60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Boston. Lafe Low
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here has something special to offer. Whether you live right in the thick of Boston or in the burbs, you won’t have to drive far. Here’s what the geographic sections encompass.
WITHIN BOSTON
These hikes are, as the name implies, near downtown Boston. You can also reach these riding the T, which makes accessing them even easier.
SEASIDE HIKES
There are many hikes along the circuitous coastline of Massachusetts. These hikes are all located on the shore of the mainland or even along the shores of some of the islands just off the coast.
NORTH OF BOSTON
These hikes are to the north and east of Boston, including several as far up as Cape Ann and even one just over the border in New Hampshire.
SOUTH OF BOSTON
This area includes the South Shore and many hikes near the coast of Buzzards Bay.
WEST OF BOSTON
This section features some of the more remote-feeling hikes, even though they are still well within easy driving distance. The area west of Boston is the most widespread and includes many hikes just within or outside the course of I-495.
Each of these areas includes many hikes that are fairly easy, or that could be shortened to make them even easier, so they’re great for families with young kids. You’ll also find hikes that are a bit more moderate and will get your legs moving. Most of these treks can be made even longer or shorter depending on your preference. While each follows a prescribed path, equip yourself with a map and feel free to explore on your own. Most of these hikes happen within a network of trails that intersect and overlap and beg for further exploration.
How to Use This Guidebook
OVERVIEW MAP AND LEGEND
Use the overview map to assess the exact locations of each hike’s primary trailhead. Each hike’s number appears on the overview map and in the table of contents. As you flip through the book, a hike’s full profile is easy to locate by watching for the hike number at the top of each page. The book is organized by region, as indicated in the table of contents. A map legend that details the symbols found on the trail maps appears.
REGIONAL MAPS
The book is divided into regions, and prefacing each regional section is a regional map. These provide more detail than the overview map, bringing you closer to the hikes.
TRAIL MAPS
A detailed map of each hike’s route appears with its profile. On each of these maps, symbols indicate the trailhead, the complete route, significant features, facilities, and topographic landmarks such as creeks, overlooks, and peaks.
To produce the highly accurate maps in this book, the author used a handheld GPS unit to gather data while hiking each route, and then sent that data to the publisher’s expert cartographers. However, your GPS is not a substitute for sound, sensible navigation that takes into account the conditions you observe while hiking.
Further, despite the high quality of the maps in this guidebook, the publisher and author strongly recommend you always carry an additional map, such as the ones noted in each entry’s listing for “Maps.”
ELEVATION PROFILES
For trails with significant elevation changes, the hike description will include this profile graph. Entries for fairly flat routes will not display an elevation profile.
For hike descriptions where the elevation profile is included, this diagram represents the rises and falls of the trail as viewed from the side, over the complete distance (in miles) of that trail. On the diagram’s vertical axis, or height scale, the number of feet indicated between each tick mark lets you visualize the climb. To avoid making flat hikes look steep and steep hikes appear flat, varying height scales provide an accurate image of each hike’s climbing challenge. For example, one hike’s scale might rise to more than 1,000 feet, such as Mount Wachusett, while another follows relatively flat riverbanks.
THE HIKE PROFILE
Each profile contains a brief overview of the trail, a description of the route from start to finish, key at-a-glance information (such as the trail’s distance and configuration and contacts for local information), GPS trailhead coordinates, and directions for driving to the trailhead area. Each profile also includes a map (see “Trail Maps”) and elevation profile (if the elevation gain is 100 feet or more). Many hike profiles also include notes on nearby activities.
Key Information
The information in this box gives you a quick idea of the statistics and specifics of each hike.
DISTANCE & CONFIGURATION Distance notes the length of the hike round-trip, from start to finish. If the hike description includes options to shorten or extend the hike, those round-trip distances will also be noted here. Configuration defines the trail as a loop, an out-and-back (taking you in and out via the same route), a figure eight, or a point-to-point.
DIFFICULTY The degree of effort that a typical hiker should expect on a given route. For simplicity, the trails are rated as easy, moderate, or strenuous.
SCENERY A short summary of the attractions offered by the hike and what to expect in terms of plant life, wildlife, natural wonders, and historical features.
EXPOSURE A quick check of how much sun you can expect on your shoulders during the hike.
TRAFFIC Indicates how busy the trail might be on an average day. Trail traffic, of course, varies from day to day and season to season. Weekend days typically see the most visitors. Other trail users that may be encountered on the trail are also noted here.
TRAIL SURFACE Indicates whether the trail surface is paved, rocky, gravel, dirt, boardwalk, or a mixture of elements.
HIKING TIME How long it takes to hike the trail. A slow but steady hiker will average 2–3 miles an hour, depending on the terrain.
DRIVING DISTANCE Listed in miles from Boston Common. Even if you don’t start there, the mileages should give you an estimate of travel times from where you live.
ELEVATION Lists elevation at the trailhead and another figure for the highest or lowest altitude on the route. If there is no significant gain, that is also noted.
SEASON Names the best time of year for doing the hike, in the authors’ opinions.
ACCESS Fees or permits required to hike the trail are detailed here—and noted if there are none. Trail-access hours are also shown here.
MAPS Resources for maps, in addition to those in this guidebook, are listed here. (As previously noted, the publisher and author recommend that you carry more than one map—and that you consult those maps before heading out on the trail, to resolve any confusion or discrepancy.)
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS At-a-glance, you’ll see if there are paved sections or other areas for safely using a wheelchair.
FACILITIES This item alerts you to restrooms, water, picnic tables, and other basics at or near the trailhead.
CONTACT Listed here are phone numbers and website addresses for checking trail conditions and gleaning other day-to-day information.
LOCATION The city (or nearby community) in which the trail is located.
COMMENTS Here you will find assorted nuggets of information, such as whether or not dogs are allowed on the trails.
In Brief
Think of this section as a taste of the trail, a snapshot focused on the historical landmarks, beautiful vistas, and other sights you may encounter on the hike.
Description
The heart of each hike. Here the author provides a summary of the trail’s essence and highlights