February 23, 2020 Sunny

This is a small, urban woodland in the southwest part of Boston and Dedham. We parked at a small lot along Dedham Parkway at the south end of the reservation and explored the trails.

The main loop, a Healthy Heart Trail, is paved and mainly flat, and we followed it north, passing by some interesting rocky outcroppings.

We could also see the adjacent George Wright public golf course.

The walkers were greatly outnumbered by joggers on this path, which struck us as a great place for a quick jog. Maybe next time.

We soon reached a high point overlooking Turtle Pond and scrambled down to the trail around the pond.

It was a warm, sunny day and a young man was sunning and reading on the old wooden dock. We looked for turtles here but didn’t find any, and continued around the pond.

Although we hoped to make a circuit around the pond on this path, we found that we had to walk a short distance on the side of the Enneking Parkway (safe to do) and then rejoin the paved path at the southern tip of the pond.

We then made our way back along the paved trail to our car.

The reservation is small, but is very “stony” forest, which makes it pretty interesting. The relative wilderness in this urban area, along with the nicely paved trails, makes it a good walk.

• Paved loop trail through a stony forest to a small pond. Good walk for an urban park.
• There’s an easy trail but it didn’t go around the pond. It’s bordering a golf course and is very popular with the locals.
• At one point we had to walk on the road, with all the trash and brambles, but other than that, it was pretty cool.
• The paved paths were good because the other parks didn’t have them, but the walk was regular.
• I liked the paved paths.

For more information: Stony Brook Reservation official site.

February 19, 2020 Sunny

This state park in the town of Hadley surrounds Mount Holyoke and provides great views of the Connecticut River valley.

We started at the southern end of the mountain near an old cemetery, planning to climb the ridge to the north and return the same way. Immediately we hit some icy patches in the trail and had to step along the side at times.

After the initial ascent there was a strong western wind that blasted us the rest of the hike. The day was in the upper 30s with bright sun, but a cold front was approaching, ushering in the cooler air.

In a short time, you can already start to see the valley through the trees, and the trail hugs the side ledges, so there are many outcroppings that offer clear views.

Once we reached the sunnier and more sheltered areas, the wind died down and it was quite pleasant in the sun. A few patches had barren rock as you see below.

As we continued higher we found more traces of snow on the rocks and path, and came across a small “pond” that was completely frozen with thick ice. The kids loved sliding along this one.

Although I love to have scenic vistas, sometimes the trail was a little too close to the edge, as you see below. You could easily tumble off if you weren’t careful.

Finally we reached the historic “Prospect House”, which first opened as a hotel in 1851, but is now a viewing area within the park.

At the base of the hotel, you get awesome views to the northwest. On the center left in the distance, the small bump is Mt. Greylock (the highest point in Mass) and on the center right, you can see all the way to Mt. Snow in southern Vermont. In the foreground is the Connecticut River.

Although the building (now a visitor center) was closed for the season, we wandered around the outer deck to enjoy the views. Each side had a helpful map to help us spot near and distant landmarks.

Just before we left, we found this sign with the elevation. Mt. Holyoke definitely feels like a bigger mountain than 942 feet!

Since the trails were pretty icy and snowy, we decided to return via the paved road down the mountain and back to our car. The winding road was still icy in a few shady patches, but cleared as we rounded the last corner into the sun.

Below you can see the “Halfway House”. In the mid-1800s, tourists could take a steep, covered tramway up the mountain to the “Prospect House” hotel (climbing 365 feet over a 600 foot run). Unfortunately, the tram fell into disrepair and was demolished in the 1960s.

This park has plenty of draws – Mt. Holyoke and the Prospect House among them. The hike was really scenic and the views from the top are amazing.

• Awesome views west and north across the Connecticut River valley most of the time. Loved reaching the old “Prospect House” hotel with panoramic views.
• Would have been a great hike in the summer. The trails were too slippery in the winter.
• It smelled like manure the entire time up the mountain, and when we got to the top there was some hotel that we couldn’t even go inside.
• The view was nice from the mountain but the trail is okay.
• I liked the view of all places on Earth. And I liked the hotel on top. And I liked the paths like stony steps.

