First class beautiful water falls and rapids, with small river side trails enabling picture taking…read moreat different vantage points. It is a gorgeous spot to stop and relax; sit by the river and recharge your negative ions. There is a boat launch area just above the falls for small boats, canoes or kayaks.

Easy 1 hour out and back hike. Some spots slippery with ice on ground. Hiking boots recommended…read moreduring the winter. Fantastic scenery. Easy to see the gorge with more views if you go off trail a bit.

If you're looking for a place to go hiking near Boston, Blue Hills Reservation is the perfect spot…read moreto go to! It is just a couple miles south of Boston! There's many different trails here, though I haven't done all of them, I mainly enjoy going up from Chickatawbut Rd (towards Braintree/Quincy) and near the Milton 2B Exit on Canton Ave/Washington St. The Skyline Trail is great if you've got some time on your hands but for a short hike, I wouldn't recommend. This trail is around 3 miles and at the summit, you get a grand skyline view of Boston! On this route, you will see the Summit tower & the Observatory. In the winter time, skiing and snow tubing is very popular here.

Not sure if I picked the wrong day or the wrong trail but my "hiking" experience in the Blue Hills…read morefell short. In general, there's not great hiking around Boston unless you keep doing the same trails in Milddlesex but I had heard a lot of good things about Blue Hills so off I went. 1. The Skyline trail, for being the most popular one, was extremely poorly marked. I'm glad I downloaded the AllTrails map ahead of time for the route because even with the map, I got turned around several times and had to scurry forward and back to try to find the markings. At one point, the markings disappeared completely, i.e., I was definitely off-trail, and I couldn't find my way back without committing to another rock scramble back down, so I just consulted the map, did another trail, and cut back to the same route a few minutes later. 2. So very, very buggy. Most of the time that I was walking, I was swatting a bug, trying not to eat a bug, or actually eating a bug. Not the most pleasant of hiking conditions but something avoidable by just coming later in the season when all the bugs are dead. Passed by some lakes that looked very scenic from a distance but then, when you get close, you see it's all pretty much stagnant water/pond scum and millions of mating bugs. 3. This may be relatively minor but if you're coming from Boston, the traffic to get over here is dreadful and, again depending on which starting point you use, there aren't bathrooms available. Plan accordingly. 4. Parking was free and easy - I went with the Shea Memorial Rink in Quincy and hopped right onto the trailhead from there. 5. Hiking shoes are fine but I think this hike is doable in sneakers. Aside from a scramble here or there, the elevation was pretty gradual. Do be careful of the various roots and whatnot. I guess the lesson is: bug spray and download the trail map. Unless you're fine making a day of it and trying different trails, but even so, download the map.

Beautiful, well maintained trails that are easy to get to from Boston. Climbing to the top of the…read moreskyline trail requires a bit of scrambling up rocks. However, they do have a nice set of trails by the reservoir/ ski area of the park that has little elevation and some of the best foliage in the fall. Parking can be a bit tricky on that side when it is busy though. I don't like the trails over by the pond and skating rink as much as I do the other side. It can get a bit muddy and buggy over there and the pond views are meh. Parking is shared by the ice rink and there is plenty of it.

Gorgeous trail, will need to be a bit more experienced to navigate steeper rocks. Great views at…read moretop. Can connect to other trails as well.

Ah pictures are on the digi cam and I haven't pulled them yet…read more Houghton's pond is a nice local spot to us. It's got plenty of free parking, small park for the kiddos, a viewing area for the marsh, beach side is small but nice for picnic and swim. Plenty of geese and ducks that leave their natural presents all over the beach haha but that's nature. It's def a chill spot, i normally only ever went there as a meeting point when we are riding our motorbikes and meeting up with other friends. There are porta-potty bathrooms available between the beach and the kids park. Looks to be area for food vendors but don't know if it's going to open for the summer or not haha.

I've been going to Houghton's Pond for years! It's one of…read morethe many ponds in town and is always a great place to go for chill vibes. Popular for tanning in the summer & taking kids to play. They have a playground that's perfect to bring the kids. I love having picnic days here & going for after dinner walks here! Parking: lots of free parking available & is right off the highway Exit 3 Houghton's Pond or Exit 2B.

