Braintree Pass, Savoy, Streamside Edge, Branch Paths (Blue Hills Reservation)

Braintree Pass, Savoy, Streamside Edge, Branch Paths (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Tracing Loop

Distance: 5.06 miles

Elevation: 581 feet

Time: 1 hours, 45 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Trail Trace the Blue Hills 

The Hike 

First hike in a while! At least in a while for me! After my busy week last week, I had Boston Pride Weekend, which is a hike in itself, and then I managed to get sick for the 1,000th time in 2025! (I had a tonsil stone that I apparently dug out too aggressively and subsequently infected my throat and then my ear... ridiculous). It was a humid 70 degrees and the trailhead was unfortuantely pretty full for 8:00am. I wasn't feeling 100%, but I wanted to do the best I could! My goal was to hit most, if not all the trails I needed to finish the Chickatawbut section.

I started by passing a super nice older man on the Braintree Pass Path, which was super lush with vegetation. I saw a dog poop covered in a fuzzy fungus as I made my way over to Bouncing Brook Path, making my way to the back half of Pipe Line, which was uncomfortably (but expectedly) grassy. There was also an impressive number of ant hills on the Pipe Line, which was interesting. 

I was high stepping like a fool near the end of Pipe Line, hoping to avoid brushing against too many blades of grass, dodging some nice deer prints, too. 30 minutes into my hike I put my bug spray on as I climbed up Savoy Path, which smelled strangely wonderful. I enjoyed the little view at the height-of-land on Hawk Hill Path near the terminus of Savoy, and did a quick out-and-back to 3011. 

Continuing on Hawk Hill Path heading toward Streamside Edge Path, I saw what I'm pretty sure was a pile of bear poop! I didn't know we had bears here, but I do remember when Sarah and I hiked Wood/Romari Paths I saw some scrapes on a tree that also looked bear-related... interesting!

Streamside Edge Path was not too wonderful. The closer I hiked toward I-93 the buggier and more overgrown the trail became, but at least I finished it! I described it in my notes as "remarkably unpleasant." Only plus side was that I saw my first ghost pipe of the year!

Once I closed the Streamside Edge/Branch loop I decided I'd start my return trip, leaving only one hike left in this section to close it out for my map. My return trip was nice and easy, and the sun even started to come out! Near the very end, I did almost get stampeeded by a running club, but thanfkully I escaped the hike un-trambled and with zero ticks!

Step-by-Step

- Start hike from Braintree Pass Path Trailhead.

- Follow Braintree Pass Path.

- After 3042, turn right onto Bouncing Brook Path.

- At MA-28, turn around.

- At 3011, turn left onto Pipe Line.

- At 3013, turn around.

- At MA-28, turn around.

- At 3005, turn right onto Hawk Hill Path.

- Immediately after, turn right again onto Pakomet Path.

- At terminus, turn right onto Savoy Path.

- At MA-28, turn around.

- At 3030, turn left onto Hawk Hill Path.

- At Pakomet Path, turn around.

- At 3072, turn right onto Streamside Edge Path.

- At terminus, turn left onto Branch Path.

- At 3066, continue right onto Streamside Edge Path.

- At 3072, continue straight onto Braintree Pass Path.

- Follow Braintree Pass Path 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

Cedar Rock & Pasture Run Paths, CCC Camp, Ridge Path, & Nahanton Hill (Blue Hills Reservation)

Cedar Rock & Pasture Run Paths, CCC Camp, Ridge Path, & Nahanton Hill (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: O-O Loop with Spurs

Distance: 5.32 miles

Elevation: 643 feet

Time: 1 hours, 48 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Trail Trace the Blue Hills

The Hike 

First hike in over a week! The weather had been dreadful for the past week and I had what I affectionately call "Chorus Week," where I had a field trip and an after-school concert, so it's been busy! Some friends from New Jersey came up for Memorial Day Weekend, which was wonderful, and the sun FINALLY came out once I dropped them off at the airport, so it was time to get back to the Blue Hills! The drive from Logan to the Chickatawbut Overlook was shockingly docile and easy. I ate like a KING this weekend, so I was looking forward to getting some exercise in. My only plan was to hike some trails I needed for tracing on the Quincy and maybe Chickatawbut side - really just let the wind take me! It was 61 degrees, mostly sunny, I forgot my camera at home, and just after 11:00am I began my hike!

