Houghton's Pond, Bugbee, Fern Spring, Buck Hill Loop (Blue Hills Reservation)

Houghton's Pond, Bugbee, Fern Spring, Buck Hill Loop (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Loop w/ Mini Figure-8 Loop

Distance: 6.37 miles

Elevation: 863 feet

My Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Book Time: 3 hours, 36 minutes

Parking: Seemingly endless parking at Houghton's Pond
Hiking Challenges: Blue Hills Grid, Trail Trace the Blue Hills (2)

The Hike 

Aside from my car being a PROBLEM (I brought it to Parkway Honda yesterday and they told me there was an engine issue and the quote was for $6500 - I RAN out of there), I was slowly getting my life back to normal! I had a nice sleep-in and got to the Houghton Pond area in the late morning. My only goal was to hike to Buck Hill and enjoy the beautiful day! It was 70 degrees out with no clouds and low humidity - I wanted to go to the Whites but my car did not agree. 

I started my hike following the yellow-blazed path around Houghton's Pond counter clockwise. The water was low, there was a cormorant on a buoy, there was a bee pollinating purple flowers, a couple of naughty off-leash dogs, and a wonderful breeze. I loved the tall trees and open forest on the far side of the pond, and then I followed the pavement uphillmand turned into the woods along Andover Path.

It was naturally less windy and more humid in the woods, but it was still lovely. I meandered about along the Andover and Angle paths, and then I started following the white triangles at 2075. There was a step-over blowdown on Bugbee Path, and I later made a side trip to Burnt Hill for my "grid," which was scratchier than usual. 

The stream (I believe called "Beech Run") just before 2132 was fully dried up, and I played some Pokemon Go on the flatter stretches of trail.

I turned onto my beloved Fern Spring Foot Path and actually followed the correct path, not the closed one. The new one is much steeper and brings you right up to the viewpoint - I'm not sure how I missed it last time - maybe they were in the process of rerouting and not yet done? It was SO nice out, I enjoyed the breeze at the viewpoint.

Working my way towards Buck Hill, I noticed the blueberry bushes beginning to turn red (and holding to just a few more berries). The scrub oak on the cap of Buck Hill was living a healthy life, and a few had acorns! It was such a wonderfully clear day - from the top of Buck I could see Monadnock and the whole Wapack Range. 

To mix things up and enjoy the day, I descend via the old Buck Hill Summit Trail, which seems like they stopped trying to block it off? The blueberries were still thriving along this trail, which was growing in, slowly. There was a great view of Hancock Hill from here. The trail widened up once I was back in the woods, and there was comically a pile of bear poop on top of a pile of horse poop. Since I saw that, I naturally was on the lookout for a bear for the rest of the hike. I did not see any, just the root systems of many blowdowns.

I crossed the current Summit Trail and continued to descend the old trail, which was just a straight shot down. There were some more eroded spots further down, but really the trail was in fine shape. Any sticks that were blocking the trail had been cleared - I wonder if they plan to put it back on the next map? 

[UPDATE FROM THE FUTURE: They've released a 2026 Version of the Blue Hills Map! Very few changes, and you'd only notice them if you've hiked all the trails multiple times. They did not add the old Buck Hill Summit Trail. Linked below.]

I followed the new Buck Hill Summit Trail back on up and it was an absolute treat! There were some birch leaves starting to yellow and fall to the grown, and the heavenly breeze reappeared up top - what a wonderful day, and what a wonderful trail! 

Back up top, I planned to follow the Skyline Trail all the way to Tucker Hill, and then I'd do one final trip up Breeze Hill for the grid. I passed a family suffering up Buck as I descended. I passed the graffiti on the boulder on North Boyce (and tagged the high point), and ran into a HUGE black snack crossing the trail as I descended North boyce - at least 4-5 feet!

The swamp between North Boyce and Tucker Hills was bone dry - I didn't even realize I was hiking directly on it! The climb up Tucker Hill humbled me, and I scrambled past two older women, one of which said "oh so you DID hear me moaning?!"

There were two guys in front of me right by the dumpsters before Breeze, I slowed down to let them get ahead, and then I hit Breeze Hill off-trail before following the delightful unmapped footpath back to the Houghton's Pond Area. I passed the stinky dumpsters and enjoyed the breeze some more near the pond. I ended my hike with walk along the boardwalk, and saw a Great Blue Heron!

Step-by-Step

- Park at Houghton's Pond Parking Lot A.

- Start hike past the playground and towards the yellow loop.

- Hike the yellow loop counter-clockwise.

- On the east side of the pond, hike towards 2053. 

- At 2053, continue east.

- At turn, continue straight into woods on Andover Path.

- At 2092, turn left onto Angle Path.

- At 2075, turn right onto Bugbee Path.

- At 2111, turn right onto Burnt Hill Path.

- At height of land, turn left into woods to summit Burnt Hill.

- Return and turn righ tonto Burnt Hill Path.

- At 2111, turn right onto Bugbee Path.

- At 2129, turn right onto Doe Hollow Path.

- At 2132, turn left onto Beech Hollow Path.

- At 2135, turn right onot Bugbee Path.

- At second jct., turn left onto Fern Spring Foot Path.

- At Skyline Trail, turn left then right onto old Buck Hill Summit Trail.

- At terminus, turn left onto Headquarters Path.

- At 2153, turn left onto new(er) Buck Hill Summit Trail.

- At terminus, turn right onto Skyline Trail.

- On the west side of Tucker Hill, turn left onto Tucker Hill Path.

- At 2071, hike towards Breeze Hill, then follow unmapped path.

- At terminus, turn left onto Paddock Trail.

- Continue to follow pavement to the yellow loop.

- At jct., turn right onto the boardwalk.

