Family Weekender: Boston
Plum Island Bike and Hike
By Diane Bair and Pamela Wright
Twelve-year-old Charlotte, the leader of our pack, had vanished, enveloped in a swirl of morning mist. We heard her before we saw her. "Guys, look!" she hissed. "To the right!" Pulling our bikes to the side of the road, we watched as a white-tailed doe and her fawn nibbled on dew-drenched grasses.
Whitetail deer, Parker River
National Wildlife Refuge
Early morning is a magical time to pedal through Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. The calm stillness that surrounds you is just an illusion: the salt marsh and freshwater wetlands are teeming with activity. A glance at the salt pan along the roadside reveals a great blue heron, still as a statue. Snowy egrets appear like polka-dots against the tawny landscape.
Although the refuge road is open to cars, it's wide enough to cycle safely
with kids.
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| Insider's Tip:
Arrive Early!
The refuge can close on summer weekends if it gets too full. Try to arrive before 10 a.m.
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Just when little legs are weary of biking, you reach the turn-off for Hellcat Swamp, a two-mile nature trail. A boardwalk takes you into a world lush with plant life, color-splashed with butterflies, and humming with birdsong and twittering insects.
Next, meander over to the observation tower. Climb the tower steps, passing a playhouse-size beaver lodge, and look north toward the ocean: On a clear day, you can see all the way to the Isle of Shoals.
Heading back, look for the pull-off to the beach. Follow the footpath amidst lumpy dunes and
swaying sea grass to get to a spectacular barrier beach. It's perfect for wandering and tide-pooling, although the pounding surf makes it risky for swimming. But who can resist running, sandpiper-like, to tickle their toes in the surf?
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| Directions to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
From I-95, take exit 57 for Route 113, Newburyport. Follow 113 (High St.),
for five miles to a traffic light marking the intersection of Rolfe's Ln. Turn left; connect with Plum Island Tpke. Turn right, cross the bridge over the Parker River, then turn right into refuge entrance.
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The refuge is open year-round, 6 a.m. to sunset. Five dollars per car; two dollars per bike. The beach, or sections of it, may be closed when piping plovers are nesting. Call (978) 465-5753.
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Article © Diane Bair and Pamela Wright, 2000.
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