I started by descending along the Cedar Rock Path, which smelled wonderfully of summer. The ferns have officially unfurled and small flowers created a delightful aroma. There's a good number of criss-crossing trails around Cedar Rock Path, but the correct one is always the one that feels the most correct. I continued on Pipe Line for just a second before crossing a wet spot and climbing up Pasture Run, where I saw some Witch Hazel Cone Gall Aphids accoding to the Seek app. They looked like little red cones on the broad witch hazel leafs - pretty cool!

I kept looking at the map, trying to figure out how to most effectively hike this cluster of zig-zagging trails, and eventually got overwhelemd and decided to head to the CCC Camp instead. I had hiked a full mile before seeing other people, which was a huge win for lunchtime on Memorial Day! There were some unleashed dogs on the Pipe Line which annoyed me, but I got well ahead of them. 

I turned onto Sawcut Notch Path at a sign that indicated "CCC Camp 800 Yards" and I wondered if anyone actually knows what 800 yards feels like.. (according to Google's calculations, it's 0.45 miles). The undergrowth was strong in a wet area and it looked like an old culvert had finally failed (UPDATE: Yes, I am correct. I have a photo of the culvert from March 12, 2023 where it was still mostly in-tact). 

I next hiked Minuteman Path to the border of the reservation. The recent heavy rains effectively brushed the trail, which was nice. I turned around at the state land border and continued onto CCC Trail, which is always a favorite (even if becoming a bit overgrown). The old Sassaman Path was officially marked as closed and I couldn't help but wonder about how the CCC Camp would look without all of the new growth, but I understand why they are letting it grow in.

After the height-of-land on the CCC Trail, the path descended past endless wild geranium which smelled wonderfully. I continued onto Nike Ajax and back to Sawcut Notch Paths where I did some productive work (i.e., responding to emails, tallying up the Venmo charges from the weekend, and actually responding to texts I had forgotten about), eventually crossing an older woman who was holding some of the wild geranium and said "I come here once a year to identify plants, but every year I forget which one is which!" which gave me a laugh.

I had hoped to also get the Pipe Line to Little Dome loop, but the trail was grassy and flooded - not today, satan! I began to wiggle my way back to Chickatawbut Road, and just after getting onto Indian Camp Path, I passed a pink lady slipper! My favorite flower!

The trail got grassier once on Great Dome Foot Path, which soon crossed the outflow stream from the Blue Hills Reservoir (which may or not be Pine Tree Brook proper), climbed up a steep, grassy hill, and then turned onto Pine Tree Brook Trail, which I followed all the way to Chickatawbut Road. I crossed the brook again near the road, and the final bit of trail nearest the road was flooded and required a bit of bushwhacking.

From here, I crossed Chickatawbut Road on Ridge Path, climbed up to Squamaug Notch Path, and climbed up Nahanton Hill via Endicott Path and Skyline Trail. The view was wonderful, but the crowds of people were not. I had dreamt of following Skyline to Chickatawbut, but quickly bailed. There were even a good number of people on the backside of Nahanton, which solidified my decision. 

I made my way down to Tower Path on the back side of Nahanton (which showcased a nice view toward Mt. Monadnock) and followed the path to the Tower and back to the car. It felt good to be back and it felt even better to be outside under blue skies!

Step-by-Step

- Start hike on Cedar Rock Path from Chickatawbut Overlook.

- At 4012, turn right. 

- At 4030, turn right onto Pasture Run.

- At 4052, turn left onto Chickatawbut Road.

- At 4053, turn left onto path.

- At jct., continue right onto Pasture Run.

- At split, veer right onto Sassaman Path.

- At 4048, turn right onto Pipe Line.

- At 4066, turn left onto Sawcut Notch Path.

- Before 4042, turn right onto Minuteman Path.

- At Blue Hills Reservation boundary, turn around.

- At terminus, turn right onto Sawcut Notch Path.

- At 4042, turn left onto CCC Trail.

- At 4010, turn left onto Nike Ajax Path.

- At 4009, turn around.

- At 4010, continue onto CCC Trail.

- At 4014, turn left onto Sawcut Notch Path.

- At 4011, turn around.

- At 4066, turn left onto Pipe Line.

- In 30 feet, turn around when the trail is too wet.

- At 4066, turn left onto Sawcut Notch Path.

- At 4083, turn left onto Crags Foot Path.