For more information: Skinner State Park official site

February 15, 2020 Sunny

This park has a 1,000 acres with trails mostly for hiking and mountain biking, and contains a few ponds and swampy areas as well.

We came here on a cold winter day with some snow on the ground, and set out for a walk around the pond. The park was quiet, but we did see a lone mountain biker with big, knobby tires, coming up and out of one of the paths.

Much of the trail was snowy and at a few points crossed small streams flowing from the pond, but these all had convenient bridge crossings.

The kids also loved playing on some frozen puddles, stomping the ice to see if they could break through.

The pond glowed in the late afternoon sun and was very serene. This is a view to the east.

A few bridges were not as formal and called for careful footwork.

Many areas seemed to have been dammed by beavers, although this is not one, given the size of the trees.

As we rounded the far end of the pond and headed back down the other side, the sun dropped in the western sky with a gentle glow.

Just before our hike ended, the kids found a giant see-saw to play on.

The woods here seemed pretty and wild under the snow cover, with only the occasional mountain bike (or even snowmobile) track. Spring and summer could be pleasant, but it seems to me muddy and buggy at times. I guess it’s just a matter of being prepared.

• Snowy trails with some ice but enjoyed looping around the big pond.
• Very peaceful in the winter. Trails are well marked.
• There was ice but the walk was pretty cold and boring.
• There was a lot of ice to break and slide on(yay). There was also a natural seesaw.
• There was a lot of ice to slide and break on. There was a seesaw.

For more information: Lowell-Dracut-Tyngsboro State Forest official site

February 2, 2020 Cloudy

Callahan State Park is next to Sudbury Reservoir. Some trails actually lead from one state park to the other. There are two main entrances to Callahan State Park. We picked the North Entrance.

There are many, many trails criss-crossing the park. The signs were good, but it’s still very hard to follow a particular trail. We got confused at different places, even though we had an app to show us the exact route.

We chose a trail that allowed us to explore a little bit of everything Callahan State Park has to offer – meadows, hills, woods, and ponds.

The trail first took us past an open meadow. There were picnic benches and the views were expansive. The trail quickly leads to the woods where people walked their dogs and there were dog poop and baggies everywhere. We had to watch where we stepped.

The trail became hilly at places, and at the edge of the park we saw a horse farm. Just before the farm, the kids spotted a cabin.

This was a fun adventure for the kids. The cabin had old mattresses and sofas inside. It seemed to be a shelter at some point, but abandoned. Now who knows what’s going on in there?

Next we walked past a pond called Beebe Pond. It was quite frozen, and at one point there was another abandoned structure. This looked like a chimney. According to our map, this is called “Chimney in Woods”.

The pond was mostly frozen, but there were cracks, and at places a spring flowed under the ice. It looked very peaceful.

• The walk had good variety for a small park but too much dog poop (as other reviewers noted).
• Too much dog poop to dodge.
• First it was the dogs, then the poop, then the abandoned shack, then the rushing river. What an adventure! Unfortunately, Ryan took my walking stick, so that was a bummer.
• We got to poke the ice with sticks but there was a lot of (dog) poop.
• I liked the loop trail because you don’t have to see the same stuff.

For more information: Callahan State Park official site

February 2, 2020 Cloudy

Sudbury Reservoir is an emergency backup reservoir for the Boston area, as an alternative to the Quabbin and Wachusett reservoirs.

From the small parking area, there is a short trail to the left, about 1000 ft, to the Sudbury Dam. The Dam is closed off and inaccessible. We saw a sign for the “Sudbury Dam Historic District” and there is a small parking area for it. But we only saw one or two abandoned buildings and the closed-off dam, so there’s not much to see.

Turning right, there is a carriage road that hugs one side of the reservoir. The trail was wide and mostly flat. Since dogs are not allowed in the state park area, the trail was clean. We saw people jogging and families with little kids.

