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Spectacle Island

4.0 (63 reviews)

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Jacqui L.

There's not that much to do, but honestly that's part of the point I think! Spectacle Island is really only a short ferry ride away from Boston and yet feels far enough to be a ~ destination ~ with some nature and retreat-like vibes. You get a pretty nice view of the Boston skyline, a fun beach (stable shoes advised for the rockier parts) where you can hunt for seaglass, and some nice places to picnic (just bring something to sit on since the grass isn't too soft), hike/walk, and explore!

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Ravi K.

We reserved a city experiences ferry to get to the island. This is a small island and you an cover the full island on feet in 1-2 hours. There are some beach spots which you can use to take a dip. There are open showers near the beach. When it comes to food, there are not many food options hence bring your own food. Coke or pepsi is not available over here. You will get beer and water. Since the food options are limited hence they are expensive. It's a good idea to get your own food and drinks to avoid wasting time standing in line for food. The pebbles on the beach can be tricky to walk hence its a good idea to have a pair of slippers. Basically, your experience on the island depends on your planning. Get your food, drinks, extra pair of clothes, sunscreen and you should be good. Have fun.

Leave it where you found it.
Jess J.

An easy walk around the island, however there is little shade. Be prepared (hats & sunblock are your 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!

View from Spectacle Island - 2009
Mindy L.

For the 4th of July - my boyfriend and I decided to get out of the city for a day and I suggested that we head out to one of the Harbor Islands. I've been to Deer Island before, but never Spectacle, so we decided to head out here. We purchased our tickets from the kiosk right at the harbor and waited for about 15 minutes for the ferry to arrive. We were loaded onto the first ferry (yep, we had more than one) and as it was backing out of the harbor some horrible clanging noises started and I had a feeling we were going to turn back. Sure enough, we did, but everyone was in good spirits and thought little of it. They quickly transferred us onto a second ferry waiting at the wharf. Our trip out there was gorgeous - but dampened by two girls incessently yapping in an unrecognizable language (it would have been equally annoying in English - so technically the language is irrelevant). When we arrived on the island we decided to take the "hike" - term used loosely as it's not steep enough to cause heavy breathing - and we walked up and around the island following the marked trails. It was absolutely beautiful and the sea of wild flowers that grow in abundance make it so hard to believe that this was once a landfill full of Big Dig trash. After our hike, we relaxed on the big porch of the Visitors Center (there is also a little cafe) in some comfy Adirondack chairs and vegged out. There is a small beach for those looking to wade/tan as well. Beautiful spot to get away from the city.

http://www.stephstevensphoto.com/
Stephanie S.

Went there this past weekend on a special "Snow Day" trip. Heard about it on boston.com and it couldn't have been a better day for it. No snow to speak of but what a great place to explore!! Trails to walk around and two "summits" to get a better view of the surrounding islands and the city skyline. Summits - because one of them is the highest point of any of the islands but not strenuous hiking by any means. Composting toilets in the visitors center and lots of little places to picnic. I'll definitely be back out there and to the other ones in the summer.

Doing a headstand on the beach
Lane B.

Lovely! I quite enjoyed making a little day out of this. I'm a student so it was only $12 round trip for me. I love boats and the ferry ride was so fun! The island is adorable and the little hike is quite fun. Next time I'll pack a picnic. But the rules are that whatever trash you bring, you have to take off. There are no trash cans there! The only thing that sucks is that if you miss the ferry you have to wait! I missed one leaving very promptly but then on the next one we waited around for stragglers. Super minimal complaint, but I didn't dig the inconsistency of keeping a tight schedule.

Astra G.

Island with a long history as a former city dump, among others, that is now a national park. There is wildlife and plants, lots of birds and butterflies. Some very easy trails. Gorgeous views of Boston. Minimal shade... so bring sunscreen! Lots of sea glass and rocks on the beach. And a VERY small swimming area. Without looking hard I Found 3 pieces of garbage in the water.... - a blue latex glove - a cheese wrapper - a candy bar wrapper And no garbage cans to put said garbage in since it's a bring on bring off island. Theres also a food stand with sandwiches, salads, and sides in case you forgot your picnic.

6/18/2011

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Ask the Community - Spectacle Island

Are dogs allowed?

No. Only service animals are allowed on the islands. This sometimes leads to confusion because the boat company will allow pets onboard but not on the island.

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Review Highlights - Spectacle Island

Spectacle is small and walkable and has gorgeous views across the harbor and Boston's somewhat distant skyline.

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Blue Hills Reservation - Boston skyline

Blue Hills Reservation

4.4(138 reviews)
9.1 mi

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.

