Best Outdoor Workout Spots on the North Shore

I like a good gym. I really do.

But give me one of those perfect Massachusetts mornings when it’s 65 degrees, the sun is out and there’s actually no wind coming off the water, and I’m going to have a hard time convincing myself to exercise indoors.

That’s one of the perks of living on the North Shore. We’ve got hills to run, trails to hike, beaches to walk, and enough parks that you can put together a pretty decent workout without ever seeing the inside of a gym.

You also don’t need to turn every outdoor workout into some elaborate boot camp. I’m not going to tell you to drag a tractor tire to Stage Fort Park or anything. A run, a hard hike or a simple bodyweight workout can do the job just fine.

I’ve spent a lot of time exploring Cape Ann and the rest of the North Shore, so these are some of my favorite places when I want to get outside and move.

Stage Fort Park, Gloucester

I’m starting close to home with Stage Fort Park. If you’re in Gloucester and want somewhere to exercise outside without putting much thought into it, Stage Fort is hard to beat.

The park sits right on Gloucester Harbor at 24 Hough Avenue and has a basketball court, tennis courts, a baseball field and sand volleyball. Half Moon Beach and Cressy’s Beach are right there too.

There’s plenty of open space to make up your own workout. I’ve done workouts here where I alternate a run around the park with push-ups, walking lunges and bodyweight squats – nothing fancy.

If you want more mileage, you can head out toward Western Avenue and Stacy Boulevard. Run past the Fishermen’s Wives Memorial, continue toward the Fisherman’s Memorial and you’ve suddenly got yourself a pretty scenic cardio session. (Check out my other article “A Local’s Guide to Running in Gloucester, MA” for more running tips).

Stage Fort works for just about anybody. You can run hard, shoot hoops or just walk around the harbor for an hour, and if your workout happens to end with you sitting near the water for twenty minutes, I’m not judging.

Best for: Running, bodyweight workouts and recreational sports.

Ravenswood Park, Gloucester

If Stage Fort is Gloucester’s easy outdoor workout option, Ravenswood Park is where I’d go when I want the terrain to do some of the work for me.

Ravenswood is a roughly 600-acre reservation with about 10 miles of trails and carriage paths. There are woods, wetlands and a ledge trail that leads toward a view of Gloucester Harbor.

You can hike it. You can trail run it. You can also just walk fast enough that you’re breathing hard and call it your workout. (I did that the other day with my wife and dog. They were big fans.)

The wider carriage paths are nice when you don’t feel like staring at your feet every second to make sure you don’t trip over a root. If you venture onto some of the smaller trails, things can get more interesting.

I especially like places like Ravenswood for people who swear they hate cardio. Put somebody on a treadmill for 45 minutes and they’re watching the clock after six. Put the same person on a trail and suddenly they’ve been moving for an hour and a half. Funny how that works!

Best for: Trail running, hiking and long conditioning days.

Good Harbor Beach, Gloucester

I’m probably biased, but Good Harbor Beach deserves a spot on this list. Walking or running on sand is considerably harder than on pavement. (Ever tried to play beach volleyball? Feels like you suddenly moved to a planet with 2x gravity). Try jogging down the beach for a while and your calves will explain it to you tomorrow.

Good Harbor gives you a long stretch of sand and those classic Cape Ann Atlantic views. At low tide, you’ve got a lot more room to roam.

My advice is to keep beach workouts simple. Walk briskly down the beach, jog back, throw in some squats or push-ups if you want, and repeat.

I wouldn’t make your first sand run a ten-miler unless you’ve got some kind of personal grudge against your lower legs.

Summer is the obvious catch. Good Harbor is one of Gloucester’s best-known beaches, so a peaceful workout and a beautiful Saturday beach day don’t always coexist. Early mornings are your friend.

Best for: Beach walks, short runs and conditioning.

Tompson Street Reservation, Gloucester

If you’re looking for something a little rougher around the edges, head over to Tompson Street Reservation in West Gloucester. This is a good one for trail runners who don’t need everything perfectly groomed. The reservation has rocky trails, old cart roads, wetlands, and plenty of that classic Cape Ann terrain with granite everywhere. Hiking and trail running are popular here as well as mountain biking and winter recreation.