- At split, veer right.

- At terminus, turn right onto Indian Camp Path.

- At 4086, turn right onto path.

- At 4082, turn left onto Pleasant Trail.

- At 4085, turn right onto Indian Camp Path.

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

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

- At terminus, turn left onto Ridge Path.

- Cross Chickatawbut Road.

- Continue on Ridge Path.

- At 3131, turn left onto Squamaug Notch Path.

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

- At 3132, turn right onto Skyline Trail.

- At 3103, continue straight onto path.

- At jct., turn right to descend.

- At jct., continue onto Tower Path.

- At Chickatawbut Tower, turn right and return to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

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

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

Hike Type: Figure-8 Loop

Distance: 3.09 miles

Elevation: 402feet

Time: 1 hour, 9 minutes
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge; Trail Trace the Blue Hills

The Hike 

'Twas the day after Black Mountain's closing day and... I wanted to sleep. My heart wanted big mountain, but my body (and also kind of my brain) wanted sleep. Sleep is what I received! Kind of, I was up at 6:30am naturally. ANYWAY. Plan was to hopefully wrap up, or come close to wrapping up the Chickatawbut area, but this hike would turn out to be cursed...

It was a LOVELY morning. I was at the trailhead just before 8:30am. It was in the mid-60s with a gentle breeze and some sun. There were SO MANY LEAVES. My body was tired from my six grueling runs at Black Mountain (actually was tired...). I had my map planned out, and off I went! I started without bug spray and followed Tower Path over to Slide Notch. The plan was to follow Slide Notch all the way down, but I apparently accidentally followed Sassman Notch instead... Whoops! It was a lovely walk, though. I passed a girl in nice tennis sneakers coming down Nahanton holding an iced coffee and I did get a bug up the nose at the height of land before descending.

It didn't realize my mistake until all the way down on Curve Path, but I figured I'd salvage the plan as best I could - heading over to the Hawk area to hit those trails. Only issue was that I started to have this random achilles pain that kept increasing until I was a little worried. I didn't do anything, and it seemed to come out of nowhere, which was surprising. I noticed that it went away on descents and flats but flared up on ascents.

I further modified my plan, and my new goal was to hit the section of Braintree Pass Path near Skyline that I needed and then head back via Skyline (for better or for worse...). The flat stretch of Lee felt completely fine, but the final uphill had the heel flare up again. The descent to Skyline was fine again, and I took it very slow going up Chickatawbut, which didn't feel great, but I managed without doing further damage.

Once on top of Chickatawbut I realized the third and final curse of the hike - my keys were IN MY CAR. I missed the AirTag notification that my keys weren't with me... ugh. At least the leaves were pretty! I went over Kitchamakin Hill to Slide Notch, which I followed down to Chickatawbut Road, hitting a spur I needed, and did the very short road walk back. I was bummed to have cut the hike short, but I definitely need my tendons working correctly, so time to rest!

Step-by-Step

- Park at Chickatawbut Tower.

- Start hike on Tower Path,

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

- At terminus, turn right onto Slide Notch Path.

- At next jct., accidentally veer left onto Sassaman Notch Path.

- At 3135, turn right onto Curve Path.

- At 3130, turn right onto Bouncing Brook Path.

- After 3073, turn left onto Lee Path.

- At 3155, turn right onto Braintree Pass Path.

- At 3042, turn right onto Skyline Trail.

- At Slide Notch Path junction, turn left onto Slide Notch Path.

- Before Chickatawbut Road, turn left onto path.

- At Chickatawbut Road, turn left and return to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Chickatawbut Skyline Trail, Fox Hill, Little & Great Domes (Blue Hills Reservation)

Chickatawbut Skyline Trail, Fox Hill, Little & Great Domes (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: o-o Loop

Distance: 6.71 miles

Elevation: 758 feet

Time: 2 hours, 23 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Blue Hills Grid; Trail Trace the Blue Hills

The Hike 

Time for ANOTHER hike in the Blue Hills on ANOTHER beautiful day! It was my first day of April break and I was set on making my way over the Little and Great Domes (plus Fox Hill for some gridding). Temperatures were in the mid-50s when I started hiking in the morning and were set to climb. Originally, I had hoped to hike somewhere up north, but I NEEDED some sleep (and thank goodness I got it!). 

