Hillside Pond, Milton (Blue Hills)

The Blue Hills Reservation, which is located south of Boston along Route 128, is a vast area of steep hills, woodlands, rivers, and ponds. And while Houghton's Pond is wildly popular in the summer with its beach and huge parking area, there is another body of water nearby (Hillside Pond) that is almost completely unknown. Part of the reason that Hillside Pond is quiet and lesser-known is the fact that there is no real parking area near it, while another reason is because only minor trails lead to the pond. But it is a beautiful spot, with Tucker Hill forming a peaceful backdrop, giving it a tucked-in feel, and deep woods surrounding it that make the pond seem much more remote than it actually is. A narrow and rather rough trail goes around the pond, while a series of slightly wider trails meander nearby.

One easy way to get to Hillside Pond is to park at the Houghton's Pond parking lot, walking along the road east for about five or ten minutes to the Skyline Trail (blue blazes) where you take a right, then follow the blue blazes for a few minutes, taking a left on the green dot trail. From there, follow the green dot for maybe 10-15 minutes to the intersection marked #2112, at which point you can take a left down to the road, then cross the road, continuing on the trail for a few more minutes until you come near the east side of Hillside Pond. From there it's a quick scamper over to the pond.

Savin Hill Park, Dorchester

Dorchester may not seem like a place to get away from it all, but the densely-populated neighborhood of Boston does have some nice open areas, including scenic stretches along the ocean and the Neponset River, and a postage-stamp size park wedged between the Southeast Expressway and Boston Harbor that is difficult to find, almost completely unknown, and really quite beautiful. Indeed, Savin Hill Park is a very nice area of woods, grassy stretches, and steep trails leading to a rock outcropping where there are strikikng views of both the harbor and the Blue Hills off to the south. To find this park, you can either take Savin Hill Avenue east from Dorchester Avenue (over the Expressway) or you can take a right onto a short side street off Morrissey Boulevard more or less across the street from the entrance to UMass Boston and the JFK Library.

A few pictures of Savin Hill Park are shown below:

Moderate Hike Through Caryl Park and Noanet Woodlands

A few months back, I had written about the Hale Reservation, a vast conservation area that is mostly in Westwood. I had briefly touched upon the adjacent Noanet Woodlands and Caryl Park, but didn't get into much detail about either. This entry is dedicated to those two areas, which when combined with Hale Reservation, can make for a very long (and satisfying) day hike that is just outside the Route 128 belt southwest of Boston.

A group of us went on a moderately difficult 5-mile hike through Caryl Park, the Noanet Woodlands, and, briefly, Hale Reservation a couple of weeks ago. We all parked at the Caryl Park lot on Dedham Street near the center of Dover, and entered the woods on a wide, mostly level trail. There isn't much to Caryl Park, which is owned by the town, but the woods are absolutely beautiful in some parts (see photo), especially as you get closer to the Noanet Woodlands. We started on the Caryl Trail (which is blazed in yellow), then took a left on the Peabody Trail (blue blazes) around where the Noanet Woodlands begin. From there, we walked through deep woods to our first stopping point, namely the Mill Site.

The area around the Mill Site is particularly scenic, with rushing water falling sharply from a small pond that feels much more remote than it actually is. The pond is one of three that are connected by the Noanet Brook, with the middle pond having a pleasant area with a picnic table where people can stop for lunch or a short break (see photo). From here, we jumped back on the Peabody Trail and skirted along the wooded base of Noanet Peak before stopping at a point where the trail veers off to the left.

It was at this point that we took a right and started climbing Noanet Peak, a relatively high hill (for the Boston area) that can be extremely rugged in spots. We took some minor trails here and there, eventually ending up at the summit, with its extensive views mostly to the east, including the Boston skyline in the distance (see photo). From here, we descended back to the Peabody Trail, took a left on the Larrabee Trail (red blazes), and took a series of minor trails into the Hale Reservation where we had lunch at Powissett Pond. From here, we took a direct route back through the Noanet Woodlands and Caryl Park, getting back to the lot from Powissett Pond in a little less than 45 minutes.

The hike we did wasn't too difficult, though the trails around Noanet Peak were steep in spots, and some of the trails between Noanet Peak and the Hale Reservation had some decent rises. For those who might prefer a basic, easy walk, going as far as the three ponds around and just beyond the Mill Site in Noanet entails mostly level hiking and isn't too difficult.

Swampscott, Lynn, and Nahant Beaches

You really don't have to go very far outside of Boston to get some stunning, relatively unspoiled ocean views. Take the stretch of beaches from Swampscott through Lynn to Nahant, for example. As the photos below show, the views from these coastal areas are quite nice, with truly outstanding vistas from some spots. And while more of a walk than a true hike, you can go several miles along the walkways from Swampscott to Nahant, making for a good day trip.

A good place to start a walk along the beaches in this area is in Swampscott Center, a picturesque spot located along King's Beach (see photo). From the center of town, a walkway heads generally southwest, crossing the Lynn border within minutes. Paralleling Lynn Shore Drive, the walkway gradually goes uphill, allowing for excellent views back into Swampscott.

