Lynn Woods Bouldering

Lynn Woods Park has two main entrances with parking lots and a multitude of smaller access points with limited parking. Pennybrook and Great Woods are accessed from the main parking lots. Great Woods is closer to more climbing than Pennybrook. All the parking areas are described in detail below:

The park can also be accessed from Bow Ridge Reservation in Lynnfield. This allows much better access to climbs in Bow Ridge, Deep Woods, Bikini Bottom, and Nature Valley. The parking lot for Bow Ridge Reservation is behind the Kelly Jeep dealership on Route 1, way in the back near the woods.

There are also numerous public ways which abut the park. Careful attention should be given to showing respect for the residents if accessing the park from a public way. Be discreet and respectful. The public ways that are closest to climbing are Mary Ellen Drive and Quinn Road. These public ways are typically used to shorten up the approach to specific areas. Please pay attention and respect posted signage from Lynn Water and Sewer Commission.

There is at least one climber friendly private parking lot that borders the park. The Army Barracks (P04 on caltopo map) on Route 1 has a private parking lot with access to the west side of the park. This is the best access for Bikini Bottom and parts of Nature Valley. You must obtain permission to park in this lot before entering the woods!

Approaches: areas that can be accessed from each parking area are listed according to the length of the approach. “Short” approaches will take about 5-10 minutes of walking, “medium”, will take 10-20 minutes, and “long” will take 20-30 minutes These are very approximate but can be used to help plan your outing. If you need a more exact time to find your boulder, you’ll need to plan out your hike and avoid taking a wrong turn!

From Boston:

Great Woods Main Entrance (P01 on Caltopo Map)
Take Route 1 North to where it intersects Route 129. Take Route 129 East towards Lynn/Swampscott. You’ll come to a rotary in about 0.5 miles. Take the first exit staying on Route 129 East. Stay on Route 129 East for another 2 miles. Take a right onto Great Woods Road. You’ll see the entrance in front of you!

Short approach: Fenway and Stone Tower (Queens Row vicinity).
Medium approach: Mt. Spicket, Golf Course, Stone Tower, Dungeon, Steel Tower, Overlook, Weetamoo, and Bow Ridge (Tomb Raider vicinity).
Long approach: Weetamoo, Overlook, Nature Valley, and Bow Ridge (Slug Wall vicinity).
Very long approach (30+ minutes): Deep Woods, Bikini Bottom, and Bow Ridge.

Pennybrook Main Entrance (P02 on caltopo map)
Take Route 1 North to the Walnut Street exit towards Lynn (east). Take Walnut Street east for about 0.3 miles and take a left onto Pennybrook Road. Take that to the end.

Short approach: Dungeon Rock and parts of Birch Pond
Medium approach: Birch Pond and Stone Tower (Bob Johnson Boulders vicinity).
Long approach: Stone Tower, Steel Tower, and Golf Course.
Very long approach (30+ min): Fenway and Mt. Spicket.
Very, very long approach: everything else.

Bow Ridge Reservation “Back Door” (P03 on caltopo map)
Take Route 1 North to the Kelly Jeep Dealership. This is located just before the intersection with Route 129. Drive to the back of the parking lot to the woods. You should see a small parking area with a picnic table. The parking is dedicated for access to the Bow Ridge Reservation which is contiguous with Lynn Woods.

Short approach: Bow Ridge (Water Tower vicinity and Crooked Tooth)
Medium approach (10-20 minutes): Bow Ridge (Back Door vicinity), Deep Woods, and Bikini Bottom.
Long approach: Bow Ridge (Tomb Raider vicinity), Weetamoo, Nature Valley, and Bikini Bottom.
Very Long Approach (30+ minutes): Fenway and Mt. Spicket.
Very, very long approach: everything else.

Mary Ellen Drive (Public Way) (P06 on Caltopo map)
Climbers park here to shorten the approach to the Mt. Spicket area and some of the boulders in the Fenway area.

Take Route 1 North to where it intersects Route 129. Take Route 129 East towards Lynn/Swampscott. You’ll come to a rotary in about 0.5 miles. Take the first exit staying on Route 129 East. Take a right onto Dartmouth Street after about a mile (if you get to the hospital, you’ve gone too far). Take your first left onto Woodland Road. Woodland Road turns to Mary Ellen Drive. Please be courteous to the residents. Read and abide by all postings from the Lynn Water and Sewer Commission.

Quinn Road (Public Way) (P05 on Caltopo map)
Climbers park here to shorten the approach to the Weetamoo, Overlook, Nature Valley, and some of the boulders in Bow Ridge.

Take Route 1 North to where it intersects Route 129. Take Route 129 East towards Lynn/Swampscott. You’ll come to a rotary in about 0.5 miles. Take the first exit staying on Route 129 East. Take a right onto Dartmouth Street after about a mile (if you get to the hospital you’ve gone too far). Take Dartmouth Street to the end where it rounds a bend and intersects with Quinn Road. Please be courteous to the residents. Read and abide by all postings from the Lynn Water and Sewer Commission.

You can find information on the park's rich history, points of interest such as dungeon rock/wolf pits/stone tower, and tours at the Friends of Lynn Woods website.
From the website: The Friends of Lynn Woods is the primary community group that supports the City in improving and maintaining Lynn Woods. Incorporated in 1990, the “Friends” is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to insure the perpetual existence of the Lynn Woods Reservation. This site also contains a map that is the standard map used by most non-climbing visitors in the park. The cells and numbers on the map can be used to triangulate your position based on the tags on trees at the intersections of trails.

For more park information, please visit the City of Lynn's Official website.

The mountain biking in Lynn Woods may possibly be one of the best in all of New England. There are over 40 miles of trails. The trails on the north side of Walden Pond are a freerider's paradise, full of drops, rock gardens, and other natural obstacles. An experienced cross-country rider will love the fast single track and monster climbs on the south side. Even the fireroads are fun and challenging for beginners.