Submitted by Ok_Entrepreneur_dbl t3_z59j06 in massachusetts
We have been been to beaches from Gloucester to Provincetown then along the Southern Cape Shores all the way to Mystic, CT. We have been hiking all over Blue Hills, Worlds End, Weir River Estuary, other estuaries around Weymouth, many of the state parks in southern MA and also have been to Purgatory Chasm State Park, where are some cool spot to hike that I may have missed in eastern MA?
We will drive to the Bershires and we have driven to Maine. We used to live in NH so have done a lot of hiking up there. Mystic was part of a coastal tour that we did. We will day trip up to three ours out if we think it is worth the trip. We plan on doing Mount Greylocke have been to Bash Bish. Quabbin is on our radar. I was just trying of find some quick hits in Eastern MA
You might like Mt. Wachusett. Views are spectacular.
Gotcha! I was just being cheeky. You could try Mt Watatic, that's about as far east as I'm familiar with lol
Looks interesting!
Crow hill in Leominster state forest is a good one too.
For northern hikes, Mount Major and Mount Monadnock in NH are very good, and less than 2 hours from Boston
We used to live in Concord NH and have done those - both are great trails. Blue Job Mountain is also pretty cool.
Wachusett!
Freetown State forest is almost primitive, is large and has some cool ruins. Myles Standish is more popular and maintained.
Thanks I will look those up!
Almost forgot about Blue Hills Reservation in Canton. Real nice green area removed from the surrounding metro area. Home to the oldest weather station in the US, is still used as the standard for barometric pressure
You might check out the Midstate Trail.
It begins in Burrillville, RI, and ends a bit south of Jaffery, NH. When my kids were in Scouts, we hiked parts of it.
Check out the Bay Circuit Trail which links multiple other trail systems into a larger trail. Follows and sits between the 495 belt and the 95/128 belt. Not 100% complete, but reasonably far along.
Which sections are the best? Have not done that. We have done much of the harbor trail though.
I've mostly done the North Shore sections. The area from Boxford to Andover (section 3) is a pleasant route and goes through multiple parks with a lot of exploring potential. Harold Parker State Forest especially.
It’s not in Eastern MA but Purgatory chasm in Sutton is really nice.
We have been there which I mention in my OP. Thanks!
If you’re willing to travel out to P-Town and southern CT, then travel to the western part of the state. Wachusett is an awesome hike right in the north central MA along Rt 2.
The CT River Valley has a multitude of options from simple Sugarloaf and Mt Holyoke (Skinner Park), and larger hikes along Mt Toby, and the Mt Tom and Holyoke range hikes.
The western hill towns and Berkshires have even more including Glendale Falls and the Arches, Chesterfield Gorge, Chapel Ledge in the hills and Bishbash Falls, Monument Mountain, and Mt Greylock in Berkshire County. Eastern Mass has the ocean, drive west for the hikes. It’s a lot closer than you think, and we keep the dragons inside during the daytime.
These are definitely on our radar!
Have you checked out the Corps of Engineers properties?
Have you checked out the Trustees of Reservations properties??
We have the Trustees membership so we do many of those. Membership is worth it!
Cape cod canal
That is a good one - we have walked various sections of the canal on both sides and the section at the marina where you can walk the sea wall.
I love it there! I’m not sure if you’re into fishing but if you are I highly recommend high or especially low tide a couple days before. Up to, and after the new and full moons from June-October.
Massachusetts is named for the park that is now Blue Hills! There's tons of trails with a variety of difficulties, great views of Boston from the tops of Big Blue, Buck Hill, Chickatawbut overlook, and the Quincy Quarries. I'd say the two most iconic hikes here are the red trail up to Elliot tower and the short path around the Quarries trail. If you like difficult hikes, anywhere on the skyline trail is fun.
Love quarry hills area! We have hiked all over that area. Skyline trail has great vies of Boston as well as Granite Links, We never realized how many views of Boston there were along the south shores. The Blue Hills are offers many cool areas that we love.
Provincetown - Racepoint ORV connects to the snail trail. You can stage a car at the racepoint parking lot and one at the snail trail entrance so you don’t have to double back, if you want. You’ll have to cut onto the beach for a little bit but hiking in the dunes is lovely
Awesome will make it a point to check these out!
Middlesex Fells in Stoneham and Noon Hill in Medfield
Venture up to the White Mountains; Mt Moosilauke is a good one.
Essex County area has a ton of options:
Horn Pond in Woburn is good for a short hike. It’s nothing fancy though.
NativeMasshole t1_ixuwbhp wrote
Why you willing to go all the way to Mystic, but not leave eastern Mass? You're only missing out in the best hiking in the state: the Quabbin!