Houghton's Pond, Old 128, Pipe Line (Blue Hills Reservation)

Houghton's Pond, Old 128, Pipe Line (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Tracing Loop

Distance: 5.80 miles

Elevation: 266 feet

Time: 1 hour, 54 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Trail Trace the Blue Hills

The Hike 

My first after-school Blue Hills hike in a WHILE! The first half of my drive was quite pleasant and the back half was BAD. A van tried to run me off the road in standstill traffic bad. Thankfully, eventually I made it to the Houghton's Pond parking area and got ready for my adventure. It was a cloudy day, 60 degrees with a breeze at the pond. There were a LOT of people out and about - walking, fishing (literally IN the pond), playing in the playground, etc. And then there was me! Full pack "hiking" around. I needed the series of trails around the Nursey Trail and then also the far end of 128, so I'd see what I'd accomplish!

I started with the trails over by Nursery Trail, which were underwhelming and totally fine. I then worked my way back to the parking lot to get the parking lot spur and the Headquarters Path towards the Skyline Trail. Happy to get these trails out of the way, I did get blessed with some Peepers peeping along Hillside Street, alongside just a touch of shining sun.

I turned onto Bugbee/Skyline and then turned again onto Paddock, first hiking the paved portion and then the trail portion before going toward Andover Path, which was surprisingly dry and had a new-ish looking bridge (it could be year old in fairness, I'm rarely over there). I spent a lot of this time fighting with my pack straps - I just couldn't figure it out today!

Continuing my journey, I planned to wiggle to MA-28 and then come back via Old Roue 128 (literally just so I could play Pokemon Go), but I accidentally took a wrong turn and landed on Old 128 early, which was literally fine. I jumped back in the woods for the lower Oblique Path and then decided I wanted to do Monatiquot Path and Pipe Line the LEAST, so I'd bang them out today since the hike was decently overwhelming anyway. 

I hiked onto Monatiquot Path and took in the sights, smells, and sounds of I-93, eventually turning the corner and going into a deeper, prettier woods. I hit the spur to MA-28 and the rest of Monatiquot to Bugbee before closing the loop on Pipe Line, where there was a deer munching on some grass! To no surprise it ran away once I got too close. 

I zoned out for a while on Old 128 playing Pokemon, which was nice and helped the time go by quickly. Near the end, the flooded area around the Blue Hills River was LOUD with Peepers, which was lovely. Back at Houghton's Pond, I got a photo of Great Blue Hill and the pond, and back at the parking lot, I was horrified to see that the stop sign traffic was still backed up - rude! Anyway, even though it was a lackluster adventure, I was still thrilled to have gotten out.

Step-by-Step

- Park at Houghton's Pond main parking area.

- Hike needed network of trails around the cirlce, and then continue west on Headquaters Path.

- At terminus, turn left twice onto Nursery Trail.

- Follow paths around Houghton's Pond's north side.

- After bathrooms, follow path to parking lot.

- From parking lot, turn right onto Headquarters Path.

- At jct., turn right onto Bugbee Path.

- After 2054, turn right onto Paddock Trail (paved).

- At jct., turn left onto Paddock Trail (footpath).

- Hike network of trails on west side of Houghton's Pond, turn hike west from 2053. 

- At jct., turn right onto Andover Path.

- At terminus, turn left onto Burnt Hill Path.

- At 2092, turn right onto Angle Path.

- At 2100, turn left onto Old Route 128.

- At 2123, turn left onto trail.

- At terminus, turn right onto Beech Hollow Path.

- At 2146, continue left onto Oblique Path.

- At 2150, turn right toward Old Route 128.

- At terminus, turn left onto Old Route 128.

- At terminus, continue onto Monatiquot Path.

- Hike spur to MA-28, then continue on Monatiquot Path.

- At jct., turn right onto Pipe Line, then turn around.

- At jct., turn right onto Monatiquot Path.

- At 2190, turn around.

- At jct., turn right onto Pipe Line.

- At terminus turn right onto Old Route 128.

- At parking area, follow paths back to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album