There are many large trees planted along trail, and a beautiful stone wall. The carriage road follows the reservoir on one side, and the other side borders a small hill called Pine Hill. There are different trails branching off from the carriage road to access the reservoir or to explore the hill. However, many of these side trails aren’t properly maintained. When we tried to follow one to Pine Hill, we quickly lost the trail and had to turn around.

We went in the winter and didn’t see a lot of wildlife. However, we noticed evidence of beavers and also heard and saw large birds.

This is an easy and pleasant walk to get outdoors.

• Enjoyable walk along a dirt road with trees lining both sides.
• Pleasant enough, but not much to see though.
• An excellent example of why they should change all the state parks that are forests to state forests, so there could be around 5 state parks left and this blog wouldn’t be SO BORING.
• There was just a bunch of hills and leaves and dead bushes. OK.
• It was just a regular flat path. I liked the side trail we tried to hike.

For more information: Sudbury Reservoir official site

January 26, 2020 Showers

The Wachusett Reservoir was completed in the early 1900’s and was at the time the largest public water supply reservoir and largest body of water in Massachusetts. The dam is 115 feet tall, very solidly built, and remains the “largest hand built dam in the world” according to the sign.

In any case, we parked next to the dam and walked along the northern side of the reservoir, which touches the town of Clinton. The walk was flat and roughly 3 miles.

We started our descent on the handsome stone stairways next to the dam.

The view to the north along the South Nashua River and town of Clinton is quite pretty.

At the bottom of the dam is a large stone building as well as several paths that lead around a small pool.

We continued through the forest visible at top left and followed along a short path that led us to the shoreline.

The path soon reaches a wide open grassy area, and you can either follow a gravel path or walk closer to the water’s edge, hugging the shore. With the mild weather, the gravel was wet in places but very manageable even with sneakers.

Although we visited on a cloudy day, the views were really impressive, and the strong westerly wind was very fresh.

After reaching the forest at the end of this clearing, we turned back, trying to outrun a sudden rainstorm that blew in from the west and pelted us with a sleet/rain mix on our backs.

Despite the rain at the end, or maybe because of that, the kids enjoyed this easy walk.

• The best part was dam itself and the views north toward the town of Clinton. Worth an easy walk in good weather.
• The dam was inaccessible, but there was a variety of views on the trail.
• It was a bitterly cold night. Rain fell like bullets against the Prentice family, who were frantically running towards the nearest shelter, a small building by the reservoir splattered with graffiti. There was not a soul in sight; Anyone sensible would have gotten in their vehicles and driven speedily away as soon as they saw the weather conditions. Not a good time.
• It was raining and it was very cold but the dam was cool.
• I like the reservoir. And we jogged. And it rained. And at least I had my hood!

For more information: Wachusett Reservoir official site.

December 22, 2019 Sunny

This is a small state park that consists mainly of wetlands and encompasses a portion of the Alewife Brook as it flows north toward the Mystic River. It’s basically right next to the Alewife T station but we started the small walk from the western lot that’s accessible from Route 2 by the office parks.

Although the park is very urban, you are immediately immersed in the wetlands, and the colors are very pretty even in mid-winter.

The park also has a bunch of cute little wooden signs and some inscribed boulders.

After reaching the Alewife station you can continue along the ‘U’ shaped path heading westward. This section is more interesting, with a jogging path and a boardwalk system that explores the wetland area.

After about a half mile, we reached the end of the boardwalk loop and paused to watch some ducks before retracing our steps.

You can see the extent of the park and the interesting color contrasts in the pictures below. But also just how urban this park is, lined with office parks and condos.

A surprisingly wild corner in a busy section of Cambridge that is worth a quick stroll.

