Five Corners, Raccoon Hollow, Skyline, Wildcat Notch (Blue Hills Reservation)

Five Corners, Raccoon Hollow, Skyline, Wildcat Notch (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Spaghetti Loop
Distance: 3.7 miles
Elevation: 715 feet
Time: 1 hour, 32 minutes
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge; Blue Hills 125-Mile Challenge

The Hike

 Second post-COVID hike and already starting to feel better! Planned to take it easy and simple today but when I realized how close I was to other trails that I needed, I created a whole mess of a hike, but enjoyed it! Started at the designated parking spot on the map just west of the stop sign on Blue Hill River Road and got started on the Five Corners Path. I did a bunch of wiggling in this section, focusing on the Half Way Path and the paths between Raccoon Hollow and Five Corners, which were clearly seldom hiked and overgrown. 

After my wiggling I was able to keep it simple and took the green-dot trail to the red-dot trail (the easy way up big blue) to enjoy a mostly-empty summit area. I usually skip the Eliot Tower since it's usually crowded, but nobody was up! To my surprise, enjoyment, and dismay I saw smoke from one of the wildfires that burned in the past few weeks. It was definitely cool but also uneasy. The spring leaves were starting to reach their final form of "summer green," and the weather was absolutely lovely. 

I kept it simple coming down by following Skyline South and then Wildcat Notch, did a few of the side trails/triangles, and made it back to the car! My biggest thought during this hike was "the bugs are back" - sung to the tune of "The Boys Are Back" from the hit movie "High School Musical 3." Starting to near the end of my 125-Mile club journey (even though I'm close to 200 miles total). 

Step-By-Step

• Park at pull-off lot on Blue Hill River Road, East of Brookwood Farm near Carisbrooke Road.
• Three trails leave this parking lot, use the middle one located on the west side.
• Ascend to first junction, hike back down to the parking lot and retrace steps back up.
• Hike to 1110 and turn left onto Half Way Path.
• At 1093, turn around and hike Half Way Path through 1110, through Raccoon Hollow Path, and stop at 1143.
• At 1143, turn right onto Houghton Path.
• At next junction, turn right onto unnamed path.
• At junction with Raccoon Hollow Path, continue straight on unnamed path.
• At next junction, hike on overgrown path towards road, return.
• Back at the junction, continue straight on unnamed path up the hill, which returns to the first intersection of this hike. with Five Corners Path.
• At Five Corners Path, hike towards 1110.
• At the junction with Skyline Trail, continue straight.
• At 1120, turn left onto Raccoon Hollow Path. 
• At 1092, Veer left onto unmarked Raccoon Hollow Path (not green, not blue - no markings).
• At 1082, continue up hill on red-dot Raccoon Hollow Path towards the summit of Great Blue Hill.
• Hike Towards 1066 and turn onto Skyline Trail South.
• At 1083, continue on Skyline Trail South.
• When the Skyline Trail has a sharp turn, continue down the hill, away from the Skyline Trail, along the Wildcat Notch Path. 
• At 1093, continue straight on Wildcat Notch Path.
• At 1086, turn right on to Accord Path.
• At 1081, turn right onto Halfway Path.
• At 1093, turn right back onto Wildcat Notch Path.
• At final junction, hike to the terminus of Wildcat Notch Path away from the parking area.
• Turn around, and hike back to the parking area.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

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