- At end of boardwalk, return to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map (2026)

Photo Album

Chickatawbut Hill, Bouncing Brook Path, Skyline Trail Loop (Blue Hills Reservation)

Chickatawbut Hill, Bouncing Brook Path, Skyline Trail Loop (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Mostly Lollipop Loop

Distance: 4.54 miles

Elevation: 640 feet

My Time: 1 hour, 39 minutes

Book Time: 2 hour, 35 minutes

Parking: Room for 20-30 cars at Chickatawbut Overlook.
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge 2026, Trail Trace the Blue Hills 2, Blue Hills Grid

The Hike 

I made my way back to the Blue Hills after school, suffering through another afternoon of "unusually heavy traffic." The inspiration for this hike was the Blue Hills Grid that I've been "working" on for years now, plus my second Trail Trace map. I had field day today, so I had been outside for a lot of the afternoon, but I was excited to keep the momentum going! It was 78 degrees out and overall pretty pleasant!

I made my way into the woods and up to the tower before following the yellow blazes counter-clockwise. I stopped for a quick potty break and managed to pee on my hip belt strap... Ugh. I worked my way up Thayer Path, which was grassy up around the summit fence (I had tick anxiety). I went down Carve Path, which had it's trademark giant rock piles that I've always been wildly curious about. 

I then made my way down onto the Bouncing Brook Path, which I'd be following for a while. It was darker and more humid down there, and I was following horse prints for most of the walk. I passed some lovely purple flowers, which were lesser periwinkle, not violets. I passed a really nice stone wall I hadn't noticed before just before the junction with Lee Path, and then a lady slipper just before the junction with Sassaman! Just kidding! At the junction with Curve Path! I missed a turn! That's fine, my hike was going to be a bit longer.

Everytime I'm hiking these interior Chickatawbut trails I'm reminded of how long they feel - it must be because there's a thinner density of trails in this area, or something. The bugs were present but not much of a bother as long as I kept on moving. I worked up Wampatuck Path and then the Pocapawmet Path to join the Skyline Trail!

I don't think I have traveled this direction on the Skyline Trail since a hike with Gen and Wylie in the winter of 2021 or 2022 - it's been a minute! I passed a super cute eastern towhee on my way up Broken Hill #4 and then maneuvered the rockiness that surrounds #3 - there were baby blueberries! A deer magically lept across the trail as I was climbing up #2 and there were some young rock harlequin flowers at the top. 

The climb up #1.5 was also rockier than I had realized traveling in the other direction, and I found myself wondering how different the forest would be on #1 in 10, 20, 50 years since the last fire. It looked like most of the pines were dead/dying and the undergrowth was growing in strong! I passed more pink lady slippers and rock harlqeuins as I descended #1, and then I started my climb up Nahanton.

The climb up the Chickatawbut Ridge was actually more gradual than I was emotionally ready for. I climbed on up Nahanton, past some more baby blubes, and found myself wondering yet again about the old foundation-like things. I admired the stone steps up Kitchamakin and suffered through the brush to reach the true top of Fenno Hill before making my way up to Chickatawut Hill. I descended via Stowe Path and made it back to the car - this was officially a zero-person hike! I dusted the pollen off of myself (literally) and heard a barrel owl calling somewhere on the other side of the road.

Step-by-Step

- Park at Chickatawbut Overlook.

- Start hike on Tower Path (yellow).

- At 3075, turn left onto Sassaman Notch Path (yellow).

- At second jct., turn right onto Thayer Path.

- At fence, turn left.

- At second jct., continue right onto Skyline Trail (blue).

- At 3065, turn left onto Carve Path.

- At 3051, turn left onto Bouncing Brook Path (red). 

- At 3152, turn left onto Wampatuck Path.

- At 3171, turn around and turn right onto Pocapawmet Path (unmapped).

- At terminus, turn left onto Skyline Trail (blue).

- At Chickatawbut Hill, turn right onto Thayer Path, then turn right again onto Stowe Path.

- At jct., turn left to stay on Stowe Path.

- At terminus, turn left onto Sassaman Notch Path (yellow).

- At 3075, turn right onto Tower Path (yellow).

- Follow Tower Path back to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Little Blue Hill Area (Blue Hills Reservation)

Little Blue Hill Area (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Tracing Loop

Distance: 3.44 miles

Elevation: 292 feet

Time: 1 hours, 22 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Trail Trace the Blue Hills; Blue Hills Grid

The Hike 

After an extra sleepy drive, I was back at the Blue Hills with Sarah to hit the trails around Little Blue Hill! We were both super low on energy, so we decided to keep it easy, and she's a good sport about tagging along for my tracing hikes, even if they trend boring. We suited up at the park and ride on MA-138 with it's many... interesting characters, and turned onto MA-138 to get to the Skyline Trail!

We followed the Skyline Trail and made our best guess as to which of the many paths was the actual Cosmos Path... whichever one we chose had a boyscout-style fortification made out of limbs and sticks and a massive pile of poop... ANYWAY we continued onto the spur at 6877 and then worked our way over and up Little Blue Hill by the signed but unmapped path on the north side of the hill, which was actually quite lovely!

There was some graffiti on the summit of Little Blue Hill, but nothing overly insane. We continued along the mossy path down towards the Hemenway bench at 6880, and then hiked towards the Cosmos and K Paths for a long wander around the area. Naturally, we were daydreaming about future hikes during this stretch, which was not overly visually or physically stimulating.

We heard the TERRIFYING sound of a Donkey while on the far side of the Cosmos Path, and once on the K Path for a second time we heard an Eastern Towhee and a Red-shouldered Hawk (thank you, Merlin Bird ID), which was really cool! That gave us a little boost to make it up Skyline, back up most of Little Blue, and to finish out Moulton Path. We took Skyline back to the cars, past a few more interesting, but harmless characters, and then we were all done! For a short, easy hike, we were both exhausted! Thankfully, it's almost April break!

Step-by-Step

- Park at Park and Ride on MA-138.

- Turn right onto MA-138.

- At jct., turn right onto Skyline Trail.

- At jct., turn right onto Cosmos Path.

- At 6877, hike spur to driveway.

- At terminus, turn around.

- At 6877, turn right onto Cosmos Path.

- At 6830, turn around.

- At jct., turn right onto unmapped path.

- Summit Little Blue Hill, continue to Moulton Path.

- At 6880, turn right onto Moulton Path.

- At 6830, turn left onto Cosmos Path.

- At jct., turn right and hike spur to Green Street.

- At Green Street, turn around.

- At jct., turn right onto Cosmos Path.

- At 6670, tun left onto K Path.

- At Royall Street, turn around.

