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Appalachian Mountain Club
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Appalachian Mountain Club
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The AMC Boston Chapter Local Walks/Hikes Committee leads day hikes and nature walks year-round in eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. They range in length from 3 to 20 miles over terrain which ranges from smooth and flat to rocky and hilly. A typical hike is 5 to 8 miles in length along woodland trails over rolling terrain with some hills and takes 4 to 5 hours, including lunch. The pace is usually moderate, allowing participants to socialize as they walk. Some of our hikes are hilly enough to be useful as conditioning hikes for the more rugged trails in the White Mountains or elsewhere. Dogs are not permitted on AMC Local Walks/Hikes unless explicitly stated in the hike description. Proper footwear required incl. traction gear for snow/ice. To see the kinds of activities we do, go to the listing of recent walks/hikes (2009) or check out the other pages linked above. Our hikes are announced in the Backcountry section of the monthly members' magazine, AMC Outdoors. To find out how to join the AMC, go to www.outdoors.org/join. The Hiking Areas page is a compilation of over one hundred of the larger areas for day hikes out of Boston plus information on obtaining trail maps. The Photo Gallery pages contain a growing collection of photos of trail scenes from those areas and from recent walks. The Easy Walks page has a list of nearby places where there is a scenic, level walk that is easy to follow. The Nature Walks page is about what to expect from an AMC nature walk, what to bring, and where to go on your own nature and bird walks. The Local Walks/Hikes Authors page is about the Weston conservation lands guidebook written by AMC Local Walks/Hikes leader Elmer Jones and the guidebook to plants commonly seen on walks written by AMC Local Walks/Hikes leader Hilary Hopkins. Leadership opportunities: AMC members with an aptitude for leading group hikes and knowledge of a local hiking area are encouraged to contact the Local Walks/Hikes chairman listed in AMC Outdoors magazine at the beginning of the Boston chapter activities. Website contributions: send corrections, additions, and photos to hike2009@rwinters.com. You can also direct any questions to this address. - Robert Winters, Local Walks/Hikes webmaster |
Upcoming
Local Walks ($1 for non-members...but, please, become
a member!): Sat, Feb 6. Stony Brook Reservation - West Roxbury Woods. Hike to Turtle Pond, glacial formations and Bald Hill with view, 1:00-4:00pm. From junction of Washington Street, W. Roxbury Parkway and Enneking Parkway, go south on Enneking Parkway 1.3 miles to stop sign, left 0.3 miles to parking lot on right. Storm cancels. Bring traction devices for boots if conditions warrant. L Dick Fallona. Sun, Feb 7. Pond Meadow, Braintree. Easy to moderate 4-mi. walk/snowshoe through scenic woods and meadows and along pond, 9:45am-12pm. Bring snack, water, hiking poles & sturdy footwear/traction devices/snowshoes. Meet at the Braintree lot. From SE Expressway go S to Braintree split, keep left at split onto Rte. 3 S for 1.8 mi., R at exit 17 down ramp to traffic circle, 3rd right onto Union Street east for 0.7 mi., R onto Middle Street for 0.7 mi., L at Liberty Street, immediate R into lot. L Marc Hurwitz. Sun, Feb 7. Annual Soupe de Poisson Hike, Blue Hills, Milton. In honor of Mead Bradner, 5-mi. hike on variety of trails, some steep, incl. Skyline Trail w/views. 12-4:30pm. Bring cup, spoon and $1.50 for hot chowder. Registration required. Ls Jim Goyea, Loretta O'Brien. Sun, Feb 7. Marblehead Light and Castle Rock, Marblehead. Approx. 4-mi. walk from Deveraux Beach to Castle Rock & Marblehead Light w/optional hot chocolate after, 1-3:30 p.m. Take Rte. 114 from Salem or Rte. 129 from Swampscott, R on Ocean St. to Devereux Beach pkg. lot. Storm/icy roads cancels. L Sara Epstein. Sat, Feb 13. Blue Hills, Milton. 