Okay so you’re not going to get around the threat of ticks because the buggers are everywhere (not just tall grass). I usually just wear like a tight full body outfit when I go hiking and that’s been pretty effective at keeping ticks off of me. Like I’ll do running tights with crew socks and thing a tight-ish 3/4 sleeve top. You also probably want to pick up a mirror, some tweezers, and scotch tape to tick check yourself afterwards (if you get a tick, you can squish it between the tape and bring it to the doctor if you get sick). That being said, the biggest risk factor for ticks is hands down having a dog. Like I rarely got ticks before I got my dog and now it’s like non stop tick city in my house. So as long as you’re not bringing a dog or walking in the woods naked, the ticks should be manageable.

The Lincoln Woods State Park and George Washington State Park both have some pretty nice, relaxed, beginner friendly trails. I’m also a big fan of Duval in Wakefield. You can also do some more “rock climbing” oriented hiking at beaver tail and fort wetherill, though these aren’t really “trails” as much as they are playing on rocks. Hands down my absolute favorite hiking trail is Long Pond in Hopkinton but that’s definitely a little bit more advanced (though totally worth adding to a future list).