- At 6850, turn left onto Cosmos Path.

- At 6670, turn right onto K Path.

- At 6895, turn left onto path.

- At jct., turn left.

- At 6880, turn left onto Moulton Path.

- At 6891, turn left onto Skyline Trail.

- At jct., turn left onto Cosmos Path.

- Return to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Furnace Brook, Short Path, Fox Hill Loop (Blue Hills Reservation)

Furnace Brook, Short Path, Fox Hill Loop (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Tracing Loopty-Loop

Distance: 5.30 miles

Elevation: 551 feet

Time: 2 hours, 35 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Blue Hills Winter Trace (2x), 52 Hike Challenge 2026; Blue Hills Grid

The Hike 

The plan for today was to ski at Magic Mountain, but with ambient temperatures of -10°F and forecasted wind, we decided we didn't want to drive three hours both ways to freeze. Instead, I have a lovely introverted day and made way back over to the Blue Hills, where it was a balmy 6°F! I had already completed the St. Moritz Area, so I planned to finish the trails east of Fox Hill/Little Dome today. Based on my last hike, I started in snow shoes, which were beyond necessary. There were no clouds, abundant sun, a fresh coating of 2-3" of snow, and just a slight breeze.

I am getting a sick joy in packing down a choppy trail, which is just what I did with the Shawmut Path and the connector to the Skyline Trail along Rattlesnake Hill (even though I tripped on myself and went down into 2' of unconsolidated snow). 

My Nano Puff came off in the Rattlesnake/Crags col. The only cold part of me were my toes, which warmed up after about 20 minutes. I did buy the snow gaiters, but they hadn't come in yet, so my ankles where already coated in snow. I also think I might buy some earmuffs...

There was a cold headwind on the Old Furnace Brook Trail but there was no breeze on the Short Path, which actually had me almost breaking a sweat! I found myself really enjoying these last few snowshoe hikes. I feel like they're helping build my confidence for when I get back up to the Whites (more on that soon...). Also, these COLD temperatures we've been getting in the Boston area have also been conditioning me.

There were MANY deer tracks all around Fox Hill, and it looked like the path descending off the summit was not yet broken out... I might go for it later... I passed the first people of the day at 11am and they were three snowshoers who were really cruising. Once I made it to the Great Dome Foot Path I noticed that it was 100% unbroken (well, 99%, one deer had traveled the path in the past week). I decided it was time to truly break trail for the first time!

I sunk about a foot with each step, but the snowpack was at about two feet, so the snowshoes were doing their job! To my delight, the single deer actually followed the foot path perfectly, which is crazy to me. I stumbled over a few logs and rocks, but otherwise it was smooth, slow sailing. I was starting to break a sweat, though! I descended to the Pine Tree Brook, carefully crossed it, and then truly stumbled up the embankment on the other side with my televators (and following the deer tracks still!). I was HUFFING and PUFFING at this point, but feeling good! It felt really cool to be surrounded by just a blanket of snow. 

There was one set of old tracks on the Pine Tree Brook Path, or I thought there were... it was another deer! More breaking out! Thankfully the snow wasn't too heavy. The White Tail Path was also untraveled, and I think I truly did a horrible job following the trail up. I basically zig-zagged up the shoulder and then did my best to follow the dotted line on AllTrails. I felt a huge relief once on the Fox Hill Path, which had a dusting of snow on a firmer trench. 

But don't worry, I was back to only deer tracks for my descent. I made it to the little knob before truly descending, and saw one of the deer in question! After that knob, the deer tracks fully disappeared and I was on my own. Again, I did the best I could, but definitely did not thrive. For the final steep descent I felt like I was basically moon walking down the hill! I did get a cool view of the Crags, which was nice.

The last stretch of trail I needed for the day was the little loops near the Pipeline between Wampatuck and Fox Hills, which were also mostly unbroken... I was tired! It was good to know how breaking trail felt and how it impacted my body. I did a little bit of retracing my steps at the end to avoid the Skyline Trail up and over the Crags, and then I was back at the car! My socks were soaked and snowballs were frozen to the tops of my boots. It was a toasty 19°F once back at the car, and I was feeling tired, but good!

Step-by-Step

- Park at Shawmut Path trailhead.

- Start hike at Shawmut Path.

- At Crags Foot Path (green), turn around.

- At jct., turn right toward Rattlesnake Hill/Skyline Trail.

- At terminus, turn left onto Skyline Trail. 

- In col between Crags and Rattlesnake Hill, turn right.

- At terminus, turn left onto Crags Foot Path (green).

- At jct., turn left onto Crag Trail.

- At 4135, turn left onto Indian Camp Path.

- At 4155, turn left onto Skyline Trail.

- After, continue left onto Crags Foot Path.

- At 4145, turn right onto Old Furnace Brook Path.

- At 4180, turn left onto Sawcut Notch Path.

- At 4133, turn left onto Short Path.

- At 4124, turn left onto Crags Foot Path (green).

- At 4142, turn right onto Furnace Brook Trail.

- At 4120, turn right onto Indian Camp Path (green).

- At 4090, turn left onto Great Dome Foot Path.

- At 4073, turn right onto Pine Tree Brook Path.

- At 4080, turn left onto White Tail Path.

- At 4096, turn right onto Fox Hill Path.

- At Fox Hill Summit, turn left and descend on path.

- At 4120, turn right onto Indian Camp Path (green).

- At 4135, turn right onto Pipe Line.

- Hike network of trails around the southern Pipe Line, then turn around and return to 4135.

- At 4135, continue off of Pipe Line onto Crag Trail.

- At terminus, turn right onto Crags Foot Path (green).

- At next jct., turn right.

- At terminus, turn left onto Skyline Trail.

- At next jct., turn right.

- At terminus, turn right onto Shawmut Trail.

- Follow Shawmut Trail to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Quincy Hills Loop via St. Moritz Ponds (Blue Hills Reservation)

Quincy Hills Loop via St. Moritz Ponds (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: oo-O Loop

Distance: 5.13 miles

Elevation: 600 feet

Time: 1 hour, 52 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Blue Hills Grid, Blue Hills Winter Trace (2x)

The Hike 

Although I still wanted to be skiing, the ridiculous cold up north and impending snow storm kept me local. It was a balmy 10 degrees and I forced myself out the door to explore some of the Quincy area of the Blue Hills for my second winter map. The storm was slated to start around noon, so I figured a 9:00am start would be good! 

