Skyline Loop via Trailside Museum (w/ Sonya Trail) (Blue Hills Reservation)

Skyline Loop via Trailside Museum (w/ Sonya Trail) (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Figure-8 Loop

Distance: 4.28 miles

Elevation: 1,175 feet

Time: 1 hours, 43 minutes
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge, Great Blue Hills Summits, Trail Trace the Blue Hills

The Hike

First hike of May! My classic fitness hike that I've been hiking more often recently. I've been relatively uninterested with tracing, which is still okay! I'm enjoying staying in shape and getting ready for the whites to defrost. It was a HOT 78 degrees when I got to the parking lot with cloudy skies. The trees were getting very green, but none with full leaves yet. The air was still and humid, and I was off!

I paralleled a few people hiking up the ski hill and giggled when I saw someone eye my temporary tattoo (that I completely forgot I had) from last weekend's bachelorette party. The bugs were alive, awake, alert, AND enthusiastic, but thankfully not biting. We're getting dangerously close to bug spray season, which is a SOLID bummer, but comes with the territory. The bugs loved my ears, in particular.

I made my way up to the top of Great Blue Hill which had a delightful breeze, which may or may not have saved my life. I even got to celebrate by accidentally eating my first bug of the season! I continued along the Skyline Trail sweating rather profusely and eventually made my way to Times Square (which I think I'm going to rename "Downtown Crossing" because #Boston), where I passed a group of at least a dozen adults speaking some unidentifiable language - I was happy to get past them before they continued on the Skyline Trail.

The blueberry bushes all along the Skyline Trail were starting to flower, especially on Hancock Hill, and I had the pleasure of passing a couple that was NOT having a great time - the conversation went as follows:

    "I thought the Blue Hills would be fine..."

    "Yyyyyyep."

    "I'm not sure why I do this recreational stuff... does that make sense?"

    "Mhmm."

The unidentified flowery bush coming down Hancock was in full bloom with MANY bugs enjoying it's flowers, and the lesser periwinkle at the base of Skyline South were still going strong. The climb up Houghton was more brutal than usual on this day, but I did get to walk past a guy who looked as brutal as I do listening (without headphones) to a podcast about getting a six-pack. 

The final push up to Great Blue Hill was even more extra brutal than the climb up Houghton - I think it was part because of the heat/humidity, part that I had my bigger pack on, and part that I was inadvertendly going faster than usual. I summitted and continued on, deciding to descend via the ski hill.

There were a good amount of people atop Big Blue, with one woman allowing her unleashed dog to simply follow me barking while she watched - leash your dogs. The walk down Patriots and Sonya were actually lovely and I will absolutely do it again while the grass is still short - lovely views and a gentle breeze tha tbrought be back to life. I turned back into the woods and soon enough was back at the car on my way to COSTCO!!!

Step-By-Step

- Start hike from Trailside Museum parking on Eliot Path (red dots).

- At terminus, turn right onto Eliot Circle. 

- At next jct., turn left onto Summit Road.

- At next jct., turn right onto spur trail to Summit.

- Descend summit towards Skyline Trail South.

- Turn left onto Skyline Trail, and then right onto Skyline Trail South.

- Follow Skyline Trail South to Hillside St.

- At Hillside St., turn left onto Hillside St.

- After stables, turn left onto Skyline Trail North.

- Follow Skyline Trail North to Eliot Tower.

- At Eliot Tower, turn left onto Eliot Circle.

- At second jct., turn right to summit Great Blue Hill.

- From summit, follow spur trail northwest to top of ski area. 

- Follow ski trails on left to Patriot's Path and then Sonya.

- At bottom of Sonya, cut back into woods and return to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album