Getting out of the home for a walk, even if it is around the block twice, is about the sanest and healthiest activity any of us can partake in at this pandemic induced homebound moment. But if you require a change of scenery from your familiar streets, then the list of walking destinations below is a starting point of ideas for your on-foot journeys as long as you agree to the new rules of the pedestrian road, a wide berth to everybody and only waves, no handshakes. Not each outdoor walking space made this list. Check out Massachusetts managed parks like Borderland State Park in Easton Sharon, Walden Pond in Concord, and The Fells just north of Boston and Trustees of Reservations sites for more strolling choices.
See You from About Six Feet Away Out Here:
World’s End, Hingham We will start here easily because of its name and how it can trigger our collective warrior spirit that will like to punch this pandemic in its face. Short of that and a vaccine, the 251-acre spread provides a lovely place for a stroll along wide, wooded Frederick Law Olmsted designed trails over not-too-hilly terrain. You can step onto the shore and take in Hingham Bay with a view of the Boston skyline, too.
World’s End, Higham, MA
Castle Island, South Boston There will be fewer airplanes than typical taking and landing off, but this spit of land across the harbor from Logan Airport sitting on Pleasure Bay provides some of the good scenery and people-watching in the city. Wide-open green patches outside the walls of Fort Independence provide plenty of room to spread out a blanket and play with, or easy watch, your children. Neponset River Reservation and Trail, Dorchester There’re plenty of boardwalks and walkways along this expansive area that runs between Quincy and Milton. The stretch of Neponset Trail that runs by Lower Mills toward Quincy provides relatively open views of marshlands to the south southeast.
Fort Independence, Castle Island, South Boston, MA
Emerald Necklace, Boston Brookline Between Boston Common and Franklin Park, you’ve more than enough choices to pick a spot. Circuit Drive in Franklin Park circles the scenic William J. Devine golf course, the Arnold Arboretum, and its plethora of about-to-pop flora features wide walkways. Jamaica Pond with its recently widened and typically bike free paths, the recently redone Muddy Water section near Landmark Center, the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, and the Public Garden. Revere Beach If you are the type who enjoys long walks along the beach, this historic beach is about three miles long and is just mints from Boston. Forest Hills Cemetery, Boston for birders, walkers, and those curious enough to see where Lucy Stone, Anne Sexton, i.e. Eugene O’Neill and cummings are buried on the sprawling 275-acre plot of land.
Charles River Reservation Stretching for 21 miles from Newton through Cambridge and Watertown to the North End in Boston, pedestrians share the right of way with bikers, rollerblades, and joggers. The Esplanade and the stretch near Harvard are only the best-known sections, not necessarily the best. Southwest Corridor, Boston Between Back Bay and Forest Hills, this stretch of state-protected parkway runs through Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, and the Back Bay parallel to, and sometimes atop, the Purple, Orange, and Amtrak train lines for more than four miles. Skyline Trail, Blue Hills Reservation Do not try to do the whole thing at once unless you plan well it is nine miles long. Or just find a section to scamper up and down for the best workout. It is a mostly elevated, wooded yet rocky trail that runs along the spine of the 7,000-acre reservation. Some spots on the eastern half provide stunning views of Boston Harbor and the city.
Charles River Esplanade
Crane Beach on the Crane Estate, Ipswich the beach with its dunes is one of the most beautiful and sweeping, and there’re five-plus miles of trails behind it that encompass an estuary and Crane Estate (closed). Afterward, if you require to replace burned calories, Woodman’s of Essex’s fried clams aren’t far away.
Minuteman Bikeway
It’s impossible to overstate the hiking opportunities along this ten-mile trail from Bedford to Cambridge where it is accessible via the Red Line’s Alewife stop. Yes, it is officially for bikes, but hikers use the paths just the same and woodlands and some historic sites line said paths. The view, framed by leaves, of people walking and biking along a path.
Minuteman Bikeway.
Cutler Park Reservation
The 600-acre state park involves a 1.5-mile loop around its Kendrick Pond that lets hikers take in the reservation’s major sites which are said to involve a variety of avian life.
Arlington’s Great Meadow
Unless about 115 years ago, this 183-acre expanse was water storage for the Town of Arlington. Since drained, it is been a lush nature preserve with at least 2 miles of prime plenty and trails of off-shoots.
Arlington’s Great Meadow
Bonus
Arlington’s best Meadow is off the Minuteman Bikeway. A large, open meadow with long grass.
Fresh Pond Reservation
The 162-acre reserve surrounds the 155-acre source of Cambridge’s water. Fresh Pond Reservation is full of trails and pathways. Go deep enough, and you will feel like you are in the country. Trees changing color in a lush park.
Fresh Pond Reservation
Arnold Arboretum
Legendary landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted designed the greensward, and Harvard University owns and administers it. Its 281 acres provide innumerable avenues for hiking and its site offer tips and maps that make taking in the arboretum’s 15,000-plus plants relatively non-mind-bending.
Arnold Arboretum, Boston, MA