I started with spikes on after walking the sidewalk past the Shea Memorial Rink and the plan was roughly a wide loop hitting all the hills on this side of the park, Skyline Trail to Fox Hill to Sawcut Notch. Even with it being 10 degrees, the Nano Puff came off soon into the hike. I followed the Firepit Path around the totally frozen St. Moritz Pond and I was still feeling warm with two pairs of leggings on under my pants. 

I crossed Wampatuck Road and took my fleece off at the Quarry before hitting Rattlesnake Hill (which had one persons' footprints) and The Crags before a rough descent down with not enough snow for spikes, but I had already committed. 

After working my way up Wampatuck Hill, I giggled at seeing the mall, since I had just stopped there to grab a few things from Target before the storm. There was a bit of a breeze near Chickatawbut Road so I began to pick up the pace to stay warm as I climbed up Fox Hill, and I was rewarded with a lovely tree view to Boston as I descended. I put my fleece back on once at the bottom and continued on!

I wiggled my way over to Sawcut Notch Path and took a quick bushwhack to Little Dome, which only had deer tracks. I continued on to Great Dome, which similarly only had deer tracks (but also some orange flagging tape?). I love these two little trail-less hills - they both have humble views and feel very remote for being in the Blue Hills. I also felt wildly satisfied hitting all five hills in this stretch of the park in one hike!

After descending Great Dome, I began to hear the pitter-patter of falling snow, and then it increased! Seemed like the storm was starting a couple of hours early! I passed my first and only person near Wampatuck Road, and I made it back to my car in time to see all of the salt trucks congregating in the Shea Memorial Rink parking lot. The drive home was a little slippery, but I made it back in time to hunker down and do some Legos!

Step-by-Step

- Park at Shea Memorial Rink.

- Turn left onto Willard Street.

- Turn left onto path.

- At jct., turn left onto Skyline Trail.

- At jct., turn right onto Winter Carnival Path.

- At terminus, turn right onto Minichiello Path.

- At jct., turn right onto Firepit Path.

- At terminus, turn left onto Skyline Trail.

- Cross Wampatuck Road, follow Skyline Trail to 4134.

- At 4134, turn right onto path.

- At terminus, turn left onto Water Pipe Line.

- At terminus, turn right onto Fox Hill Path.

- At 4102, turn left onto Indian camp Path.

- Before 4091, turn left onto path.

- At 4083, turn right onto Sawcut Notch path.

- Hike unmapped spur to Little Dome, then continue on Sawcut Notch Path.

- Hike unmapped spur to Great Dome, turn conitnue on Sawcut Notch Path.

- Merge with Skyline Trail.

- Follow Skyline Trail back to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Great Dome, Ridge, Wood, Romari, Squamaug Notch, & Skyline Trails (Blue Hills Reservation)

Great Dome, Ridge, Wood, Romari, Squamaug Notch, & Skyline Trails (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: oo-o Loop

Distance: 5.08 miles

Elevation: 597 feet

Time: 2 hours, 18 minutes
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge 2025, Trail Trace the Blue Hills, Blue Hills Grid

The Hike 

Sarah and I both decided we did NOT want to do a fitness hike after school, so she agreed to follow me around as I did some tracing in the Quincy and Chickatawbut areas! I had a CODE YELLOW drive, especially towards the end, but thankfully avoided any disaster. We got hiking at 4:00pm from the Chickatawbut Overlook parking area, first by following Chickatawbut Road and then following Great Dome Foot Path, where Sarah managed to roll her bad ankle twice! Boo!

We meandered down to Pine Tree Brook Path, Sassaman Path, and then Ridge Path, which brought us across Chickatawbut Road and over to the Chickatawbut Hill side of the reservation. We noticed an abundance of allegheny blackberry bushes and some baby baby blueberries! We continued over to Wood and Romari Paths, which were kind of underwhelming (as usual) and just buggy enough to be annoying. We did see FOUR frogs, though!

We slowly worked our way back to Squamaug Notch Path and decided to get some views on the Skyline Trail, which was an EXCELLENT move. Time felt slower than usual and I was mentally lagging, but following the Skyline Trail to Nahanton Hill brought me right back. The golden hour from the sun was stunning, and the views were wonderful. There were SO MANY baby blueberries, too!

We eventually made our way up and over Nahanton, down to the tower, and back to the car. A lovely afternoon!

Step-by-Step

- Park at Chickatawbut Overlook.

- Start by hiking east on Chickatawbut Road.

- At 4053, turn left and veer right onto Great Dome Foot Path.

- At 4073, turn left on Pine Tree Brook Path.

- At 4094, turn left onto Headquarters Path.

- At 4048, turn left onto Sassaman Path.

- At jct., turn right onto Ridge Path.

- At Chickatawbut Road, cross Chickatawbut Road and continue.

- At 3131, turn left onto Squamaug Notch Path.

- Before 3143, turn left onto Curve Path.

- At 3157, turn left onto Wood Path.

- At Wood Road, turn around.

- At 3174, veer left onto Romari Path.

- At 3152, turn right onto Curve Path.

- At 3143, turn right onto Squamaug Notch Path.

- At 3144, turn left onto Skyline Trail.

- At 3103, continue veering right.

- At Slide Notch Path, continue straight onto Tower Path.

- Return to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Rattlesnake & Wampatuck Hills via St. Moritz Ponds (Blue Hills Reservation)

Rattlesnake & Wampatuck Hills via St. Moritz Ponds (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: -o-o-o Loop

Distance: 3.18 miles

Elevation: 384 feet

Time: 1 hour, 7 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Blue Hills Grid; Trail Trace the Blue Hills

The Hike 

Happy Thursday! This might be the first, if not definitely one of the first, times that I've hiked in the Blue Hills for four days in a row! What was extra great was that this was also my Friday - since it's officially April vacation! I was going to see HONK! Jr. at a middle school my friend works at that evening, so I had a little over an hour to kill in the Quincy area of the Blue Hills. It was a stunning 60 degree day (another beautiful day!) and it was fun to be back in the quarries area, where I hadn't been in at least six months.

