Ponkapoag Boardwalk via Exit 3 (Blue Hills Reservation)

Ponkapoag Boardwalk via Exit 3 (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Loop-ish

Distance: 2.94 miles

Elevation: 128 feet

Time: 1 hours, 12 minutes
Hiking Challenges: Trail Trace the Blue Hills, 52 Hike Challenge

The Hike

It's been super dry the past few weeks, and after noticing that the swamps in the Great Blue Hill and Buck Hill areas are all dried up, I figured it was time to tackle the Ponkapoag Boardwalk! I had a relatively easy drive for a Thursday afternoon, landing at the Exit 3/Ponkapoag Trail parking area at 3:45pm. There were a surprising amount of cars, but I saw very few people. I threw on my waterproof boots just in case, and got hiking on this warm, 85-degree, sunny day.

My only goal was the boardwalk plus maybe a few of the extra trails in the area - I'll be heading up to the Whites after school tomorrow to camp at Moose Brook State Park and then hiking Mt. Success (and maybe Mt. Carlo, and MAYBE Goose Eye Mountain, too) Saturday morning, so I didn't want to get into anything too intense (I also wanted to run to Sierra to hopefully buy a cheap tent - no luck, they only had a 6 person for $70 or a 2 person for $200, neither of which I'm particularly interested in). I started along the Ponkapoag Trail and soon turned right onto the Hogdon Foot Path, hiking past (and saying "hello" to) "pee rock" - the name should imply its purpose.

It was buggy in the lower stretches of trail and the very end had some dense vegetation. Now on the Redman Farm Path (everytime I hike this trail I wonder if the name is potentially offense?) - I couldn't help but notice how hot my feet were - these boots, even though not winter boots, definitely insulate! I hiked through the YMCA trails and noticed that they're not yet closed for the season - toys all around the basketball courts and the pool still appeared to be open - not a human in sight, though!

After the YMCA stuff I crossed Redman Farm Path again and hiked the turn-around loop, which had a new sign! Next, I headed for Dorchester Path, which was a spider web heaven (or... it was...), before heading towards the infamous boardwalk.

Starting my adventure inward, I quickly remembered how grown-in the vegetation was - I had to crouch a bit for the beginning. The ground was dry but looked like it was muddy, and the boards were just a touch wiggly. I also couldn't help but notice how incredibly humid it was in here.

Next up was the fairytale forest section, which was equally beatiful and sketchy. The trees were creeking in the wind and there were only a few small pools of water beneath. It was cool to see the old boardwalk infrastructure - basically layers of old wood - a curduroy, a rotted plank, a slightly less rotted tree trunk, and then sometimes a new(er) plank of wood. 

Fairytale Forest leads to Meadow #1, which is just beautiful. The ground just before was a little wet with some bouncier planks, but I made it unscathed. The footbed was super narrow at this point, but the early fall grass colors were stunning. I just love this area - it really feels like nowhere else in the park, and truly feels like you're in some remote backcountry instead of a few miles from Boston.

The boards between Meadows #1 and #2 were more slippery and some were covered in mud, implying they're usually submerged. Meadow #2 was full of little cotton puff plants, which was beautiful to see.

The final push between Meadow #2 and The End was the sketchiest of all, with very slippery boards, a good amount of water underneath, and dense overgrowth - almost like a jungle. Thankfully, the end was near, revealing the small, but beautiful view into Ponkapoag Pond.

I was grateful the bugs never got too bad in this area, and I started my slow and steady return trip. Back on Redman Farm Path, I passed many spur-like footpaths that I assume lead to the pond - someday I'll explore these. Then, I turned onto Ponkapoag Trail and was back at the car, heading to Sierra, where I unfortunately came up empty handed.

Step-By-Step

- Park at Exit 3 off of I-93 (Ponkapoag Trail).

- Start hike along Ponkapoag Trail.

- At 5320, turn right onto Hogdon Foot Path.

- At 5218, turn right onto Redman Farm Path.

- At 5176, turn right and hike YMCA trails.

- Hike turn-around loop on other side of YMCA trails, then continue on Redman Farm Path.

- At 5174, turn right onto Dorchester Path.

- At golf course, turn around and veer right at triangle-split.

- Turn left back onto Redman Farm Path toward Boardwalk.

- Veer right and hike boardwalk CAREFULLY.

- At terminus, turn around.

