Tucker Hill, Old 128, Buck Hill Path (Blue Hills Reservation)

Tucker Hill, Old 128, Buck Hill Path (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Loop

Distance: 5.69 miles

Elevation: 1335 feet

Time: 2 hours, 8 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Blue Hills Winter Trace; Blue Hills Grid

The Hike

First hike of the spring! I had an ambitious plan for the day, resulting in a final sunset for my Sunset Six Challenge, but my brain and the sky had different plans - regardless, I parked at the Buck Hill Path trailhead and got right to it! My hike started along the Headquarters and then Quincy Path, which were comically soaked with spring runoff. I could not have been more grateful for the NEMBA bridge to save the day! There were moments where I was sure I was going to be walking out of the woods with soaked feet. I made my way to the Athol Path, which like always was steep but lovely. Lots of blowdowns in the upper area, some over the trail, and most in the woods. Curious why - weather, disease, fire, something else? This is where I also had to shed my sweatshirt - first t-shirt and shorts hike of 2023!

After crossing Tucker Hill and trying to figure out which rock was the highet point, the rest of Athol Path was steep and looks seldom used. I then meandered over the Dover Trail, which is thin but lovely, and eventually made my way down the Ayer Trail to the Dark Hollow Path where I heard my FAVORITE sound - frogs! It's officially frog season! Specifically, peepers! I love that sound, truly the beginning of spring. 

The next part of my hike was around Old 128, which is when a bunch of clouds rolled in. I went back and forth deciding if I wanted to keep to my original plan or not. I kept moving as planned and felt my pack feel heavier and heavier, the bugs were waking up, and I really just wasn't in it to win it, so I decided to listen to my body and cut it short, and that is okay! (I had to remind myself of that numerous times. After some more aimless meandering I made my way back to the Buck Hill Path, waved to Buck Hill, and worked my way back to the car. It's okay to not be in the right headspace some days, I reminded myself. And now that means I have another reason to visit Buck again!

Step-By-Step

- Start hike at Buck Hill Path trailhead.

- At 2164, turn right onto Headquarters Path.

- At 2153, turn right to continue on Headquarters Path.

- Where Headquarters Path crosses the road, continue left onto Quincy Path.

- At 2112, walk to road and then follow white-triangles along road.

- Veer left into woods back along Headquarters Path.

- Take third left onto Athol Path.

- At terminus, turn right onto Dover Trail.

- At 2071, turn right onto Tucker Hill Path

- At 2072, turn sharply right onto Ayer Trail.

- At 2094, turn slightly right onto Dark Hollow Path.

- At 2096, continue left onto Bugbee Path.

- At 2129, turn right onto Doe Hollow Path.

- At next junction, turn right onto Bolton Foot Path.

- At terminus, turn left onto Angle Path.

- At 2100, turn left onto Old Route 128.

- At 2123, turn left onto unnamed trail.

- At next junction, veer left onto Beech Hollow Path.

- At 2132, turn around.

- At next junction, veer left to continue on Beech Hollow Path.

- At 2146, turn left onto Oblique Path.

- At 2150, turn right twice onto Old Route 128.

- At 2123, turn around.

- At 2150, turn left onto Oblique Path.

- At 2163, turn right onto Sullivan Trail.

- At 2176, turn left onto Pipe Line.

- At 2189, turn left onto Bouncing Brook Path.

- Near MA-28, continue left onto Forest Path.

- At second junction, turn sharply left onto Buck Hill Trail.

- At 2183, turn right onto Buck Hill Path, follow to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album