F. Gilbert Hills State Forest

Marley and I had a really nice, laid-back walk here one afternoon.  We met some mountain bikers who were very nice, and we tried to stay out of their way while we used their paths.

The place was beautiful, and an easy escape from it's urban surroundings.  I found myself marveling at the idea that I was only 2 miles from Patriot Place while I enjoyed the scenery.

The park was extremely well marked.  There was never any question in my mind as to where I was when I looked at the map.

More Info:

F. Gilbert Hills State Forest: Mass.gov

Yelp: F. Gilbert Hills State Forest

Wikipedia: F. Gilbert Hills State Forest

 Upper Reservoir

Marley scouts for a place to jump in

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Pachaug Trail

Connecticut Walk Book East, 19th Edition

Pachaug Trail: Beach Pond Route 165 (RI) Parking Area to Beach Pond Boat Launch (CT)

I did this from North to South, starting at the Beach Pond Boat Launch, which offers some really pretty views of the pond.  I lost the trail when it veered away from the pond because I was so enamored with the view.

Somewhere between a mile or a mile and a half in to the walk there are some precipices that got my adrenaline going... I tried not to look down.  On the way back, I lost the trail right around this same area, which was a little nerve-wracking as I had walked a long way at this point and knew that I was near the end.

I ended up walking approximately 7.5 miles, all said and done.  It took me about 4 hours.

There was some really lovely scenery and some surprising challenges.  I found this walk to be a good workout, and a great escape.  There were many streams to cross, several of which required some rock-hopping.  The dog, of course, loved these opportunities to cool off and grab a drink.

More Info:

Blue-Blazed Hiking Trails, Connecticut Forest & Park Association

Wikipedia: Blue-Blazed Trails

 Marley on the move

 Beach Pond

Mailbox in the woods!

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Ponkapoag Pond

I've been here a few times and I love this place.  Great trail that goes around the pond.  Tons of trails to explore, beautiful views, and a fantastic swimming hole for Marley.  The part of trail that borders the golf course is a bit strange.

More info:

Mass.gov Blue Hills Reservation

Yelp: Ponkapoag trails

Friends of the Blue Hills

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Cutler State Park

Marley enjoyed an abundance of swimming holes here today- a perk to this park which was lost on me on my first visit.  I should also note that the highway seems alarmingly close when you're on the West side of the pond.

Borderland State Park

I took a second trip to Borderland State Park and had a great time swimming with the dog.  Didn't see as much of the woods as the first time, but saw some great water views that I missed entirely the first time.

Wompatuck State Park

I need to go back to this place and visit the abandoned bomb plant, which I didn't realize was there until I got home and saw it on the internet.  I did see some great graffiti and train tracks in the woods.  The trails were nice but very poorly marked.  I found them disorienting and I got pretty lost for a little while.

Train tracks in the woods. 

 Graffiti - I gather from Google Image that the abandoned bomb plant is a gallery.

Marley finds a watering hole.  We had hoped to go swimming, but I got lost due to poor trail marking.

More Info:

Wikipedia Wompatuck State Park  

Wikipedia Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot Annex

Friends of Wompatuck

Mass DCR: Wompatuck State Park

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Millennium Park- West Roxbury, MA

 I have visited this park on a couple of different occasions, and I really like it. It has three different paved walking loops, measuring .5 miles, 1.1 miles, and 1.4 miles, so you can mix and match and create a longer walk. The park also has a playground, athletic fields, picnic facilities, a canoe launch, and bonus: restrooms.

Photo of park map

 My favorite aspect of this park is the ease at which you can leave it.  The Blue Heron hiking trail goes right through Millennium Park, so you can walk North up to Cutler Park and Nahanton Park. In addition, there is a trail leading to Brook Farm, and at the West end of Millennium Park is a short nature trail with some lovely views of the river and some interesting old stone carvings left behind from when the area must have been developed.

Old carved stone in the woods.

I thought at first that the hill that this park in built upon seemed unnatural, as as it turns out, it's built on an old landfill. From atop the former rubbish dump, there are some great views of the surrounding Blue Hills and Newton's Hills, as well as a glimpse of downtown Boston. It does get awfully windy there, though, so it seems like a good place to avoid on days when wind chill is a factor.

Dog walkers love this park. They are supposed to keep their pets leashed, but that rule seems to be widely ignored.

More Info:

Newton Conservators: Millennium Park

Millennium Park Yelp Review

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