The AMC Boston Chapter Local Walks 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 unless explicitly stated in the hike description.

To see the kinds of activities we do, go to the listing of recent walks (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 Authors page is about the Weston conservation lands guidebook written by AMC Local Walks leader Elmer Jones and the guidebook to plants commonly seen on walks written by AMC Local Walks 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 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 webmaster

Upcoming Local Walks ($1 for non-members...but, please, become a member!):
[Most AMC Local Walks are "show and go" without registration. If registration is required, it will say so explicitly in the hike description.]

Sat, June 27. Edible Wild Plant Walk, Bay Circuit Trail, Hanson. Learn about edible wild plants in greater Boston area. Keys to species ID provided, along with edible portions, seasons of availability, preparation & guidelines for safe & environmentally responsible foraging,. Rain/shine. Joint w/WalkBoston. Contact L for details. L Russ Cohen.

Sun, June 28. Parks & Greenways, Belmont. 6-mi. mostly wooded hike incl. Beaver Brook Reservation, 10am-1:30pm. Bring lunch. From Rte. 128 (I-95), take Exit 28A/Trapelo Rd 3.4 miles E to 3rd set of lights, turn right onto Waverly Oaks Rd, immediate left into pkg. lot. Bus 73 (Harvard T) to end, walk 0.3 mi. L Mike Stadelmaier.

Sat, July 4. Freedom Trail, Boston. Celebrate Declaration of Independence & Boston's role in America's struggle for freedom w/narrated walk to the 16 Freedom Trail sites, ending at Charlestown Navy Yard w/USS Constitution returning from annual turnaround cruise. Ltd to 20. L Bill McDonald (wamcd41@yahoo.com).

Sat, July 4. Mt. Monadnock, NH. 4-mi., moderate to difficult, classic New England hike. Meet at Sears (South entrance) in Burlington Mall for carpool at 7:45am or at Mt. Monadnock gift shop at 10am. Bring lunch, water and hiking boots. Rain cancels. L Nick Palky.

Sat, July 4. World's End Reservation, Hingham. Scenic 5-mi. walk, 8:30-11:30am. Bring snack & water. From Rte. 3A rotary in Hingham, take Summer St. 0.5 mi. to light, L on Martin's Lane to entr. Pkg. fee. Avoid Rte. 228 due to holiday event road closures. Storm cancels. L Beth Mosias.

Sat, July 4. Parks & Greenways, Boston. 12-mi. walk incl. Arnold Arboretum, Emerald Necklace, SW Corridor Park, Boston Harborwalk, Freedom Trail, 12:45-6:30pm. Numerous shorter options. Bring snacks. Meet at Forest Hills T by exit turnstiles. L Mike Stadelmaier.

Sun, July 5. Blue Hills, Milton. Two part L's choice hike, 12:45-3pm and 3-5:15pm. From Rte. 93/128 exit 3 (Houghtons/Ponkapoag) go N 0.5 mi. to stop sign, R on Hillside St. 0.2 mi. to Houghton's Pond lot on R. L Mike Stadelmaier.

Sun, July 5. Boston/Charlestown Harbor Walk. Visit scenic & historic sites on brisk 10-mi. walk along waterfront from Charlestown to Dorchester Heights, 9am. Stop for coffee/snack in North End, lunch at Quincy Market. Shorter options available. Meet at Kendall T sta., Cambridge. Rain cancels. L Shelly Elzweig.

Sat, July 11. Lynn Woods, Lynn. Fast-paced, challenging 8-mi. hike w/ponds, hills, & cave, 10am-2:30pm. Bring lunch & water. From Rte. 1 in Saugus 2 mi. S of Rte. 95/128, take Walnut St. SE 2 mi., L onto Pennybrook Rd. to Western Gate lot. No reg. L Marc Hurwitz.

Sun, July 12. Breakheart Reservation, Saugus. Mod. to stren. Approx. 5 mi. hike over many hills & rough terrain. 9am-2pm. Bring lunch, water, snacks. Swimming after hike. Meet at Northeast Metro School. From Rt. 1 in Saugus take Main St. exit W 2.5 mi. (becomes Farm St.) R on Hemlock St. to end. From 95/128 exit 39 in Wakefield, take North Av. E 2.5 mi. (becomes Nahant St.), R on Farm St. L on Hemlock St. to the end. Cancel if rain. L Nelson Caraballo.

Tues, July 14. Blue Hills, Milton. Challenging 4-mi. hike along steep trails w/possible sunset views, 6:30-8:30pm. Bring snack, water, sturdy footwear. From Rte. 93/128 exit 2B, take Rte. 138 N 1.3 mi. to pkg. lot on R just past Trailside Museum. No reg. Storm cancels. L Marc Hurwitz.

Want more listings? Interested in listings for other AMC chapters and committees? You can do a complete search at http://trips.outdoors.org.