- At entrance, turn right, continue onto Redman Farm Path.

- At 5241, turn left onto Ponkapoag Trail, return to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

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Ponkapoag Boardwalk via Exit 3 (Blue Hills Reservation)

Ponkapoag Boardwalk via Exit 3 (Blue Hills Reservation)

Distance: 3.21 miles
Elevation: 108 feet

Time: 1 hour, 1 minute
Hike Type: Out-and-back
Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge 2024; 125-Mile Club (2nd Time); Blue Hills Winter Trace

The Hike

Operation Ponkapoag is officially in effect! It had been below freezing for over five days now and this was truly my only window to hit the boardwalk before things heated up again. I woke up northern Vermont, did a few runs at Jay Peak in the -14 degree windchill, had an early lunch and apres, and was on the road heading south by noon. I made it to Ponkapoag Trail just after 3:30am - perfect timing! It was 27 degrees out plus a light breeze. My bag only had a headlamp, spikes (my hillsounds, which I was mad about - I keep forgetting to bring my Kahtoolas, which have been downgraded to rock spikes), and half of a Gatorade. I am READY.

Along the Hogdon Foot Path.

My power hike began on the Ponkapoag Trail and then onto the Hogdon Foot Path, which had about an inch of snow. There were a few muddy spots which made me nervous, but there were even more icy spots, which made me excited. I turned onto the Redman Farm Path (which I hope was someone's last name and not a racial slur...), and then I arrived - the infamous Ponkapoag Boardwalk. Only god knows what's in store now.

The trail right away was frozen solid - excellent. Due to the high water table and the infrequent use of this trail, the surrounding bushes were just below head-hight, so there was a good amount of ducking involved in the first bit. I descended into the darkness (I believe the trees here are cedars? cedar swamp? or I made that up) to find more frozen trail and just beautiful surroundings. I love this trail so much. It kind of stinks how inaccessible it is, but I think that also adds to the allure. 

I went past scenic meadow #1 and scenic meadow #2 and then eventually saw the end of the boardwalk... shrounded in... water? Oh no. Thankfully, there was a human at the very end, and he had dry legs, implying that the final few boards would not sink into the pond. I gently hopped the last few boards, and I did it! I took a quick photo and quickly started my return trip... because I was going to do it again! 

At the time, I thought I would do it once for the 125-Mile Club map and a second for my AMC Blue Hills Winter Trace... but apparently I already did the winter trace portion last year... at least it was nice out (I also wouldn't realize this until I was home, whoops...). The second round felt a bit silly but I was just happy to be out on the trail. I passed the same human again and then saw a few more as I was leaving. There were some visible and audible cracks in the ice toward the end, so I was grateful to have made it when I did.

My spikes came off back at the trailhead and my heart was full! I made a gentle return trip, ran to the grocery store, bought a lasagna, and had a lovely, relaxing end to my weekend.

Step-By-Step

- Start hike on Ponkapoag Trail off of Exit 3.

- At 5320, turn right onto Hogdon Foot Path.

- At 5218 (terminus), turn right onto Redman Farm Path.

- At 5176, turn left onto path toward boardwalk.

- At boardwalk, turn left onto Ponkapoag Boardwalk.

- Hike Boardwalk out-and-back twice.

- Retrace steps to car.

Blue Hills Reservation Map

Photo Album

Pongkapoag Pond & Boardwalk (Blue Hills Reservation)

Ponkapoag Pond & Boardwalk (Blue Hills Reservation)

Hike Type: Loop w/ Spurs

Distance: 6.16 miles

Elevation: 295 feet
Time: 2 hours, 19 minutes

Hiking Challenges: 52 Hike Challenge, Blue Hills Winter Trace

The Hike

New year same hikes! Hopefully some new ones, but for now… same hikes! I am really proud of my hiking last year, even with my lul in November/December, but I’m hoping to get back into it better than ever in this new year! First day hikes are always out of the question for me due to my New Years Eve plans, but nothing wrong with a second day hike (less crowds)! I had seen on Facebook that the Ponkapoag Boardwalk was passable, so that was the plan for the day! I had originally intended to count this hike for my second round of the 125-mile club, but after some more Facebooks scrolling, I decided to start keeping track of hikes for the Southeastern Massachusetts AMC Chapter’s Blue Hills Winter Trace. I parked at the empty and rugged Fisherman’s Beach parking lot, got everything together, and started my journey!