From the Braintree Pass Path trailhead, I started my hike along the Pipe Line just after 10:00am. I wore my waterproof boots for good measure, which paid off at the classically wet and muddy stretch. I passed a small bird's nest, scared the life out of some poor ducks, and admired the skunk cabbage that was growing in strongly. The mud started at the incline, which also featured some deer tracks. 

I made my way to the Hemlock Bound Foot Path, hiked to MA-28, and followed MA-28 for ~15 feet to the Skyline Trail, which had a normal blue but also an orange/brown blaze, which confused me. Maybe an old Great Dome Trail blaze? Not sure. 

Anyway, I followed the Skyline up the three distinct climbs up Chickatawbut Hill, which are steep and fun (and have herd paths around the steeps which I do NOT agree with). The temperature felt HOT now that I was climbing, but it was still delightful. I also included a note that I am, in fact, still mad about the fence around Chickatawbut Hill. 

I followed a faint herd path at the height-of-land to get to the true summit of Fenno Hill and continued down the well-crafted stairs up and over Kitchamakin and Nahanton Hills, the ladder of which features just beautiful views. I did notice a dad and child basically free-climbing up the rocky ledges of Nahanton which seemed wildly dangerous? To each their own, I guess... 

I was enjoying the beautiful walk across the Broken Hills when I got my first bug bite of the season followed by being charged at by a giant spider! Horrible. I also crossed paths with another large back snake - smaller than the one on Kitchamakin - but this one shook its tail to pretend it was a rattlesnake, which I did NOT like. 

Eventually, I escaped the cursed Broken Hills, crossed Wampatuck Hill, and made my way to Fox Hill. There was a vulture circling overhead, and with my luck, I was stressed, but thankfully I escaped unharmed. I descended via Fox Hill Path and began my drip to Sawcut Notch Path, where I turned onto a herd path at the height-of-land to summit Little Dome, which was LOVELY! There was a tree view of Hancock Hill and some daffodils (I think) next to a fire ring.

I retraced my steps back to Sawcut Notch Path, hiked alongside some spooky orange mud, and started on the herd path/old Great Dome Foot Path to the summit of Great Dome. The foot path was just discernable enough to follow it mostly without question, and the summit is just beautiful! It features a very unique view with Fox Hill's open forest, the Broken Hills behind it, and Hancock to the right. This summit also had daffodils and some purple flowers that I did not identify. 

I wandered around the summit for a bit, hoping to find an old blaze or foot path to continue along the old Great Dome Foot Path (Great Dome Trail?), but eventually fell short and gave up. I did see a goldfinch, though! I retraced my steps, noticed some golfers through the trees, and continued along Satcut Notch and then Short Path past a comical amount of robins.

I looked hard for any evidence of the old Great Dome Foot Path/Trail, but did see anything clear in my return... oh well. I followed the appropriately named Pleasant Trail to the Pipe Line, which started my long walk back to the car! It was wetter one near Chickatawbut Road, but overall not too bad. This was a seriously fun, unique loop!

Step-by-Step

- Park at Braintree Pass Path trailhead.

- Start hike on Braintree Pass Path.

- At 3022, continue right on Pipe Line.

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

- At terminus, turn right onto MA-28.

- At jct., turn right onto Skyline Trail.

- Cross Chickatawbut Road.

- At 4134, turn left onto path, staying left.

- At Pipe Line turn left.

- At terminus, turn right onto Fox Hill Path.

- At 4102, turn left onto Indian Camp Path.

- At 4091, turn left.

- At 4083, turn right onto Sawcut Notch Path.

- At height-of-land, hike herd path on left to Little dome, then continue on Sawcut Notch Path.

- Beofre height-of-land, hike on former Great Dome Foot Path to Great Dome on right, then continue on Sawcut Notch Path.

- At 4133, turn right onto Short Path.

- At 4124, turn right onto Crags Foot Path.

- At 4091, turn left onto Indian Camp Path.

- At 4086, turn right onto path.

- At 4082, turn right onto Pleasant Trail.

- At 4046, turn left onto Pipe Line/Headquarters Path.

- Follow Pipe Line/Headquarters Path to Chickatawbut Road.

