Let it Flow

If you’re familiar with the Boston area, then you may have heard about the Blue Hills Reservation located just south of the city. Blue Hills stretches for over 7,000 acres and borders Dedham, Milton, Randolph, Canton and Quincy. With over 100 miles of trails to hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, rock climbing, skiing and cross country swimming and swimming, there is something for everyone, year round, at Blue Hills.

The Trails include easy nature paths (green and yellow loops), moderate terrain (red trails) and more challenging terrain (blue trail). If you travel the entire blue trail from end to end it’s a 9 mile trek.

Blue Hills has several peaks, 22 to be exact, and the the highest at 635 feet is Great Blue Hill. Last week Michael and I hiked the Blue Skyline Trail to the top of Great Blue Hill. We started at the Reservation Headquarters on Hillside St in Milton, right next to the State Police Station. Blue Hills has a very well marked and extensive trail system. You can purchase a map for $2 at Reservation Headquarters or a the Trailside Museum. You will NOT want to hike or bike around Blue Hills without a map!

The Trails
The Blue Hills, as I mentioned has trails for all levels - beginners to advanced including kids. We chose the Blue Skyline Trail, which is rated as Challenging by the park system. For this hike I wore my heavy duty hiking boots and used my hiking poles. The terrain on the blue trails varies. Sometimes it’s a typical wooded trail, and at other, more frequent times we were scrambling up and down rocks. The rock formations varied, as you can see below (That’s me standing at the top of the rock side). I recommend moving slowly over these trails if you are new to them.

You may also find yourself walking over small “rivers”…waterproof shoes recommended (they make splashing through the puddles more fun!)

The heavy duty boots I wore are preferred because they offer a lot more foot and heel support over the unsteady terrain. The poles help by acting as an extension of your hands. You can place them into the ground and use leverage to get you up the hill and use them to get you down. This saves you from scrambling on hands and knees.

You will run into some interesting rock formations on the trails here as well. Although the picture below doesn’t showcase what we saw, these rocks look like they parted specifically so the trail could go between them. That’s me and to the right you can see a skinny tree with a blue dot on it. The blue dot is your trail marker. You’ll want to follow those always, and you’ll find them on the trees or painted on the rocks. You need to look up and down as you walk!

Once at the top, the views truly are beautiful. Unexpected for such a short summit! You can see Boston, Houghton’s Pond, Ponkapoag Pond and more.

There is also this great stone tower you can walk up to get the great views of the city and the ponds. Blue Hills has an interesting history.

Walk a little further around the top and you come to the Weather Observatory. When you hear the weather man/woman say “The winds at Blue Hills…” this is the spot they are talking about!

A Little History About the Weather Tower
The Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory was founded by Abbott Lawrence Rotch on February 1, 1885, as a weather station and research facility. Rotch chose the site because the elevation of 635 feet was the highest point within ten miles of the Atlantic Ocean, anywhere on the East Coast south of central Maine. This location afforded early weather scientists a unique opportunity for recording extremes of weather and experimenting with weather-recording instruments.

General Overview Blue Hills
Blue Hills is a gem located in a bustling part of the state. Once you enter the reservation you forget how close you are to Boston. All you can hear are the sounds of birds, the green of the trees and the smell of fresh air. Whether you want a leisurely stroll or a vigorous hike, enjoy biking or cross country skiing in winter, you will find it here. Bring the kids and a picnic for a weekend afternoon of fun and activity. The Trailside Museum located on route 138 in Canton offers educational programs and has an outdoor area that contains a sea otter, deer, hawks and owls. It’s a lot of fun.

The park is open dawn til dusk and is
free of charge. For parties of 25 or more, permits are required to reserve picnic space. In the summer, Houghton’ s Pond is great for swimming.

I’ve been to the park on a variety of occasions and there is still so much to see. I always look forward to a few hours in Blue Hills.

Have you been to Blue Hills? What is your favorite trail?

Tags: Fitness and Exercise, Hiking and Outdoor Activities //