AMC Boston Chapter - Local Walks

Local Walks/Hikes Home		Hiking Areas		Conditioning Hikes		Easy Walks		Nature Walks		Local Walks/Hikes Authors
Recent Walks/Hikes (2010)		2009 Local Walks/Hikes		2008 Local Walks/Hikes		Photo Gallery		AMC Join		AMC Boston

Appalachian Mountain Club
Boston Chapter Local Walks/Hikes Committee

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 (2010) 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 hike2010@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!):
[Most AMC Local Walks/Hikes are "show and go" without registration. If registration is required, it will say so explicitly in the hike description. Proper footwear required incl. traction gear for snow/ice.]

Notice: July 28, 2010 - Parts of southeastern Massachusetts are currently at high risk for Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), an especially lethal viral disease spread by mosquitoes, according to state health officials. Affected areas include: Acushnet, Berkley, Bridgewater, Carver, Duxbury, Fairhaven, Freetown, Halifax, Kingston, Lakeville, Mattapoisett, Middleborough, New Bedford, Plympton, Raynham, Rochester, and Taunton. Surrounding towns are believed to be at moderate risk. Mosquitoes infected with EEE have been found as far south as Fairhaven, near New Bedford, and as far north as Duxbury. So far, 10 collections of mosquitoes have tested positive for the disease, and a horse has succumbed to it. No human cases have been reported.

Sat, July 31. Grassy Pond Conservation Land, Acton, MA. Slow-paced nature walk through woods and fields focusing on plant ID and fun natural history. 1:00-4:00pm. Route 2 Exit 42 (Route 27/Main Street, Acton). Follow Route 27N for about 1 mile through Acton Center and turn left on Nagog Hill Road. Travel Nagog Hill Road for about 1.1 miles. There is parking on the left just past the small meadow. Parking is limited, so please arrive early. Steady rain cancels. L Boot Boutwell.

Tues, Aug 3. Prospect Hill Park, Waltham. 6:30-8:30pm. Moderately-paced hike on trails and roads with views. From I-95/Route 128 Exit 27A (Totten Pond Road). Continue east 0.7 miles to park on the right. L Henry Gardner.

Sat, Aug 7. Middlesex Fells, Winchester. Easy walk in open woods. 10:00am-2:00pm. Meet at Wedgmere Station (Lowell line). I-93 to the Mystic Valley Parkway. Rain cancels. L Betsy Goeke.

Sun, Aug 8. Manchester-Essex Conservation Area, Manchester, MA. Slow-paced nature walk through forest to the top of Millstone Hill, focusing on plant ID and natural history. 9:30am-12:30pm. Route 128N Exit 15 (School Street). Left on School Street. Go 0.5 miles to a dirt parking lot on the left, just before the Manchester-Essex town line. Steady rain cancels. L Boot Boutwell.

Thurs, Aug 12. Castle Island, South Boston. Leisurely 4-mile walk along the harbor from 6:45-8:15pm. From I-93, take the JFK exit and follow the beach along Day Boulevard to the end. Meet in front of Sullivan's. Bus: take the Red Line to Broadway Station, then the City Point bus #9 or #11. Walk east toward the water and turn left on Day Boulevard. L Marc Hurwitz.

Sat, Aug 14. Lincoln Conservation Land. Easy 5-mile walk around Flint's Pond through scenic fields and meadows near the DeCordova Museum, 10:30am-1:30pm. Bring lunch and water. From I-95/Route 128 Exit 28 in Waltham, take Trapelo Road west for 2.5 miles to a left on Lincoln Road. Travel 0.6 miles and turn right at the sign for Lincoln Public Schools. Park at the tennis courts. Storm cancels. L Marc Hurwitz.

Sun, Aug 15. Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge. 2.5-hour afternoon walk exploring the natural beauty and history of Mount Auburn's 174 acres. The theme of the walk is Poets & Writers. L Jim Loughlin.

Sun, Aug 15. Bedford, Burlington, and Lexington, MA Woodlands. Very hilly 6-mile wander from 9:45am-2:00pm. Meet at Shawsheen Cemetery, at the intersection of Routes 4 and 225, and Shawsheen Avenue, Bedford. At the main entrance, keep right and turn left at the directory board. Park beyond the fence in the dirt lot or on adjacent paved roadway. Heavy rain cancels (call if unsure). L Mark Levine.

Sat, Aug 21. Blue Hills, Milton. Moderate-to-strenuous hike. Red Dot Trail to Buck Hill and beyond. 9:30am-3:30pm. From I-93/Route 128 Exit 3, travel north for 0.5 miles to the stop sign and turn right on Hillside Street. Go 0.2 miles to the parking lot on the right. Rain cancels. No dogs. Non-AMC members, $1. L Corinne Waite.

Sat, Aug 21. [Forty-Plus] View the parks, factory sites and falls along the Charles River DCR path from Watertown Sq. to Moody Street, Waltham and return. Bring your lunch to eat at a park or we will choose a restaurant. Five to six miles. Sign up with L. Florence Walker at 617-969-8857 before 9:00pm. CL Alice McDougall. Limited to fifteen.

DCR Blue Hills Hikes & Happenings - Summer 2010 (PDF)

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 (2010)

Local Walks/Hikes, 2009 - brief descriptions

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