My hike started at the eastern terminus of the Skyline Trail, hiking past some rotting pumpkins and a pile of random toys(?). I continued onto Minichiello Path on the boardwalk, which was in great condition (it was flooded last spring). Geese were honking me along from the pond as I turned onto the Firepit Path, which is a lovely path through the woods along the pond. From there, I hopped back on the Skyline Trail.

I crossed Wampatuck Road and made my way up Rattlesnake Hill, past the Sullivan Quarry. I always wonder how deep the quarry actually is, and I was surprised to see so many fish inside swimming about!

From the height-of-land on the Skyline Trail on Rattlesnake Hill, I followed a herd path on the left to the actual summit area, which looked like the former summit cairn had been partially dismantled.

I worked my way back to the Skyline Trail and ran into a person from the Crags viewpoint, where I found a person that spooked the life out of me. The descent from Crags is always horrible, rugged, and steep, but at least its short!

Continuing on, I passed a shallow pond after the Skyline Trail crosses the Pipe Line and ascended Wampatuck Hill, where I always look around for a former USGS Disc. I think I need to accept that it is no longer there... I caught a glimpse of Mt. Wachusett from the descent, and when I opened up Pokemon Go, I caught ANOTHER shiny Fuecoco! Right after, I caught a shiny event Pikachu! I guess the Blue Hills are my lucky spot for shiny Pokemon...

I started my way back along Crag Trail, the Pipe Line, and then the Quarry Trail - following green blazes for the ladder. The green blazes brought me back across Wampatuck Road and past some delightfully old trees - one of which was 200 years old! I noticed that somebody fixed the "4220" trail junciton sign (it used to read 4 20, which was objectively funny), and saw some small needle-shaped fish in the St. Moritz Ponds. The usually wet spot where the Skyline Trail traverses between the two ponds was significantly more dry than I had ever experienced - I wonder if they did work on the dam to help lower the levels? Or maybe we're just in a draught that I was unaware of? No idea, but I was soon back at the car and enjoyed some lovely tween artistry at HONK! Jr.

Step-by-Step

- Park at Shea Memorial Rink

- Start hike on Skyline Trail at 4234.

- At split, continue left on Minichiello Path.

- At jct., turn right onto Firepit Path.

- At terminus, turn left onto Skyline Trail.

- At 4134, turn right onto path.

- At 4131, turn right onto Crag Trail.

- At terminus, merge onto Water Pipe Line.

- At 4135, continue off of Pipe Line and onto path (still Crag Trail)

- At 4151, turn right onto Quarry Trail (green blazes).

- At terminus, turn right onto Skyline Trail. 

- At 4220, turn left onto path.

- At Wampatuck Road, turn around.

- At 4220, turn left onto Skyline Trial.

- Follow Skyline Trail back to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Great Dome & Hemlock Bound Trails; Chickatawbut Hill (Blue Hills Reservation)

Great Dome & Hemlock Bound Trails; Chickatawbut Hill (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Lollipop Loop

Distance: 4.49 miles

Elevation: 801 feet

Time: 2 hours, 8 minutes
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge 2025; Trail Trace the Blue Hills; Blue Hills Grid

The Hike 

Now this was one of my favorite Blue Hills hikes in a long time! Sarah texted me asking if I wanted to join her on a hike, which of course I said yes to! I asked if she wanted to do Skyline or something else, and when she picked "something else" I proposed this route! I had the Hemlock Bound Foot Path on my mind since I saw the old footpath yesterday, and she immediately accepted! My drive wasn't too horrible, which was a welcome reprive after yesterday's abomination of a commute. We met at the Chickatawbut Tower parking area, and soon were off!

We hiked up Tower Path, turned onto Sassaman Notch Path, and then onto Stowe Path, where Sarah officially got the first bug bite of the season! We wiggled our way over to the Skyline Trail, soon turning onto the Great Dome Foot Path - one of my favorites in the area. There was an amazing breeze one on the path as we continued through the beautiful woods and narrow footbed. The only downside was that we encountered a 5 or 6 FOOT long black snake - probably a Racer. It was likely the largest snake I'd ever seen in the while, and we were UPSET. Thankfully, that was the only one, and it quickly ran away as we approached. Definitely got the heart racing, though!

We continued down past the Bouncing Brook, onto Laurel Path, and then turned left onto the existing Hemlock Bound Foot Path. Once back at Laurel Path, it was time for the adventure to begin! We crossed Laurel Path, continuing on the old foot bed, over a blowdown, and up the hillside. The trail here was easy to follow with only a little bit of ducking and with many soft pine needles tickling the legs. Eventually, it topped out at an open, ledgy area, which was a bit difficult to follow, but we found the footpath after some searching, soon crossing over Braintree Pass Path.

After crossing Braintree Pass path, we began to descend in an area that was open and very geologically intereting. Old guidebooks mention an "obscure box gully" in this stretch, but we had no idea what we were actually looking for - we might have hiked right over it without knowing! 

We crossed Branch Path and Streamside Edge Path and entered my favorite stretch of the Hemlock Bound Foot Path. The trail climbed some more to an open canopy with grassy ledges on the right - it was beautiful! We circled the height-of-land before ultimately descending to the terminus at Hawk Hill Path - what a great adventure!

We continued on the Hawk Hill Path and turned at 3030 back onto the Hemlock Bound Foot Path to climb up and over Hawk Hill, which had a heavenly breeze. We noticed some dark clouds rolling in behind Buck Hill (my brain immediately said "oh not again" - since earlier this spring I got caught in some rain out here) as continued to descend to the trail's official terminus at MA-28. 

From MA-28, we continued onto the Slide Hill Trail and climbed back up Chickatawbut on Carve Path, ultimately descending on Stowe, Sassaman Notch, and Tower Paths. It had just started to rain once we hit Stowe, and the spring peepers began to sing! Skies were dark and the wind was howling back at the car - we escaped just in time!

Step-by-Step

- Park at Chickatawbut Overlook

- Start hike on Tower Path.