Not too far after crossing into Lynn, a paved loop veers left and heads out to a rocky point that has sweeping ocean vistas, including scenes of Nahant and an island just off its shore (see photo). From there, the paved path loops back to the main walkway, giving more nice ocean views along the way, and continues back along Lynn Beach.

The walkway continues on a southwest course, sometimes right up against Lynn Shore Drive, and other times being a bit further away from it, slowly dropping closer to the ocean. Before it drops toward Nahant Beach, however, another sweeping view unfolds, this one of a long, flat stretch of Lynn Beach where it meets Nahant Beach (see photo). Eventually, the walkway starts curving south as it begins its route along Nahant Beach.

The Nahant Beach stretch of this walk can be busy during the warmer days of the summer, but on a day when the beach isn't crowded, it feels a bit more isolated then the stretch along Lynn Beach, Views eastward of Nahant Bay can be found along the entire path (see photo), with an interesting view of the Boston skyline across the causeway to the southwest. It is a long walk to the end of the beach, with terrific views of Lynn and Boston at the end. From this point, you can continue walking through Nahant or backtracking to Swampscott.

Lilac Weekend (2009) at the Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain

A group of us hiked around the Arnold Arboretum this past Saturday (May 10, 2009) to see the lilacs and other plants and trees blooming during Lilac Weekend. Below are a few pictures from the walk:

Melrose Rock and Black Rock, Middlesex Fells

I hike a lot in the Middlesex Fells Reservation, a huge area of conservation land just north of Boston. The Fells is split in two by Route 93, with western section being much larger than the eastern section. But the eastern section has a lot ot offer in its relatively compact area, including some very rugged geography and spectacular views that you just don't get in the more placid, less rocky western section.

A number of us saw some of these rugged sections of the eastern Middlesex Fells late last month, including the extreme eastern edge of the reservation where the land drops off sharply. From Black Rock (see photo, you literally cannot go further east, as the Fells simply ends in such a steep dropoff that it feels a lot like a cliff From this point you can see some of the residential sections of Melrose as well as Melrose Center in the distance.

We also hiked south a short distance from Melrose Rock, ending up a Black Rock, which is perhaps even more stunning than Melrose rock, with the same sharp dropoffs as well as more sweeping views of both Melrose and Malden (see photo). Black Rock is a great place to stop for a lunch/picnic break, as there are lots of rocky outcroppings where hikers can sit and enjoy the views far below.

There is another scenic spot south of Black Rock called Pinnacle Rock which is so steep and rugged that some hikers feel a little hesitant climbing it. But it does make for a great third stop before turning west once again and heading into the woods. I will try to post pictures of Pinnacle Rock in a future entry on this site.

Battle Road Trail, Minute Man National Historic Park

For those who haven't been to Minute Man National Historic Park in Lexington, Lincoln, and Concord, it really is a special place, as you have a mix of history and scenic beauty along the roadways and trails within the linear park. A group of us recently walked the entire Battle Road Trail within the park, and it was quite a nice experience.

We started at the Minute Man Visitor Center, which is just off Route 2A near where Lexington and Lincoln meet. We initially walked east, getting to the eastern end of the Battle Road Trail near Route 128, then going up the Fiske Hill trail to the top of the hill, where there is a peaceful meadow surrounded by woods (see photo). From there, we went down the other side and soon ended up back on the Battle Road Trail, heading west this time.

After skirting the visitor center, we wound our way through a mix of woods and fields with Route 2A off to the left and Hanscom Field Airport nearby to the right. A little over a mile from the visitor center, we came to a beautiful tree-shaded stretch of the Battle Road Trail (see photo), stopping at the Hartwell Tavern for a short time before continuing on to the Bloody Angle, a few more historic structures, and a boardwalk before meeting up (briefly) with Route 2A near the Lincoln/Concord line.

Walking away from Route 2A on the Battle Road Trail (and going past a farmstand that was unfortunately closed for the season), we soon ended up on another boardwalk that led to the historic farming fields (see photo), which is perhaps the most picturesque part of the Battle Road Trail. We looped around the fields, ending up back near Route 2A, then walked the short stretch marking the end of the Battle Road Trail. From here, we walked along Route 2A for a bit less than a half mile, stopping for lunch next to The Wayside and the Orchard House, just east of Concord Center.


After lunch, we backtracked east along the Battle Road Trail, making a few stops at the historic farming fields, one of the boardwalks, and the Hartwell Tavern. By this time, the tavern was open to the public, so a few of us toured the historic home (see photo) before continuing on. From there, it was a relatively quick walk back to the visitor center and the cars. The total trip was around 13 miles, but a fairly easy 13 miles since much of the walk was flat.

The Battle Road Trail within the Minute Man National Historic Park isn't all that challenging, but it is very peaceful and scenic, and there is a lot of history to see along the way.