings around a lower hill, then climbs steadily to the peak, a granite outcrop that Wikipedia puts at 387 feet. The view looks out over the surrounding forest to downtown Boston in the distance. Trail junctions here are numerous and not always well marked, so download the Trustees map before you set out.
Iron Mill and Ponds
The woodland takes its name from Noanet, a Natick leader who camped, fished and hunted along Noanet Brook. Later the land held a sawmill and then a large rolling and slitting mill for the Dover Union Iron Company, whose 24-foot-high dam and 20-foot-deep wheel pit are still there. Amelia Peabody bought the land in 1923 and shaped the woods into what you see today. There is a steep drop at the mill pond dam, so keep children close, and dogs are not allowed in the Lower Mill Pond.
Parking: Small Lot, Firm Rules
The Trustees charge nonmembers an $8 parking fee; members park free. The lot on Powissett Street holds only about 30 cars and fills on good-weather days in spring and fall, when it is closed once full. Street parking is strictly prohibited, and cars left on the road can be ticketed or towed. The Trustees suggest coming early in the morning or later in the afternoon, and point to nearby Rocky Woods and Powisset Farm as backups. The property is open year-round, sunrise to sunset.
Dog Rules
Dogs are welcome on a leash at all times, with a limit of two per person. The Trustees ask that dogs not chase wildlife or approach other dogs and people, even when friendly, and that you carry out what your dog leaves behind. The Lower Mill Pond is off-limits to dogs.
Bow Season and Wildlife
Noanet allows seasonal bow hunting by written permission under a Trustees deer management program. Under MassWildlife rules that season runs from the first Monday in October through December, Monday through Saturday, from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset; there is no hunting on Sundays. Wear bright colors in those months, or hike on a Sunday. Spring brings migrating warblers and thrushes, summer brings scarlet tanagers, and hawks pass overhead in fall.
Hiking tips for Noanet Peak Loop
- Arrive early on fall weekends; the 30-car lot closes when full.
- Never park on Powissett Street; the Trustees enforce towing.
- Wear blaze orange from October through December, or hike on Sunday when hunting is barred.
- Download the map; junctions are frequent and some are poorly marked.
- Keep dogs leashed and out of the Lower Mill Pond.
Nearby trails to explore
- Great Blue Hill Skyline Loop
- Walden Pond Path
- Purgatory Chasm Loop Trail
Hike this trail with TrailMates
A granite peak, old mill ponds and a long view to the city. Use TrailMates to find Boston hikers heading to Noanet Woodlands. Download the TrailMates app to connect.