Did an 8-mile hike with more than 30 people the other day at Wompatuck State Park. It was an unusually warm October day, with temperatures approaching 80 degrees. Wompatuck is a mostly flat, wooded area with several ponds and an extensive network of trails as well as paved roads, some of which are off limits to cars.
We went past some particularly scenic bodies of water, including Woodpecker Pond (above), which is near the visitor center, Boundary Pond (left), which is on the other side of the park near Norwell, and the remote, beautiful Heron Pond (bottom).
In addition to the scenic ponds in Wompatuck, there were also some interesting meadows and fields, as well as some particularly nice trails and roads, including one winding road that cuts through the center of the park (shown here), going past Wildcat Pond.
There really isn't much in the way of scenic overlooks or high hills (none of either, to be honest) at Wompatuck State Park, but it is a fairly rugged, surprisingly remote area that extends through four towns, and is definitely a good spot to do some long-distance hiking without driving too far from Boston.
Connecticut may seem like a bit of a drive from Boston for someone looking for an easy, relaxing day of hiking, but the town of Union (and Bigelow Hollow State Park, which is within its borders) is only about an hour from the city. And the park is beautiful in ways that closer spots such as the Blue Hills and Middlesex Fells are not, since Union itself is in an unspoiled, hilly part of Connecticut. 
Bigelow Hollow State Park and the adjacent Nipmuck State Forest together form a huge wilderness area of more than 9,000 acres. The state park itself has a couple of scenic bodies of water. Bigelow Pond (top) is the first one you reach along the road through the state park, and Mashapaug Pond (above and below) is the second one, which is found at the end of the road. Hiking trails go around Bigelow Pond and brush up along the border of Mashapaug Pond, with many more trails winding through the deep woods that extend all the way up to the Massachusetts border.
The trails in Bigelow Hollow State Park might not present much of a challenge to hikers, but if you like isolated ponds and scenic views of wooded hills and wetlands, Bigelow Hollow is definitely worth a trip.
The Cape Cod Rail Trail is, as its name implies, a former railroad line that is now used mostly by bikers and rollerbladers. But this doesn't mean that this popular 22-mile trail that cuts through the center of the Cape is not used by anyone else. Indeed, walkers, joggers, and hikers can be seen on this path, enjoying the sights and sounds along the way, whether they are in Dennis, Harwich, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham, or Wellfleet.
Did an 8-mile hike with more than 30 people the other day at Wompatuck State Park. It was an unusually warm October day, with temperatures approaching 80 degrees. Wompatuck is a mostly flat, wooded area with several ponds and an extensive network of trails as well as paved roads, some of which are off limits to cars.
We went past some particularly scenic bodies of water, including Woodpecker Pond (above), which is near the visitor center, Boundary Pond (left), which is on the other side of the park near Norwell, and the remote, beautiful Heron Pond (bottom).
In addition to the scenic ponds in Wompatuck, there were also some interesting meadows and fields, as well as some particularly nice trails and roads, including one winding road that cuts through the center of the park (shown here), going past Wildcat Pond.
There really isn't much in the way of scenic overlooks or high hills (none of either, to be honest) at Wompatuck State Park, but it is a fairly rugged, surprisingly remote area that extends through four towns, and is definitely a good spot to do some long-distance hiking without driving too far from Boston.
Went on a hike a couple of weeks ago along the Reservoir Trail in the Western Middlesex Fells in Winchester and Medford. It was a decent-sized group, with about 15 of us on the hike. Part of the hike included a quick lesson on geocaching, as there are a couple of spots along the Reservoir Trail where items have been left for those who participate in this.