• It’s great for an urban park, with wetlands, boardwalks, and inscribed boulders. Also connects with a bike path.
• This is an urban oasis. Looks like a lot of workers nearby enjoy it tremendously.
• It was pretty fun until Miles started throwing ice at the ducks and they thought it was food. That was when it became EPIC.
• Sliding on the ice on the street was fun, and there were ducks to see in the pond.
• Me like duck. Me like ice also to slide on.

For more information: Alewife Brook Reservation official site

November 28, 2019 Cloudy

Hammond Pond Reservation in Newton is a protected woodland park. It consists of a pond, hiking trails, and formations of sandstone conglomerate and Roxbury puddingstone which are popular with rock climbers. We also visited the adjacent Houghton Garden conservation area as part of our walk.

We arrived first at the parking area, which is basically next to the Chestnut Hill mall and on the pond.

From there we took a short walk north around the pond, stopping first to admire the unusual rock formations that formed sheer faces. It turns out that Roxbury puddingstone (shown below) is the official rock of Massachusetts. In the early 19th and 20th centuries it was used in buildings for the foundations of houses.

The boys scrambled up one of the cliffs along the path.

You can see some of these in the photo below as we continued onward. I think they are about 30 feet high or more.

The path hugs the pond and heads north, crossing the Green Line D branch.

Just beyond the tracks we found Houghton Garden and discovered a local gem. This garden was started by the Houghton family in 1906, fell into disrepair at some point in the 60s, but was cleaned up and is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

The garden is filled with waterways, bridges, and a lagoon. Along the paths are rhododendrons and azaleas. There is a also a large rock garden with a whimsical stone bench.

After touring the garden we headed back and made a detour to see the peat bog.

Then we continued south and around Hammond Pond once again, just as the setting sun broke through the clouds.

Hammond Pond has a lot of visual variety for a compact area, with the pond, cliffs, and peat bog. Unfortunately you can hear a lot of road noise and the Green Line, so it’s not a great place for solitude.

• I enjoyed this walk and its variety. It’s a convenient park to visit and surprisingly large considering that Newton is a dense and busy suburb.
• The landscape was varied but the whole thing was pretty small. Can also hear the T and traffic.
• There was a dead squirrel hanging from a tree in the swampland, but other than that it was pretty disgusting.
• The park was very drab and creepy, but in the spring it would probably be nice. There were lots of rocks that I could climb on.
• Muddy muddy rock. Me wants climb!!!

November 17, 2019 Cold, Flurries

Belle Isle Marsh is an urban preserve that contains the last of the saltmarshes that were once prevalent along the coast near Boston.

It contains a short loop path of less than a mile, along with some boardwalks and a wooden viewing tower. We started along the flat gravel path and made our way into the marsh.

We visited under gray skies but the contrasting colors were still striking. We were surprised to see other visitors, but it appears to be a popular spot for joggers and dog walkers.

Several sections allow you to look out over the marsh grass and waters.

The short, barren trees made an interesting web against the grey skies.

Although it’s not clear in the picture below, you can even see the Atlantic in the distance.

Looking to the south, you can see the control tower at Logan. And just beyond is the Boston skyline.

Interestingly, the water in the marsh was a light grey/green, but was not murky or cloudy. The color seems to come from the mud or clay under the surface.

Toward the end of the loop path you reach a small wooden bridge that leads to an observation tower.

We climbed the tower for views of the entire marsh, mainly stretching to the east and south of us.

Belle Isle Marsh is a scenic spot, but probably best seen under blue skies. But if you come in the summer, be prepared with high-test repellant containing DEET. The saltmarsh mosquitoes here are especially vicious, as we found out earlier in August, when we came unprepared and were driven out by the bugs.

• The unusual salt marsh features make this an interesting and quick stop if you’re in the area.
• It is a sanctuary in an urban area. We went on a cold day, but in the spring/summer there were many wildflowers.
• A desolate wasteland with nothing but cattails and swamp for as far as the eye can see… I don’t know why anyone would ever want to make this into a Reservation. Poor Belle.
• The observation tower was cool and there was a river.
• The tower took so short to get up.

For more information: Belle Isle Marsh Reservation official site