- Cross Chickatawbut Road, follow Pipe Line/Headquarters Path 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 Hill; Sassaman, Glover, Lee, & Slide Notch Paths (Blue Hills Reservation)

Chickatawbut Hill; Sassaman, Glover, Lee, & Slide Notch Paths (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Loop w/ Spurs

Distance: 4.66 miles

Elevation: 873 feet

Time: 1 hour, 48 minutes
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge 2025; Trail Trace the Blue Hills

The Hike 

First hike of April! I wanted to get out yesterday, but as April Fools would have it, there was absolutely brutal traffic. I made it to the Chickatawbut Tower trailhead and got hiking around 4:10pm, just aiming to do some tracing around the Chickatawbut area. It had been another draining week, so I was excited to get out and blow off some steam! It was a cold 44 degrees with a breeze and overcast and my legs were TIRED from my first leg day in a few weeks. My internal soundtrack for most of the hike was "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," but with the lyrics "Chick-a-taw--but, Chick-a-chick-a-taw--but" - classic. 

I forgot to turn on my watch until the tower, which was annoying but literally fine. Sassaman Notch Path was in good shape and the eastern branch of Thayer Path was steep and leafy, but short. I made my way across the road to the closed summit and noticed someone found a pair of old sunglasses that seemed to have been through a war - the finder hung them up on a fence.

I continued down to the water tower, hiked on the gravel road (which had new gravel on the half closest to the tower!), and then continued down to the Braintree Pass Path trailhead. There were lots of frog eggs in the little swamp there! It did look like they might dry out, but rain was coming to hopefully help. I saw my first person of the day later on on the Braintree Pass Path, and realized my slightly slower-than-usual hiking pace was the same tempo as "Children's March" by Percy Grainger, so I had a new song in my head!

I scrambled up the Skyline Trail to the first view off Chickatawbut, and then scrambled again up to the second view. The third climb is the easiest of the three, which led to the fence around the summit area. My hamstrings were FEELING IT. On a clear day with better lighting, the view to Buck Hill would actually be really cool, especially with people on top.

I continued around the fence briefly and then descended on Carve Path and made my way over to Glover, which is a favorite of mine. Quiet, open woods, and old stone walls. Lovely! Actually, most of the "deeper" paths in this area are just wonderful. The clouds were getting darker and the breeze was picking up, which gave me some post-traumatic stress from the last time I was over near Hawk Hill and it started to rain, but thankfully I was safe (minus someone's dog's massive poop they left in the middle of the trail). 

I wiggled around to Lee Path, which was a little wet in spots, and then climbed back up Slide Notch. I had grand plans to add Squamaug Notch to the hike, but I was TIRED. I found a couple of deer in the burnt area on the left of the trail, and then continued back to the Tower Path. I ran into a hiker coming down the footpath from Nahanton. He asked me how to get back to the parking area. I pointed to the Tower Path and he said "well I'm going this way, I'm not f***ing walking that again" and took off towards the road. I don't think this stretch was all that bad, but to each their own!

He and I made it to the parking area at the same time, and just a few minutes after someone had blown a tire driving through, which made for some interesting traffic. Thankfully, I was up and out of there in no time, and soon on my couch eating dinner!

Step-by-Step

- Park at Chickatawbut Tower parking.

- Start hike on Tower Path.

- Turn right at Tower to continue on Tower Path.

- At 3075, turn right onto Sassaman Notch Path.

- At Chickatawbut Road, turn around.

- At 3075, continue right onto Sassaman Notch Path.

- At second jct., turn right onto east branch of Thayer Path.

- At jct., continue left/straight on Thayer Path.

- At jct., continue right/straight on Thayer Path.

- Cross road, continue on Thayer Path.

- Hike gravel road from water tower, then descend via unnamed path along power cut.

- At terminus, turn left onto Headquarters Path.

- At 3024, turn left onto Braintree Pass Path.

- At jct. after 3042, turn left onto Bouncing Brook Path.

- At jct., continue onto Skyline Trail.

- At 3065, turn right onto Carve Path.

- At 3051, turn left onto Bouncing Brook Path.

- At next jct., turn right onto unnamed path.

- At terminus, continue onto Slide Hill Trail.

- At 3040, turn left onto Glover Path.

- At 3044, turn left onto Hawk Hill Path.

- At 3072, turn left onto Braintree Pass Path.

- At 3155, turn right onto Lee Path.

- At terminus, turn right onto Bouncing Brook Path.

- At 3073, turn left onto Slide Notch Path.

- At first left after 3094, turn left onto Tower Path.

- Follow Tower Path back to car.

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