Directions to Winchester's Cox Road

Directions to Cox Road, staging point for the Whipple Hill and Locke Farm conservation areas

Lexington's Whipple Hill and the contiguous (or almost contiguous) conservation areas in Winchester and Arlington are great places to hike, but tough places to find convenient parking. Here's the Sole Search'N solution:

From Winchester

Climb Johnson Road from Route 3 and drive toward Lexington. More or less as you pass the entrance to Vincent Owen School on your right, Cox Road crops up on the left (Warning: If Cox Road is (still) unmarked, look for Valleywood Circle on the right; Cox is directly across from it). Turn left onto Cox Road and drive down it, looking for a sign on the left saying "Locke Farm Conservation Area."  Park on the road, on the same side as the sign; do this by continuing a quarter mile or so 'til the road ends in a loop, turning around, and returning.

From Lexington

Take Maple Street toward Winchester, continuing across the Middlesex Turnpike at the lights where Maple morphs into Winchester Drive. Climb Winchester Drive to the top and then down the far side. Precisely at the bottom Cox Road (may be no sign) goes off to the right. Take it. Drive down to the end, past the "Locke Farm" sign and cars parked there by those arriving ahead of you, and loop back, as above.

From Burlington

Hop on the Middlesex Turnpike and proceed toward Lexington, past the Burlington Mall, under 128/95, all the way to the Winchester Drive/Maple Street intersection. Turn left at the lights, and climb Winchester Drive, proceeding from this point as if you were a Lexington resident.

Alternatively, you can take Cambridge Street (Route 3A) into Winchester. Go right onto Johnson Road (becomes Winchester Drive in Lexington) at the traffic light just beyond Mahoney's nursery. From here, follow the "From Winchester" directions.

From other starting points

Take Route 128/95 to Exit 33 (Cambridge Street) or Exit 32 (Middlesex Turnpike) and follow the commensurate "From Burlington" directions.

Warning!! Warning!!

There are no facilities here, other than those provided by Mother Nature, so plan accordingly!