Milton, Mass – Less than 10 miles south of Boston, Blue Hills Reservation is a 7000-acre state park with myriad opportunities for hiking, biking, swimming, and even skiing. The state park offers 125 miles of hiking trails (of which, the twins and I had hiked zero). Best of all, it’s a 30-minute drive from our house. Hiking at Blue Hills Reservation was an obvious choice for a pandemic field trip. As a bonus, Daddio decided to join us on this gorgeous spring day.
As on our previous outing, I may have been overambitious when I chose to hike the Skyline Loop, a three-mile trail that includes the summit of the Great Blue Hill, the highest point in the reservation. The twins agreed that we don’t mind a challenging climb if there is an expansive vista at the end of it. I have to admit, however, that a three-mile loop feels a lot longer when there are multiple hills to ascend and descend along the way (yes, multiple). The Great Blue Hill does not disappoint, though, offering an impressive view of the Boston skyline from the observation tower.
The Blue Hills trails definitely see more traffic than those at Harold Parker State Forest. But I certainly wouldn’t call it crowded on this sunny April Friday. We passed a few other hikers on the way. The summit was empty when we arrived, but a few small groups trickled in while we were there; so we did have to be conscientious about keeping our distance.
The trails are pretty well marked, but that didn’t stop us from losing our way once or twice. Download a trail map before you go!
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