This is a good place to go if you want an adventure. And that’s something I think we sometimes lose when we talk about fitness! Not every workout needs sets, reps, and a timer.

Best for: Trail running, hiking and mountain biking.

Red Rocks Conservation Area, Gloucester

Here’s another Gloucester spot that deserves some attention: Red Rocks Conservation Area. Red Rocks is in West Gloucester and has rugged trails and granite ledges. It’s also known locally as an outdoor climbing and bouldering area.

I’m not going to pretend I’m an expert rock climber, but climbing is one heck of a way to test your strength outside the weight room. If you do climb, this gives you an interesting outdoor training option without leaving Cape Ann. If you don’t, the hiking itself still gives you plenty of opportunity to get moving.

I recommend going with somebody experienced and using appropriate equipment.

Best for: Hiking and experienced outdoor climbers.

Lynch Park, Beverly

Let’s head down Route 128 for a minute. David S. Lynch Memorial Park is an oceanfront park on Ober Street with open grounds and coastal views. It’s not the place I’d choose for a brutal trail workout, and that’s exactly why I’m including it. Not every outdoor workout needs to beat you up!

Lynch Park is good for an easier day. You can walk or jog around the area or do some bodyweight exercises outside. It’s also a good option if you’re trying to become more active but aren’t ready for something like trail running through Ravenswood.

Just go move for 45 minutes – that’s a workout.

Best for: Walking, easy running and lighter outdoor workouts.

J.C. Phillips Nature Preserve, Beverly

For a more serious Beverly trail workout, I’d look at J.C. Phillips Nature Preserve. The preserve covers roughly 85 acres across Beverly and Wenham and borders Wenham Lake. Beverly specifically lists hiking, running and cycling among the active recreation options here.

This is another place where I like the idea of leaving the workout spreadsheet at home. You can pick a route and let the hills and trails determine the intensity.

One thing I appreciate about Beverly is just how many little pockets of woods there are once you get away from Cabot Street and Rantoul Street. The city maintains trail systems at J.C. Phillips, Beverly Commons, Norwood Pond, Sally Milligan and several other open spaces. You could spend an entire season rotating through Beverly trails without getting bored.

Best for: Trail running, hiking and cycling.

Beverly Commons

Another Beverly option is Beverly Commons, which you may also hear called Witches Woods. It’s a lot bigger than you might expect if you’ve only driven through Beverly without exploring the wooded areas. Beverly Commons covers roughly 160 acres and has an extensive trail network.

The trails are uneven and unpaved, so treat this as an actual woods workout rather than a casual neighborhood stroll. This is a good place to work on trail running without having to head all the way back up to Cape Ann.

Best for: Hiking and trail running.

Salem Common

Sometimes simple is best. Salem has plenty going on, but Salem Common is one of my favorite outdoor spaces where you don’t need a plan.

The Common is over nine acres and has been a public space since 1803. Run laps, walk laps, bring a resistance band, do bodyweight exercises.

If you’re somebody who gets intimidated by the idea of an “outdoor workout,” this is the kind of place I’d start. You’re in the middle of Salem, not disappearing into the woods, and you can stop whenever you want. The hardest part is resisting the urge to turn your workout into a tour of downtown Salem restaurants afterward.

Best for: Walking, jogging and simple bodyweight workouts.

Salem Willows

If you want more water with your Salem workout, head toward Salem Neck. Salem Willows is an almost 25-acre waterfront park facing Beverly Harbor, the Danvers River and Salem Sound. This is another good walk-and-run location rather than a place where I’d try to invent some crazy workout. You can incorporate the surrounding streets and coastline into a longer run or use the park as the destination for a walk.

There’s something about having water in sight that makes cardio considerably less boring. Maybe that’s not scientific, but I stand by it.

Best for: Walking and easy running.

Winter Island, Salem

Winter Island occupies part of a peninsula at the mouth of Salem Harbor, and there’s a scenic multi-use trail along the western side bordering Cat Cove. That pathway also connects into Salem’s broader bike-path network, which links toward Beverly and Marblehead.

That makes this one particularly interesting if you want to incorporate cycling into your outdoor fitness routine. Riding through Salem, Marblehead, and Beverly is WAY better than pedaling a stationary bike.

