Joppa Hill Farm Trail

Joppa Hill Farm Trail across meadow.
MapNRPC Map
MapKiosk Map
Length: 1.0 mile between the north and south junctions
Identification: Red blazes.
Difficulty: Walking: Moderate
                  XC skiing; Moderate
                  Mountain biking:  Moderate.
Location: Access from Joppa Hill Road north of Joppa Hill Farm in Bedford at approximate mid-point and from two trail junctions with the Pulpit Brook Trail.  Or park at the kiosk at the Educational Farm in Bedford on Joppa Hill Road and enter through the gate, the path through the farm leading to the middle of the Joppa Hill Farm Trail.  The trail map online may not show Joppa Hill Farm Trail linking with Pulpit Brook Trail on the north end, but it does.

Joppa Hill Farm was acquired by the towns of Amherst and Bedford for conservation and education. Sections of this trail lie in each town. The Amherst portion is devoted to passive recreation.

Log:  From south to north. The trail leaves the Pulpit Brook Trail .4 mile from the Horace Greeley trailhead. The Loop Trail rises on Old Joppa Hill Road reaching the JHF in .25 miles where there is an information kiosk. The gate through the farmyard is usually closed.  Continue up the road (north), passing between pastures with electric fences at .5 mile. A combination of three gates at this point may be closed when the pastures are in use. Please leave the gate configuration as found. If the gates are padlocked by the Educational Farm, skirt the fence of the west meadow to pick up the trail on the other side. The mid-point of the loop and an access point from Joppa Hill Road are met on the north side of the gates.  The loop continues north starting downhill from this highpoint. Note the slag in the trail, a bi-product of a forge at an earlier time. The trail enters a meadow with a view of the hill to the west. A small seasonal stream is crossed over a stone culvert. This happens to be the town line as the trail re-enters Amherst. This meadow is being periodically mowed to control invasive species. Please follow the blazed routing.  Turn left, continuing downhill through the pasture to re-enter woods at .75 mile and on to rejoin the Pulpit Brook Trail. At this junction, go left 1 mile to return to Horace Greeley Road or right 2.3 miles to reach the Pulpit Rock Reservation parking lot on New Boston Road.