- At tower, turn right onto Tower Path.

- At 3075, turn left onto Sassaman Notch Path.

- At third jct., turn left onto Stowe Path.

- At jct., turn left onto Stowe Path.

- At terminus, turn right onto Slide Notch Path.

- At jct., turn left onto Skyline Trail.

- At jct., turn right onto Great Dome Foot Path.

- At 3111, turn right onto Laurel Path.

- At jct., turn left onto Hemlock Bound Foot Path.

- At jct., continue straight across Laurel Path onto former Hemlock Bound Foot Path.

- Cross Braintree Pass, Branch, and Streamside Edge Paths.

- At terminus, turn left onto Hawk Hill Path.

- At 3030, turn right onto Hemlock Bound Foot Path.

- At MA-28, turn around.

- At 3013, veer left onto Slide Hill Trail.

- Continue onto path.

- At terminus, turn left onto Bouncing Brook Path.

- At 3051, turn right onto Carve Path.

- At 3065, turn right onto Skyline Trail.

- At 2nd jct., turn right onto Stowe Path.

- At jct., turn left onto Stowe Path.

- At terminus, turn left onto Sassaman Notch Path.

- At 3075, turn right onto Tower Path.

- At tower, turn left and return to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Chickatawbut Hill, Braintree Pass Path, Squamaug Notch (Blue Hills Reservation)

Chickatawbut Hill, Braintree Pass Path, Squamaug Notch (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Figure 8-ish Loop

Distance: 5.53 miles

Elevation: 722 feet

Time: 1 hour, 58 minutes
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge 2025; Trail Trace the Blue Hills; Blue Hills Grid

The Hike 

Back to work and reality after another fun weekend! I had a rough drive from school, especially for a Monday. It was a warm, summery, 67 degree days. I tweaked my knee over the weekend so decided to stick to the Chickatawbut Area to avoid any hiking that was overly strenuous. There were more cars than usual at the trailhead, and I was officially in the woods at 4:00pm!

I realized I had forgotten to lock my car once I climbed up to Chickatawbut Tower, but thankfully my key worked from that distance! More unfortunately, I forgot to start both my watch and AllTrails until the tower as well, which was a bummer. There were some butterflies out and the trails were a little wet from yesterday's rain, but overall not a problem. 

I wiggled my way form Tower Path to Sassaman Notch Path to Thayer Path to Stowe Path to Slide Notch Path to etc., eventually coming up the back side of Nahanton Hill, which is a short, beautiful stretch of trail. I passed a pink-haired family, continued through a swarm of bugs (they're baaacckkkk...), and began to descend via Slide Notch Path, which had a wonderful stream flowing alongside.

I continued down toward the Great Cedar Swamp and into the little grove on the old Hemlock Bound Foot Path, which had a mixture of brown rectangle and white dot blazes. Back at Laurel Path, I did notice the old footpath that continued up the hill, but wasn't feeling brave enough to explore it (yet...). I ascended via Barberry Bush Spring Trail and continued along Braintree Pass Path, which is one of my favorite trails on this side, especially this "deep" stretch. Near I-93, I could see tree views to Braintree's Great Pond, and then I had to dodge some pricker bushes as I descended back down to Laurel Path. 

I crossed the outflow of the Great Cedar Swamp on a creaky, wobbly footbridge, trampled along many fallen red buds from the trees above, scooted along I-93, and then worked my way over to Swuamaug Notch Path at 3163. This stretch began to feel long, as it is pretty flat and featureless, but I was glad to have completed it.

Squamaug Notch Path is nice a long, but in a more interesting way than the previous trails. After climbing up through the notch on the old road, I walked direclty into the sun for a bit before wiggling my way back to Tower Path - a lovely afternoon hike!

Step-by-Step

- Park at Chickatawbut Overlook.

- Start hike on Tower Path.

- At tower, turn left and continue on Tower Path.

- At 3075, turn left onto Sassaman Notch Path.

- At jct., turn right onto Thayer Path.

- At fence, turn left and continue on Thayer Path.

- At Skyline Trail, turn around.

- Turn right onto Stowe Path.

- At jct., continue right on Stowe Path.

- At terminus, turn left onto Slide Notch Path.

- At 3094, turn right onto Sassaman Notch Path.

- At jct., turn left onto path.

- At jct., turn right onto Slide Notch Path.

- At jct., turn right onto path up Nahanton Hill.

- At split, turn right and continue.

- At terminus, continue to descend on Skyline Trail.

- At jct., turn left onto Sassaman Notch Path.

- At 3135, turn right onto Curve Path.

- At 3130, turn right onto Bouncing Brook Path.

- At split, veer left onto Laurel Path.

- Before 3121, turn left onto Hemlock Bound Foot Path.

- At terminus, turn right onto Laurel path.

- At 3132, turn left onto Barberry Bush Spring Trail.

- At 3090, turn left onto Braintree Pass Path.

- At terminus, turn right onto Laurel Path.

- At terminus, turn left onto Cochato Path.

- At terminus, turn left onto Hemlock Path.

- At 3151, turn right onto Bouncing Brook Path.

- At 3163, turn left onto Squamaug Notch Path.

- At terminus, continue onto Slide Notch Path.

- At jct., turn right onto Tower Path.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Chickatawbut & Hawk Hills via Chickatawbut Overlook (Blue Hills Reservation)

Chickatawbut & Hawk Hills via Chickatawbut Overlook (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Figure 8-ish Loop

Distance: 4.40 miles

Elevation: 981 feet

Time: 1 hour, 31 minutes (1 hour, 29 minutes moving)
Hiking Challenges: Blue Hills Winter Trace (2x); Blue Hills Grid

The Hike

First accidental rain hike of the year! This would also be the last hike of my March-Marathon, as I needed a day of rest or my knees and a potential trip to the Whites on Saturday (tbd - update 10 minutes after writing this, we opted to not hike Carter Dome because winds are forecasted to be actively insane). I made my way, somewhat easily again (traffic has been very easy this week), to the Chickatawbut Tower parking, and got right to work! The plan was to get to Hawk Hill, and everything else would just be random at my discretion. I hiked up to the tower in the warm, humid, 61-degree air while accidentally wearing short shorts, and then made my way over to Thayer Path.