Best for: Cycling, walking and running.

Breakheart Reservation, Saugus

If you’re on the southern end of the North Shore, Breakheart Reservation is worth knowing about. It’s in Saugus and Wakefield and gives you forest, lakes, and a mixture of walking and hiking options.

One reason I like recommending it is that you don’t have to be an experienced trail runner to use it for fitness. Massachusetts DCR’s 2026 First Day Hike program, for example, offered two- and three-mile hikes using Breakheart’s paved loops.

If you’ve spent much time around Saugus, you know that being surrounded by trees instead of Route 1 traffic for an hour isn’t a bad thing!

Best for: Walking, running and hiking.

Maudslay State Park, Newburyport

Now we’re heading farther north. Maudslay State Park in Newburyport is a great option when you want a longer outdoor day instead of a quick workout. You’ve got old estate grounds, meadows, woods and plenty of room to wander.

This is where I’d go for a long walk or an easy run where I don’t really care about mileage. You can pick a direction to explore and spend some time moving. It’s also a nice change of scenery if most of your outdoor workouts happen closer to Gloucester, Beverly or Salem.

Best for: Long walks, running and easy conditioning days.

Halibut Point State Park, Rockport

I can’t write a North Shore outdoor fitness guide as a Gloucester guy and leave out Rockport. Halibut Point is one of those places where the scenery does most of the motivational work for you.

The park is built around the old Babson Farm quarry and gives you views across Ipswich Bay. Massachusetts DCR uses it for organized hikes as well, including a roughly 2.5-mile seaside First Day Hike in early 2026.

This is a great place to go for a brisk hike. The rocky terrain and coastal setting it much more interesting than walking around your neighborhood.

And if you’ve never stood around those old quarry ledges with the wind coming off Ipswich Bay, congratulations. You’re about to find out how quickly a pleasant North Shore afternoon can turn into, “Why didn’t I bring another layer?”

Best for: Hiking and brisk walks.

Coolidge Reservation, Manchester-by-the-Sea

Manchester-by-the-Sea has another good option if you’re looking for scenery rather than a conventional park workout. Coolidge Reservation is a 66-acre coastal property with a one-mile trail that travels through salt marsh and wetlands, heads toward Bungalow Hill and eventually reaches a seaside lawn with panoramic ocean views.

A mile doesn’t sound like much, but dit briskly and add some walking around the area or repeat parts of the route and you’ve got yourself a perfectly respectable active day. This is one I’d choose when I want exercise without feeling like I’m “doing a workout.”

Best for: Walking and hiking.

The North Shore Is Basically One Big Outdoor Gym

That’s probably what I like most about living here. Gloucester alone gives me enough options to keep things interesting. I can run around Stage Fort, hit the trails at Ravenswood or get humbled by the sand at Good Harbor.

Drive down 128 and Beverly opens up another collection of trails. Keep going and you’ve got Salem’s waterfront parks. Head north and you’ve got Rockport and Newburyport.

Here’s one of my favorite outdoor workouts:

• Walk or run for five minutes.
• Stop somewhere out of everybody’s way and do 10 push-ups.
• Do 15 bodyweight squats.
• Keep moving.
• Repeat that a few times.

Congratulations! You just invented an outdoor circuit without paying somebody $79 for an app.

A Few North Shore Lessons I’ve Learned

1. Never trust the weather just because you looked out the window. We’re next to the Atlantic – bring the extra layer.
2. Don’t underestimate our terrain. A five-mile trail run and a five-mile road run are not the same workout.
3. Summer. Changes. Everything. Good Harbor on an April morning and Good Harbor on a July Saturday are practically different planets. Parking and crowds can also change seasonally, so check current municipal or park information before making a special trip.
4. Don’t get so wrapped up in tracking your workout that you forget where you are.
5. If you’re running through Ravenswood and you want to stop at an overlook, stop.
6. If you’re walking Stage Fort and the harbor looks particularly good, take five minutes and enjoy it.

Fitness is supposed to make your life better. We’re lucky enough to live in a part of Massachusetts where you can get a workout beside the ocean or wandering through the woods. Take advantage of it!

I’ll see you out there.

Matt Sullivan
TeamGloster