Gordon College Trails & Coy Pond

You wouldn’t necessarily think to go to a college campus for a walk in the woods, which is part of the reason this one is here.

Gordon, a Christian liberal arts college of about 1,500 students, sits on 485 wooded acres in Wenham. Behind the main campus, trails follow the edge of Coy Pond and carry on into Chebacco Woods, so a short loop around the pond turns into a longer walk toward Round Pond and Gravelly Pond.

Students may be heading to class when you arrive. A few minutes later, you’re in the woods.

What You’ll See

Coy Pond sits just beyond the main campus, behind the Lane Student Center, surrounded by woods and connected to a larger network of trails.

Follow the pond trail and you can continue into Chebacco Woods in Hamilton, where the trail system reaches toward Round Pond and Gravelly Pond. Gordon’s cross-country teams use some of these same woods, so what begins as a quiet pond walk can turn into a much longer outing if you keep going.

Half an hour gets you around Coy Pond. Continue into Chebacco Woods and it’s closer to two hours.

Good to Know

This is still an active college campus, so expect students, runners and campus activity around the main grounds before the trails disappear into the woods.

Both Beef shops closest to the trailhead are in Beverly, and both are named Nick’s. They’re two different shops, so check which one you’re driving to.‍

Make a Saturday of it: Ward Reservation in the morning, a Beef in North Andover, eaten in the car like everybody else, then cider donuts and a hayride at Smolak Farms.