This is another terrific property owned by the always terrific Trustees of Reservations which…read morepreserves land throughout Massachusetts for all to enjoy. This is a huge wooded space hundreds of acres large. Whitney and Thayer is a great place to come to walk, bike, horseback ride and you're welcome to bring your dog if you have one. Leash please. The property here spans both towns of Hingham and Cohasset and unlike some other Trustees properties, is free to all who enter. As an added bonus, you can readily access Turkey Hill from here and gain sight of the South Shore and Cohasset harbor. There are trail markers but it's wise to download a map and bring it with you. Bring water to drink for you and any animal companions you might have with you. As well, make sure you've got your bug spray applied. Ticks abound everywhere in these parts so you want to make sure you're as protected as can be. Having done all those things like a good boy or girl Scout, you'll be certain to enjoy a spectacular day in the outdoors admiring all manner of trees, bushes, flowers, birds and if you're lucky an occasional animal sighting. This is a beautiful tract of land in which to get some exercise and revel in the solitude and grandeur. Well worth a visit any time of year. Get your exercise on, and get out there!

Located right off Rt 3A in Cohasset, it's that forgotten tract of land right between Wompatuck…read moreState Park & Turkey Hill. After a short while on the trails you can see why the Wampanoag Indians called the area Cohasset or the "Long Rocky Place", at 600 acres it is three times the size of nearby World's End and unlike W.E. it's FREE! The trails are well maintained cart and footpaths suitable for walking, jogging, horseback, mountain biking, etc. Spliting the woods right down the middle was an old railroad track used by the USN to move munitions to the old ammo depot (now Wompatuck State Park) during WWII & the Cold War, it was recently converted to a bike path (crushed stone) for all to use. It's now possible to take the Greebush Commuter Rail Line down to the Cohasset Station and go directly across Rt 3A and jump on you bike for hours of bike riding in Whitney & (mainly) Wompatuck's 20 + miles of paved & dirt bike trails. After a day of fun cap it off with a ice cream cone at JJ's Dairy located about 500' south of Cohasset Station. Quiet. 600 acres. Ten miles of rustic trails. Dog friendly. Owned & operated by the Trustees of Reservations - consider a donation and becoming a trustee.

Very unique landscape with being the tallest esker in the country! Really enjoyed the walk here…read more Saw trash that was left which was disappointing but the landscape is beautiful! Will definately go back!

An easy walk around the island, however there is little shade. Be prepared (hats & sunblock are…read moreyour friends!). In the main building there is a free sunblock dispenser for anyone who needs it. A great benefit to visitors. As a result of the island's history, the beach is littered with sea glass. You just can't take it with you. Bring your camera to document the stunning pieces you will see!

Beautiful Island, plenty of beautiful places and nice people. It's very clean with a few places to…read moreeat.

Noanet Woodlands is another favorite woodsy area to add to my list (another recent favorite is…read moreanother Trustees property in Andover, the Ward Reservation). The two are somewhat similar with different color coded trails and a trail to reach a summit for the skyline of Boston (I didn't check that out here at Noanet Woodlands for this trip). I enjoyed coming here on the weekend: it was moderately trafficked (which I like so it's not *too* isolated), and easy/moderate trails (I prefer long, ambling hikes). The only thing is that the orange trail I took was a bit confusing/not super clear. The overall system does a good job, but I would be sure to download a map/have AllTrails active to ensure you don't end up in the wrong spot. I fortunately ran into some folks who helped me get back on track, but a heads up that it could get confusing as it did for me. Otherwise, a wonderful shady (important to know on hotter days) set of trails that I would recommend!

It is a very beautiful, well-maintained park I only walked a mile so far, on a pleasant summer…read moreday, but will go back.

This is such a great trail out in the dunes. Great views once you walk up the winding hills. Since…read moreit's sandy, it's easier to walk without shoes which works well since the sand is nice and soft. The trail can take you all the way to the beach. It's quite a hike to the beach especially when it's warm out but the ocean views are lovely.

I came across this trail while planning our trip to Cape Cod. I liked it because it had some sand…read moredunes (cool) and I thought it would be cool to see the dune shacks. Unfortunately, I had no idea how high the dunes were! If you've never climbed a sand dune before, let me tell you - it's not easy! It's exhausting as for every step, your foot sinks down at least half way back from where it started. The sand starts fairly soon after the trail begins and you're soon trekking uphill in sand. We made it up to the top of the first dune and 2 of the 3 of us were beat. I took great lengths to stay as high in elevation as possible in making my way to the second dune, where I saw the ocean and maybe two dune shacks in the distance - at least half a mile or a mile away. I couldnt imagine walking that far in the sand. Overall, the trail was nice and it gave some nice views, but be prepared and know going in that its not going to be easy.