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Get outdoors with this guide to 60 of the best hikes within an hour or so from Boston, leading you to scenic overlooks, wildlife hot spots, and historical settings.
List of contents
Overview Map
Map Legend
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Preface
60 Hikes by Category
Introduction
Within Boston
- Charles River
- Jamaica Pond
- Spectacle Island: Boston Harbor Islands National & State Park
Seaside Hikes
- Crane Beach
- Halibut Point State Park
- Nasketucket Bay State Reservation
- Parker River National Wildlife Refuge: Hellcat Trail
- Sandy Point State Reservation
- World’s End
North of Boston
- Agassiz Rock Reservation
- Appleton Farms: Grass Rides
- Bald Hill Conservation Area
- Beaver Brook
- Dogtown Common
- Goldsmith Reservation
- Great Meadow–Gerrish’s Rock
- Indian Ridge Reservation
- Lynn Woods
- Manchester–Essex Woodlands
- Maudslay State Park
- Middlesex Fells Reservation: Skyline Trail
- Old Town Hill Reservation
- Ravenswood Park
- Skug River Reservation
- Ward Reservation
- Weir Hill
- Willowdale State Forest
- Winnekenni Park
South of Boston
- Blue Hills Reservation: Hemenway Hill
- Blue Hills Reservation: Skyline Trail
- Borderland State Park
- Copicut Woods
- Destruction Brook Woods
- Noanet Woodlands
- Noon Hill
- Round Pond
- Slocum’s River Reserve
- Wilson Mountain Reservation
- Whitney and Thayer Woods
West of Boston
- Ashland State Park
- Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park
- Callahan State Park
- Cedar Hill and Sawink Farm
- Centennial Reservation
- Douglas State Forest
- Elm Bank Reservation
- Foss Farm
- Franklin State Forest
- Great Brook Farm State Park
- Hammond Pond–Houghton Garden
- Hemlock Gorge Reservation
- Mount Pisgah Conservation Area
- Mount Wachusett
- Mount Watatic Reservation
- Ogilvie Town Forest
- Oxbow Meadows/Farrar Pond/Mount Misery: In Thoreau’s Footsteps
- Purgatory Chasm State Reservation
- Rocky Narrows
- Sudbury Memorial Forest
- Upton State Forest
Appendix A: Outdoors Shops
Appendix B: Conservation Organizations
Appendix C: Hiking Clubs
Index
About the Authors
About the author
Lafe Low is a lifelong New Englander. He spends nearly all his free time outside skiing, hiking, skiing, camping, skiing, kayaking, skiing... you get the picture. He has nearly reached his goal of having his garage look like an REI or EMS basement sale. He has worked as a writer and editor for decades, launching his own magazine, Explore New England, in 1995. After that, he went on to be the editor of Outdoor Adventure. Most of his career has been with various technology and business publications. The tech stuff pays the bills; the outdoor stuff feeds the soul. He is also the author of Best Tent Camping: New England (fourth edition) and Best Hikes of the Appalachian Trail: New England.
Helen Weatherall is a writer, sculptor, and environmentalist who prefers to spend her time outdoors. Having explored wildlands from Mount Washington to Montana, the Amazon to Sri Lanka, and much in between, Weatherall now lives in Ipswich, Massachusetts, with her husband, cat, and terrier.
Summary
It’s Time to Take a Hike!
The best way to experience Boston is by hiking it! Get outdoors with local authors and hiking experts Lafe Low and Helen Weatherall as they help you find and enjoy the top hikes within 60 miles of Beantown. A perfect blend of popular trails and hidden gems, the selected trails transport you to scenic overlooks, wildlife hot spots, and historical settings that renew your spirit and recharge your body.
See Boston’s stellar views from the Skyline Trail at Blues Hills Reservation. Spend hours exploring Purgatory Chasm’s dramatic cliffs and rock formations. Enjoy a peaceful, meditative hike on Spectacle Island out in the Boston Harbor. Summit eastern Massachusetts’ highest mountain at the Wachusett Mountain State Reservation. With lifelong New Englanders Lafe Low and Helen Weatherall as your guides, you’ll learn about the area and experience nature through 60 of Boston’s best hikes!
Each hike description features key at-a-glance information on distance, difficulty, scenery, traffic, hiking time, and more, so you can quickly and easily learn about each trail. Detailed directions, GPS-based trail maps, and elevation profiles help to ensure that you know where you are and where you’re going. Tips on nearby activities further enhance your enjoyment of every outing. Whether you’re a local looking for new places to explore or a visitor to the area, 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Boston provides plenty of options for a couple hours or a full day of adventure, all within about an hour from Boston and the surrounding communities.