I hiked past the old MDC "No Tresspassing" signs, crossed the road, lamented about how the true summit isn't accessible, and then encountered my only patches of ice as I started my descent. I hit the water tower road via an unmarked spur that kind of followed the power cut, and then meandered my way down to the Braintree Pass Path trailhead. So far I had only passed two people: one guy staring into the void in the pavillion at the Chickatawbut Tower, and now another who was staring at his own reflection on the flooded section of the pipe line. 

There was some pink flagging tape on the right side of Braintree Pass Path, I hiked the Headquarters Path spur, and then made my way over to the Stokes Foot Path, one of my favorites in this area of the reservation - for no other reason than it hikes like a bigger mountain trail. The rocks were slippery, though! Once on the Skyline Trail, I continued to climb back up Chickatawbut Hill, past a burned area, and then followed at least a dozen large cairns down Carve Path. I can't imagine they were built for navigation. Maybe for building the pathway/old road?

I noticed some dark clouds in the near distance, but my weather app said there was a SMALL chance of LIGHT rain at 5pm (it was around 4:15 at this point) and then actual rain at 7pm. I continued down Bouncing Brook Path and Slide Hill Trail down to the Hemlock Bound Foot Path, where it smelled like wet forest, which was just wonderful. It was super dark in here because of the clouds which gave it a neat spooky vibe! I followed the mysterious yellow blazes and carefully scrambled up Hawk Hill (super slippery). There were just a few drizzles of rain at the lookout to Buck Hill, but it soon subsided. I passed an old orange blaze on a rock, made it to the summit, and carefully made my way down.

A light drizzle started up again on my descent - I really love the gentle pitter-patter of the rain in the woods. Only issue, is that once I was on the Hawk Hill Path, the drizzle turned to rain. I stood under a tree for a bit, but the rain turned to RAIN. Oof. This was NOT light rain. After a couple minutes of contemplating my life choices and laughing at how I'm at the furthest point from my car, I eventually just started moving again, accepting my fate as a wet dog. 

I made the decision to skip Kitchamakin Hill because of the wet slabs, which was a good call because it kept raining harder and HARDER. It downpoured for the entirety of the Glover Path. I put my camera in my pack to keep it as safe as possible. The good news was that my body temperature was still good - only the skin on my triceps were cold. I was getting a little chilly at the end of Glover, but I warmed back up as I climbed back up Chickatawbut via Carve Path. I also got a FaceTime call from Elizabeth and Emma here, which was fun and silly. 

FINALLY, the rain started to settle once I was back on Chickatawbut Hill, and I made my way down Stowe to Tower Paths and back to the car. I couldn't see Boston from the viewpoint because of the rain and clouds, but on the bright side, at least 99.9% of the hike was snow/ice-free!

Step-by-Step

- Park at Chickatawbut Overlook.

- Hike to Chickatawbut Tower (yellow blazes).

- At tower, turn right onto Tower Path (yellow blazes).

- At 3075, turn left onto Sassaman Notch Path.

- At next jct., turn right onto Thayer Path.

- At Water Tower, follow power cut and footpath to water tower road.

- Follow power cut down to 3024.

- At 3024, turn left onto Braintree Pass Path.

- After 3022, turn left onto Stokes Foot Path.

- At terminus, turn left onto Skyline Trail.

- At 3065, turn right onto Carve Path.

- At 3051, continue onto Bouncing Brook Path.

- At jct., turn right onto Slide Hill Trail.

- At 3013, turn left onto Hemlock Bound Foot Path.

- At 3030, turn left onto Hawk Hill Path.

- At 3044, turn left onto Glover Path. 

- At 3040, turn right onto Slide Hill Trail.

- Follow paths to 3051. 

- At 3051, turn right onto Carve Path.

- At 3065, turn right onto Skyline Trail.

- After Skyline Trail turns, turn right onto Stowe Path.

- At jct., turn left on Stowe Path.

- At terminus, turn left onto Sassaman Notch Path (yellow).

- At 3075, turn right onto Tower Path (yellow).

- At Chickatawbut Tower, turn left to return to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Houghton's Pond, Angle Path, Tucker Hill, Burnt Hill Path (Blue Hills Reservation)

Houghton's Pond, Angle Path, Tucker Hill, Burnt Hill Path (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: oooo Loop

Distance: 4.85 miles

Elevation: 518 feet

Time: 1 hour, 57 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Blue Hills Winter Trace (2x); Blue Hills Grid

The Hike

February break is officially over and I'm back at the Blue Hills! It was a 45 degree, sunny, and breezy afternoon. It felt kind of warm after the past week of skiing in comically cold temperatures! There was a lot of snowmelt happening and I forgot my spikes - going to be interesting! I also realized I forgot to take a photo of the map I'm tracking my progress on, so I'm guessing what trails I still need...

Hiking in from the B lot at Houghton's Pond, the exposed grass was SUPER soft and the leftover snow and ice was super slippery. I made it halfway to the loop around the pond before turning around to grab my spikes from the car to give myself a sliver of a chance to enjoy the hike. Take-two! I successfully made it over to the visitor center area and noticed some guys out on the ice which was... brave. I briefly took my spikes off at the bathhouse but they soon went back on. I was basically experiencing every trail condition imaginable besides dry. To make things more fun, my legs were super wiggly - probably in part due to the slushy conditions and also from skiing the past 9 out of 10 days.

I eventually made it along Andover, Angle, and Bugbee Paths unscathed and then onto the red blazes, which was steeper and slushier. I was taking very small steps and really digging my spikes into any base that was left. I was thankful to actually find some solid ice when I made my way up Tucker Hill (also proud of myself for actively working on my Blue Hills Grid for this very brief moment!

On top of Tucker Hill, I followed the mysterious yellow blaze to the true summit (or my best try at it) and an overgrown view before heading down Athol Path - where I saw people! I've never seen people on this side of Tucker, so that was jarring. After crossing Tucker Hill Path, I was only the second set of prints going down the steepest stretch of Athol, but I took it slow and only faced death once or twice. There were lots of deer tracks, though! 

