Skyline Loop via Trailside Museum (w/ Sonya)

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

Hike Type: Lollipop Loop

Distance: 4.23 miles

Elevation: 1,178 feet

Time: 1 hours, 36 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Great Blue Hill Summits

The Hike 

Back to school after Memorial Day Weekend and I had a HORRIBLE drive down to the Blue Hills (took over an hour and 10 minutes, which is ridiculous). There were many cars at the trailhead, but I was determined to persevere! It was a hot, but not opressive 83 degrees out with some bugs flying about, but I got right to work!

I was moving slower than usual but still at a good pace up Eliot Path. It was hazy overhead with some clouds, and I was blessed with catching a shiny Zigzagoon on Pokemon Go once at Eliot Circle! I summited Great Blue Hill and began my descent, where I passed a vibrant, massive Blue Jay. I wiggled through an unnaturally large amount of people in Wildcat Notch and climbed up Wolcott, which had a pretty juxtaposition of burned understory and new growth at the summit.

In the col, I sadly did not see the owl from a couple weeks ago, but I did see some harlequin flowers up on Hancock Hill! The blueberry bushes are starting to bloom, too. I descended to the sounds of many tweets and chirps and noticed a chunk of rock broke off at the bottom slab of the Hancock descent - I wonder if weather or human casued?

Hillside Street was wonderfully breezy but dreadfully stinky - a weird combination of swamp, horse, and cars. The flowers of the lesser periwinkle at the base of Skyline South were all gone, and the lower stretch of this climb was surprisingly muddy. I had added another water bottle to my pack just for some extra weight and my legs definitely were feeling it on the Houghton Climb, but I was greeted with another wonderful breeze once at the top.

I zoned out for a while until I was back on the summit of Great Blue Hill, where I descended the much narrower ski area spur path. The Summit-to-Circle stretch was pretty grown in but the Circle-to-Ski was still in good condition. I passed a brown bird with a red head and a pointed beak at the Patriots headwall (might have been a male Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker, but I'm not 100%). 

I was blessed with one more wonderful breeze once on Sonya, which had taller grass than last time, but was still manageable without getting any ticks. Overall, a nice afternoon! Now off to Costco for my weekly chicken!

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 North.

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

- After stables, turn right onto Skyline Trail South.

- Follow Skyline Trail South to Eliot Circle.

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

- From summit, descend to ski area.

- Follow Patriots and Sonya down.

- Near bottom turn on Sonya, turn right back onto Eliot Path.

- Retrace steps to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album