It was 38° outside and fully overcast. Very peaceful, with only a few others on the loop trail around Ponkapoag Pond. I love the view of Great Blue Hill from Fisherman’s Beach. I passed one man who happily and calmly said “Happy New Year!” which made me smile. It felt as if it were early spring, mild temperatures, trace bits of ice, and a squishy ground. I hiked the Pipe Line spur while I was out there, and to no one’s surprise, it was comically wet. I remember this always being a trend with the Pipe Line… The spur ends in people’s literal back yards, so once I felt like I was intruding I backtracked and continued my journey.

I was purposely walking slow this day for two reasons, my lungs have been dying recently and I’ve been working on using my new inhaler for exercise/cold weather induced asthma (yay for being 27!), and I was enjoying being outside. I was walking past the AMC Ponkapoag Camp and could smell fire coming from the cabins which was lovely, and it was relatively uneventful from the camp to the boardwalk. I did pass the “Happy New Year” guy and we chatted a little bit longer, and I quickly realized that he had the most incredible southern California bro-dude accent (think “The Californians” from SNL) - it was amazing. Either way, I hiked a few of the random trails in that area that then made it to the holy land - the Ponkapoag Boardwalk. 

I treaded lightly (as best as I can) and slowly. The beginnings of the boardwalk were just as I remembered, somehow equally rickety and sturdy, surrounded by thick vegetation that is currently leafless. The next section was my downfall on my first visit almost exactly a year ago, the dense, coniferous forest, which is also incredibly beautiful. It feels almost otherworldly to be in this area, which is the same area I had to turn around last time due to sunken boardwalks. Thankfully the water level was at least 1.5-2 feet lower this visit, so it was smooth sailing. 

The dense forest opens up just past the halfway point to a gorgeous meadow. It so easy to forget that there’s a major interstate so close nearby when you’re out here. The red color of the meadow was a beautiful contrast to the gray sky. There were even partial views of Big Blue from the right angles. The boardwalk dips back into another coniferous section, opens up into another meadow, and finally goes back into one final covered section to reach the end. It’s such a beautiful trail, even if terrifying, and I always feel so lucky to make the trip. 

The return trip was faster, but I took time to enjoy the scenery (and not slip into the bog). Some of the boardwalk in the shaded sections were slippery, there was one side-step, and one slanted plank, but I made it unscathed. Interestingly, the bog really holds onto the cold temperature. The weather was now in the mid 40s, but there was ice and pockets of very cold air in the denser sections. Soon enough I made it out alive, and continued my journey.

My goal for the rest of my hike was to hit the extra spur paths on the western side of the pond before getting back to my car. All were successful except for one small section near the boardwalk/YMCA. Facebook tells me it’s not really even a thing anymore, so that’s good I guess! A lot more people were out now that it was the early afternoon, so I controlled my pace to keep my distance (#antisocial). There was a great view of the bog and Big Blue from the dam area, and the final bit of tr
ail was wet as always. The sun finally peaked through the clouds as I was getting back to my car, now in a full parking lot! Cars were parked on the road, and it was also now 50°. Overall an excellent hike, and a great start to the 2023 hiking year!

Step-By-Step

• Park at Fisherman’s Beach and walk to the shoreline.

• Officially start the hike at 5321 on Acton Path (green dots), going counter clockwise. 

• At unmarked junction, hike to YMCA Camp Entrance and back.

• At unmarked junction, turn right and hike along Pipe Line and back (caution: wet).

• Continuing on the Acton Path (green dots), follow blazes and turn left at 5355.

• Continue to follow Acton Path (green dots).

• At 5343, continue to follow green dots, now onto Ponkapoag Trail.

• At 5241, continue to follow green dots, now onto Redman Farm Path.

• Hike extra trails near YMCA Camp and Ponkapoag Boardwalk.

• Hike Ponkapoag Boardwalk.

• Resume hike counter clockwise on Redman Farm Path (green dots).

• At 5174, hike spur trail and return.

• Continue on Redman Farm Path (green dots), hiking the spur on right (paved section).

• At 5175, turn left to cross Ponkapoag Dam and rejoin Acton Path (green dots).

• At 5216, hike spur trail.

• At end of spur trail, follow edge of golf course and hike back to Acton Path along other spur trail.

• Hike missed section of Acton Path, and return to parking lot.

Map of Blue Hills Reservation

Photo Album