I then meandered my way around the Tucker Hill Path over to the Burnt Hill Path - delighted to find out that I had already summited Burnt Hill for February - yay! I followed more deer tracks as I descended on Burnt Hill Path, which had just brutal slushy trail conditions. I eventually found the family of deer right before Old Route 128, which was fun, but then the fun ended when I discovered Old Route 128 had equally, or even worse conditions than Burnt Hill Path. Hiking is a mental game!

I made my way over to the picnic area, which was a slushy ice rink, but the rest of the Houghton's Pond loop was fully frozen, which was nice I guess? Only downside was that it was frozen and covered in post-holes, so it was truly an ankle buster. Yikes! This was a surprisingly brutal hike, but as always, no regrets and I was just happy to have been outside!

Step-by-Step

- Park at Lot B at Houghton's Pond. 

- Start hike by hiking entry trails.

- Turn left to follow yellow blazes.

- Follow footpath hugging the pond, then climb stairs.

- Resume following yellow blazes. 

- At split, continue to follow red/green blazes. 

- At 2053, continue to follow green blazes. 

- At next jct., turn right/continue onto Andover Path. 

- At 2092, turn left onto Angle Path.

- At 2075, turn left onto Bugbee Path.

- At 2071, turn right onto red blazes. 

- At 2094, turn left onto Ayer Trail.

- At next jct., turn right onto Athol Path.

- At terminus, turn right onto Headquarters Path.

- At next jct., turn right onto Tucker Hill Path (green blazes). 

- At 2072, turn left onto Ayer Trail.

- At next jct., turn right onto Athol Path.

- At terminus, turn left onto red blazes. 

- At 2094, turn right onto Dark Hollow Path.

- At 2111, turn right onto Burnt Hill Path.

- At 2085, turn right onto Old Route 128.

- At gate, follow path to yellow loop around the pond.

- At the pond, turn left and follow yellow blazes back to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Breeze, Boyce, & Buck Hills via Houghton Pond (Blue Hills Reservation)

Breeze, Boyce, & Buck Hills via Houghton Pond (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Ooo Loop

Distance: 5.41 miles

Elevation: 600 feet

Time: 1 hour, 53 minutes
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge; Blue Hills Winter Trace (2x); Blue Hills Grid

The Hike

It's a snow day! I finished my 4:45am yoga by checking WCVB.com and saw my district closed for the day! I was already up, so I finished my morning work out and decided to stay up until I could get a morning hike in - hopefully before the snow! I made it to the Houghton's Pond main parking area at 7:15am, which was incredibly empty. It was a cold 24 degrees and cloudy and my goal was to wiggle around the Boyce/Buck Hill area. I used my uninsulated boots to see how warm my feet would be in 24 degrees/no sun/normal socks (spoiler alert, they were completely fine!). 

I started my hike by following the path from the mid-parking lot to the picnic area and then willing around the Paddock/Prescott area towards Breeze Hill. It smelled like snow was going to fall (which was on my mind as Ray is rewatching Gilmore Girls) and my puffy came off 10ish minutes in. I did go to the true top of Breeze Hill only to find out that I had already done it for February - oh well. I did appreciate how the Prescott Foot Path to Breeze Hill used to absolutely gas me out a few years ago, and now I made it up with only a mildly pounding heart beat!

I continued my wiggle toward the Boyces, both of which I needed for February still. I crossed paths with my first human, a trail runner near the Peeper Swamp, passed a lost designer glove, and worked my up the Boyce Hill Trail and to the summit (or summit area) of South Boyce, which the only hill in this reservation that makes me go "do I really want to persue this "grid" thing?" (answer is: yes, but I maintain it's going to be many many years before I finish it). 

Now on my way to North Boyce, I crossed paths with a couple who asked about a lost white glove - I was ELATED to let them know I saw it and knew exactly where it was! Hopefully they were able to find it. I ended up hiking North Boyce two times to get a couple more trails traced for my second winter map. I saw the first snowflake of the day fall on lap 1, and it was flurrying by lap 2. I continued on the Skyline Trail up the icy rock steps to Buck Hill, where it was officially snowing. I loved hearing the soft pitter-patter of the flakes falling on the earth below. The views were cool, as I'd never been up while it was snowing! The ground was beginning to get covered in a dusting, so I kept it moving.

I hit my first patch of dicey ice coming down the Buck Hill Summit Trail, and paired with the new and falling snow, I decided I'd put my spikes on. The trail conditions were super variable, which is why I had been avoiding it, but I reminded myself that I have a pair of rock spikes for a reason, and it helped me and my pacing immensely (even though they were fitting a bit looser than usual, which was confusing). 

Turns out spikes were the correct call as the ice didn't let up until the end of the trail, and I kept them on for the bulk of the rest of the hike, too. I continued along the Barre Trail, Quincy Path, and Tucker Hill Path, slowly becoming a snow man. I took my spikes off for Headquarters Path, but it was still nice and slippery (I stuck to the grassy spots). I made it back soon after with a frozen snowball of a head! 

Step-by-Step

- Park Houghton Pond parking lot A.

- Start hike by hiking spur from mid-parking lot.

- At terminus, turn left onto gravel road.

- At next jct., turn right onto Paddock Trail.

- At terminus, turn left.

- At next jct., turn left onto red-blazed Prescott Foot Path.

- At 2071, turn right onto Bugbee Path.

- At 2070, continue left on Bugbee Path.

- At 2096, turn right and hike to next jct., and then turn around on Dark Hollow Path.

- At 2095, turn right and follow red blazes.

- At jct., turn left onto Boyce Hill Trail.

- At 2117, turn right onto Skyline Trail.

- At 2141, turn left onto Doe Hollow Path.

- At 2151, turn left onto Boyce Hill Trail.

- At 2117, turn left onto Skyline Trail.

- Before 2165, turn left onto Buck Hill Summit Trail.

- At 2153, turn left onto Doe Hollow Path.

- At 2151, turn right onto Boyce Hill Trail.

- At 2130, turn right onto Barre Trial.

- At jct., turn left onto Quincy Path.

- At terminus, continue to follow green blazes.

- At jct., turn left onto Tucker Hill Path.

- After 2072, turn right onto Skyline Trail.

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

- Return to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album