The Conservancy
The Conversancy Overview
Approximately 100 acres of protected land on the east side of Lake Gardner is known as the Powow River Conservation Area. From the boardwalks and woodland trails on Powow Hill, to the rolling fields of Battis Farm and Camp Kent nature center, there is something for everyone to enjoy. This area is being enjoyed much more than ever thanks in large part to the work our association has done to improve access with both our bridge and boardwalk projects. We hope you enjoy exploring our trails soon! Click here to read a 2007 newspaper article about our trail network.
Powow Hill Trails
Miles of interconnected trail link the Lake Gardner Beach with the summit of Powow Hill and Battis Farm to the north. Boardwalks have been constructed to bridge consistently wet areas. Signage was erected on the trails in 1999 through a grant obtained from the Essex National Heritage Area. Access to the area can be gained at either The Lake Gardner Beach located on High Street, Battis Farm located on South Hampton Road, or from Batchelder Park. Some trails are steep and might not be appropriate for all activities. See the Google map below for the location of the trails or download a PDF map.Batchelder Park
Batchelder is a small, beautiful, grassy park on the top of Powow Hill. The entrance to Batchelder Park is at the end of Dennet Way and can be reached from Amesbury center by following Powow St. all the way to the top of the hill. Parking is available for a few cars. From here, many walking trails descend the hill.The panoramic view from the top of the hill looks east to the Atlantic Ocean and north to Mount Agamenticus in Maine. On a clear day, the Isles of Shoals are clearly visible.
Enjoy approximately 50 acres of beautifully rolling pasture land adjacent to the lake. A parking lot off of South Hampton road fits about 10 cars. There is also a community garden. Read more at Amesbury Trails.Camp Kent Environmental CenterEstablished by the Town of Amesbury in 1997, Camp Kent Environmental Center is a 16 acre area used primarily by Amesbury School students.
Area/Trail Map View Powow River Conservation Area in a larger map. Click to Download PDF Map.
The map at left shows the entire conservation area, including trails. Parking is marked with a P, and other points of interest are indicated by place markers. Click on a place marker to read more about each one.
On the Northern end of Lake Gardner Beach a path leads away from the paved turn around, and continues into the Powow Hill trailsystem. Several trails pass through the area. The main trail, known as Old Stagecoach Road, runs parallel to the waters edge, while several other narrow trails climb to Batchelder Park and the summit of Powow Hill. Great views to the east can be found at the Park, while most of the areas below are wooded. Access to this portion ofthe overall area can only be gained on foot. Please be aware that trails may become difficult to pass through during certain times of the year due to drainage problems.
At the northern end of Old Stage Coach Road, the trail breaks away from the woods and opens into grasslands. At this point the trail system connects into Battis Farm. Battis farm is made up of mostly fields, and is the home of the community gardens. The trail loops around the perimeter of the fields passing along the waters edge and leading to the footpath entrance of Camp Kent. The trails in this area are grass-based, and may become overgrown at times.