Old 128, Bugbee Path, and Nearby Trails (Blue Hills Reservation)

Old 128, Bugbee Path, and Nearby Trails (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Tracing Loop

Distance: 4.35 miles

Elevation: 230 feet

Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Blue Hills Winter Trace (2x), 52 Hike Challenge 2026

The Hike 

My first after-school Blue Hills of 2026! I could have started coming down about a week ago, but life gets in the way sometimes. It was cloudy, windy, and a warm-feeling 40 degrees. I didn't have much of a plan besides wanting to get up Buck Hill and hit some needed trails for my second winter map. I had no idea what to expect with trail conditions becuase it finally warmed up the past few days, slightly melting/consolidating the snowpack, and then it froze and snowed again last night. I DID have my new gaiters, though!

I got started going around Houghton's Pond, which had an unfortunate amount of animal poop in the snowbanks (mostly dog, but one coyote, I think!). I realized a few minutes in that I had left my Kahtoolas in the car, but I did have my Hillsounds in my pack (I didn't anticipate needing either of them - I figured it would be a bareboot or snowshoe day). I threw the snowshoes on once at the east side of Houghton's Pond since the wet snow was collapsing under my feet, and it... helped? I think? I also realized that I either put the gaiters on wrong or they didn't fit my giant feet, so I took them off (the heel rode up). 

I hit the network of trails on the east side of Houghton's Pond and lamented in the slight misery that was the snow conditions. I eventually tried the gaiters again once on the Andover Path, and turns out I had them on backwards and upside down the first time, oops... They were great for the rest of the hike! There were a wild amount of snow fleas on Andover and my fleece came off near the terminus. I accepted the fact that I likely wouldn't make it to Buck Hill, and that was okay!

I made my way onto Burnt Hill Path (thinking it was the Andover Path, oops!), which had big tire tracks. I wonder if they were for grooming the wider trails? I know in the distant past (>5 years) some trails would be groomed for cross country skiing? It wasn't clear, but it was nice to be on a firmer surface (still miserable, though).

The sun began poking through the clouds which made the treetops just beautiful. I fully accepted that I would not make it to Buck Hill, but any lucky souls that would would have a wonderful sunset. The tire tracks disappeared for the Bolton Foot Path, but reappeared once on the Doe Hollow Path, where I saw my first and only person, too!

I had initially thought about taking Fells or Fern Spring to Pig Rock Path, but all of them were fully unbroken, and I was way too far from the car to tackle trail breaking - I was already worrying about needing a flashlight. The sunset was at 5:12pm and I was just about at the Pipe Line at 5:00pm - we'll see! There were some fresh cross-country ski tracks on the Pipe Line and the sky was absolutely stunning with cotton-candy pinks on a pastel blue. From the top of the Pipe Line back to the car, it was cold and windy, but I was too stubborn to put my fleece back on so I just power hiked the best I could.

It was DARK by the time I was back at Houghton Pond, but thankfully the snow refracted just enough light to make it back to the car without needing a light source. The spur to the parking lot was barely broken out, which was annoying but totally fine, and I was back at 5:38pm! Truly if I was five minutes slower I would have needed a light - glad I made it!

Step-by-Step

- Park at Houghton's Pond parking lot #1.

- Start hike around visitor center, following green/red blazes.

- At east side of pond, hike network of paths around there, and then hike network of trails directly north of Old 128 and east of Houghton Pond.

- At terminus, continue right onto Andover Path.

- At terminus, turn right onto Burnt Hill Path.

- At 2085, turn left onto Old Route 128.

- At 2100, turn left onto Angle Path.

- At 2092, turn around.

- At jct., turn left onto Bolton Foot Path.

- At terminus, turn left onto Doe Hollow Path.

- At 2129, turn right onto Bugbee  Path.

- At 2190, turn right onto Forest Path.

- At 2190, turn right onto Pipe Line.

- At terminus, turn right onto Old Route 128.

- At terminus, turn right onto path on the east side of Houghton's Pond.

- Follow paths to parking lot spur to parking lot.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

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