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

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

Hike Type: o-o Loop

Distance: 4.62 miles

Elevation: 1,191 feet

Time: 1 hour, 37 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Great Blue Hill Summits

The Hike 

First hike in a minute! I hadn't been hiking much partially because this just happens in the fall with my schedule, but also because any time that I would hike during the week I've been going on dates - which I guess is a net positive, but I'm tired! This day was also Rosh Hashanah - I was supposed to hike Mt. Monadnock with a coworker, but she bailed (I wasn't surprised). Plus, it was raining up in New Hampshire. I ended up sleeping in and going for the Skyline lap. Sarah also texted me about doing a single day Pemi Loop? Is she crazy? (yes, she is, and now I can't stop thinking about it). It was a breezy 65 degrees! I had to pee at the parking lot already but there was a big group forming, so I blasted off. 

The smell of the woods brought me back to life right away - I missed it. I climbed up Eliot Path and crossed the road - I noticed some new graffiti in the little hollow before the road. It felt like a summer morning as I continued up to the summit of Great Blue Hills. There were trucks at the gravel path getting ready to do something with one of the communication towers. I continued up and over Wolcott Hill, where there was a wonderful breeze in Downtown Crossing. More wonderful breezes were to be felt on Hancock, and then I saw three horses at the stables on Hillside Street! They were in seperate enclosures as folks worked on the stables.

I was again humbled by Houghton, but also less humbled than usual. It was a little buggy between the two streams, and I passed the large group of parking lot people at the sharp turn just before the headwall push. I was fighting for air, but not totally gassed at that last climb, and had to lengthen my hike slightly due to the gravel path being closed for the communication tower work. I hit the top and descended via the ski trails - I am so excited for ski season.

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.

- Hike around observatory building clockwise.

- Follow gravel path to Skyline Trail.

- At terminus, turn left onto Skyline Trail.

- 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 Eliot Circle, turn left.

- At gravel path (same as before), 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 parking lot.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album