6-mi. hike around Wolcott & Tucker hills w/shorter option, 10am-2:30pm. Bring lunch, winter footwear/traction devices. Meet at Houghton's Pond lot. From Rte. 93/128 exit 3, go N to stop sign at Hillside St., R 0.2 mi. to lot on R. Storm cancels. L Beth Mosias. Sun, Feb 14. Blue Hills. Cross-country ski six miles in the Chickatawbut section, the most remote area of the Blue Hills Reservation. Will hike if no snow, 10:00am-3:00pm. Meet at the Shea Ice Rink, Willard Street, Quincy. From Southeast Expressway, take exit 8 in Quincy, go south 0.6 miles on Willard Street. Or, from Rte. 93/128, take exit 6 in Braintree, go north 0.7 miles. Or, for public transit, take Bus 238 from the Quincy Center T station. Call if weather questionable. Joint with Friends of the Blue Hills. L Steve Olanoff. Sun, Feb 14. Breakheart Reservation, Saugus. 5-mi. historic hike. 10am-2pm. Learn the history of Breakheart with this interpretive hike & talk. Bring water, lunch, appropriate clothes/boots; traction gear is a must for this season. From Rte. 1 in Saugus take Lynn Fells Pkway. W 0.3 mi. R. onto Forest St. park at end at Res. HQ. Storm cancels. L George Hovorka. Mon, Feb 15. Blue Hills, Ponkapoag Pond. Moderately paced 5-mi. hike/snowshoe around pond, 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Bring lunch & water. From Rte. 93/128 exit 2A, take Rte. 138 S 0.7 mi. to Ponkapoag Golf Course lot on L. If no snow, bring traction devices. L Beth Mosias. Sat, Feb 20. Cambridge Park & Greenways. 6-mi. hike featuring Fresh Pond, Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Charles River Greenway & Harvard, 9:15am-12:30pm. Easy return by T. Meet W side Alewife T sta. at passenger drop-off sign. Severe storm cancels. Please see http://amcboston.org/walks for cancellation notice. L Mike Stadelmaier. Sun, Feb 21. Harold Parker State Forest, North Andover. 10am-2pm. 6-mi. hike to quarry, Berry Pond, Sterns pond and other points of interest. Mostly flat terrain, some rocky areas. Winter hiking shoes and traction devices/snow shoes strongly advised. Bring water, lunch and something warm to drink. From Rte. 93 take Exit 41 in Wilmington. Take 125N, 2.8 mi. R at the State Police Station onto Harold Parker Rd. Go 1.4 mi to end, pkg. lot is directly in front of you. Heavy snow cancels. L Charles Annesi. Sun, Feb 21. Wachusett Mountain, Princeton. Mod. to stren. 7-mi. hike to open summit with good views. Bring lunch, water, sturdy boots & warm clothing; traction devices/winter gear may be req'd. Meet 9am for carpool at Lincoln RR station. From Rte. 95/128 exit 28, take Trapelo Rd. W 2.5 mi. to end. L onto Lincoln Rd. 1.3 mi. to RR sta. pkg. on R before tracks. Storm cancels. L Jerry Yos. Sun, Feb 28. Middlesex Fells, Winchester. Slow paced nature walk focusing on plant ID & fun natural history, 1-4 p.m. From Rte. 93 exit 33 rotary, follow S. Border Rd. towards Winchester 2 mi. to Long Pond lot on R. Parking limited; arrive early. Heavy rain or snow cancels. L Boot Boutwell. Want more listings? Interested in listings for other AMC chapters and committees? You can do a complete search at http://trips.outdoors.org. |
| Site Contents | |
| Local
Walks/Hikes Home - this page. Recent Local Walks/Hikes (2009) Local Walks/Hikes, 2008 - brief descriptions Local Walks/Hikes, 2007 - brief descriptions Local Walks/Hikes, 2003 (partial) Local Walks/Hikes, 2002 Local Walks/Hikes, 2001 Hiking Areas - list of hiking areas and map info Middlesex Canal - canal walk details Hunting Seasons - hunting seasons to be aware of |
Conditioning
Hikes - nearby trails with elevation gain Easy Walks - walks that are level and easy to follow Nature Walks - nature and bird walk info Photo Gallery - photos of the hiking areas and hikes Local Walks/Hikes Authors - books by Local Walks leaders Cat Rock and 80 Acres - sample chapter from Elmer Jones' book Common Plants index - index from Hilary Hopkins' book Common Plants sample pages - sample pages from Hilary Hopkins' book |
Cove of Silver Lake, Breakheart Res., Saugus, MA