Very well maintained trails, great views, good woods scenery for all seasons. Highly recommended;…read moremap boards at trailheads are clear, and most trails are clearly marked.

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Blue Hills Reservation
Blue Hills Reservation
Blue Hills Reservation

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Purgatory Chasm State Reservation

Purgatory Chasm State Reservation

4.5(112 reviews)
39.6 mi

What's not to like here? I suppose some may complain about…read morehaving to pay to park. Personally I'd like to see an option for those of us living in the Blackstone Valley (and others) to purchase an annual sticker. Similar to the way you might support a local zoo, for example. They would likely get higher donation amounts voluntarily, vs. the extortion-like pay-to-park each visit. Beyond the parking... For those seeking heat relief, on a hot summer day the low parts of the chasm are considerably cooler. Of course this does generally bring the crowds. Remember to bring bug spray. Children will be in awe of the rock formations and most will absolutely love climbing over, under and through the rocks, crevices and small caves. The rocks are normally slippery, more so after a rain or during the humid summer months - decent footwear is a must. Grandparents beware: not the best place to try to follow an 8 year old! However, across the street by the visitor center there's a nice playground for the kids to tire-out. If you want a longer/safer/less slippery hike you can follow Charlie's Loop trail in it's entirety (start by the covered picnic tables). Then maybe veer off onto the northwest side fire road. From there you can find a couple of trails that head back toward the parking lot. This is a great place to walk the dog(s) - leashed. Please pick up after your pet. Also a wonderful spot for snowshoeing - assuming we still get snow. re: parking - if you are local you might find a place over on Mendon Road, from which you can enter the park via the fire road (47CF+628).

Had been wanting to check this out all summer, but being a bit of a cheapo, I didn't want to pay…read morethe $20 non-resident parking fee. Now that its off-season and parking is free I checked it out. Wasn't disappointed. Some nice views, and a challenging, but not overwhelming hike. Will definitely have to come back sometime.

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Purgatory Chasm State Reservation
Purgatory Chasm State Reservation
Purgatory Chasm State Reservation

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Whitney and Thayer Woods - Yes, wetlands are here but none of the trail was muddy! Saw this big frog along the way.

Whitney and Thayer Woods

4.8(6 reviews)
8.4 mi

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.

Photos
Whitney and Thayer Woods - Bigelow Boulder

Bigelow Boulder

Whitney and Thayer Woods - Sign that marks the parking lot

Sign that marks the parking lot

Whitney and Thayer Woods - Bigelow Boulder

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Bigelow Boulder

Abigail Adams State Park - One of the little picnic areas. Great view.

Abigail Adams State Park

4.3(3 reviews)
5.9 mi

This park is THE #1 place to play Community Day in Pokemon Go for most players. There's been…read moremultiple articles written about it for a years now. The spawn rates for Pokemon are very high, lots of PokeStops, and some PokeGymes. You could also play other AR games like Ingress & Harry Potter Wizards Unite. If you are a photographer this is a also a great spot. There's a path, and several benches.

I have passed by this place at least a few dozen times. Each time I only see a small spot for a few…read morecars and didn't bother to go in any further. Today my boyfriend and I decided to go for a walk and since the last time we passed by there were several Pokéstops and lures going on we thought we could make this a nice fun Friday evening adventure as we have been talking about coming here for some time now but just never made it. The turn into the bigger lot is pretty sharp on the right as you're headed north on Bridge St. There are also a few spots right up front but it's usually occupied, and so was today. We went all the way in and had to come back out because there was no place to park, except a couple of handicap spots. There is also a Yacht club on the far right of the park. The park isn't very big but it's very nicely done. The drought however, along with people walking on the grass, has really damaged the greens turning them tan and dried out. We parked in the side and sat and watched the sunset as I played PokémonGo until a spot opened up. We grabbed it and headed to the park for the walk and the play. It was really beautiful seeing so many people out. We walked alongside the bank of the water and it was low tide so saw the bottoms of the land. The houses across the way was nice too. There were a couple of trails you can walk over to just off the "Kibby's Property" sign but since ITT was getting dark we decided not to go in. And at nighfall, a truck came about starting rounding up the people and lead them out of the park because although it's open year round, it closes at dusk and it was beyond dusk at that point. Best park about this small park is that it had at least about 13 Pokéstops and the lures were going on all of them. Had a great time here and will definitely come back again soon!

Photos
Abigail Adams State Park - Sunset view from the park

Sunset view from the park

Abigail Adams State Park - People hanging out playing PokemonGo

People hanging out playing PokemonGo

Abigail Adams State Park - Pokémon Go Community Day

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Pokémon Go Community Day

Spectacle Island - beaches - Updated May 2026

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