Boston Fare Hikes: Find An MBTA-Accessible Hike Near You

Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University

Lilac, cattails, and sunflowers grow amongst dense grass. In the background, there is a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees. There is a brick building mostly hidden by trees in the background.

Description: A romantic haven, the Arnold Arboretum sustains gentle hills of varied gardens, vibrant trees, and scenic paths....
Climb: easy-to-moderate
Features: accessible bicycle-friendly bird-watching dog-friendly foliage free gardens medium (151-1000 acres) skyline views
City: Boston, MA

Blue Hills Reservation

From the top of Nahanton Hill, the horizon is blue green, with the Blue Hills Reservoir just before it. In the foreground, there is dense green foliage.

Description: Popular for a reason, Blue Hills offers hundreds of miles of trails....
Climb: intense
Features: accessible bicycle-friendly bird-watching cross-country skiiing dog-friendly fishing foliage free ice skating large (>1000 acres) panoramic views pond reservoir skating rink skiing skyline views
City: Milton, MA

Breakheart Reservation

A rocky trail ascends a steep, densely wooded hill. The trees' foliage is mostly green but has started to turn orangey brown from the drought. In the left foreground, blueberry bushes grow. The face of the hill is in shadow from the trees, but the sunlight ahead shines through the leaves.

Description: Heartbreakingly beautiful, Breakheart Reservation's trails extend over seven rocky hills....
Climb: moderate-to-intense
Features: bicycle-friendly bird-watching cross-country skiiing dog-friendly foliage free medium (151-1000 acres) panoramic views pond remote river skyline views swimming
City: Saugus, MA

Description: Historically Boston's drinking water supply, the Brookline Reservoir makes a short and sweet loop for walkers and joggers....
Climb: flat
Features: dog-friendly fishing free reservoir skyline views small (<150 acres) urban
City: Brookline, MA

Charles River Park Reservation

In the foreground, goslings and adult geese graze on the grass. Then, the Charles River flows in the background, and the other shore can be seen. A footbridge extends over the river. In the background, there are trees and buildings on either side.

Description: Twenty miles long, the Charles River Park Reservation maintains bike paths, pedestrian paths, playgrounds, athletic fields, and some of the best views of Boston and Cambridge....
Climb: easy
Features: accessible athletic fields bicycle-friendly bird-watching dog-friendly foliage free gardens large (>1000 acres) river urban
City: Boston and Cambridge, MA

Chestnut Hill Reservoir

Description: On either side of the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, views of the city and Boston College stand on the horizon....
Climb: flat
Features: bird-watching dog-friendly free pool reservoir skating rink skyline views small (<150 acres)
City: Boston, MA

Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary

In the background, there is the wall of a stone building with a white-framed window. In front there is a dense green garden in bright sunlight. In the center, there is a butterfly perched on a magenta lilac-like flower. The butterfly is brown with a checkered pattern.

Description: With only four miles of trails, animal exhibitions form the main attraction at Mass Audubon Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary....
Climb: easy-to-moderate
Features: accessible bird-watching farm foliage gardens remote small (<150 acres)
City: Lincoln, MA

Emerald Necklace Conservancy

There are geese in the water at Leverett Pond. At the far side of the pond, there are dense deciduous trees and a bridge. To the left, there are also dense deciduous trees, partially overhanging the water.

Description: The Emerald Necklace lays a string of parks from Back Bay through Jamaica Plain, its jewels a wide variety of recreational activities....
Climb: easy
Features: accessible athletic fields bicycle-friendly dog-friendly fishing free gardens medium (151-1000 acres) pond urban
City: Boston, MA

Forest Hills Cemetery

Graves on a grassy, wooded hill before a triangle of paved paths. The background is densely wooded.

Description: The sculptures and gardens of Forest Hills Cemetery create a restful yet visually stimulating escape from the city....
Climb: easy
Features: accessible free gardens medium (151-1000 acres)
City: Boston, MA

Fresh Pond

In the distance, two children walk together on a hilly grassy meadow. On the far end of the meadow, there are dense trees on the left, but a short clearing in the middle reveals the water of Fresh Pond. The sky is partially cloudy.

Description: A two and a half mile wooded path surrounds Fresh Pond, Cambridge's source of drinking water....
Climb: easy
Features: accessible bicycle-friendly dog-friendly free medium (151-1000 acres) pond reservoir
City: Cambridge, MA

Great Esker Park

A cormorant flying out of the water of a salt marsh at high tide, leaving a skipping pattern on the water. Tall grasses grow in the foreground, while behind the bird there are dense trees behind more tall grass.

Description: Great Esker Park lies along the Weymouth Back River with salt water marshes, reversing falls, and six miles of trails....
Climb: moderate
Features: bird-watching dog-friendly esker fishing foliage free medium (151-1000 acres) remote tidal river
City: Weymouth, MA

Hammond Pond Park/Webster Conservation

A massive rock of Roxbury Puddingstone sits in a forest, partially obscured by some trees in the foreground.

Description: Sprinkled with lilies, Hammond Pond lies adjacent to the wooded trails of Webster Conservation Area....
Climb: easy-to-moderate
Features: bird-watching fishing foliage free gardens medium (151-1000 acres) pond rock-climbing
City: Newton, MA

Hemlock Gorge Reservation

The sun radiates through the trees on a densely wooded hill.

Description: Tucked in between suburban Newton and Needham, tiny Hemlock Gorge Reservation features a few mild hills and waterfalls....
Climb: easy-to-moderate
Features: free river small (<150 acres) waterfalls
City: Needham, MA

Horn Pond Mountain

Dense vegetation grows in a rocky bowl-shaped valley. At the top of the valley grow dense trees.

Description: Skyline views and an abandoned reservoir await discovery atop Horn Pond Mountain....
Climb: moderate-to-intense
Features: bird-watching dog-friendly fishing foliage free medium (151-1000 acres) pond remote skyline views
City: Woburn, MA

Lynn Woods Reservation

A stone staircase climbs uphill, with rocks and fallen branches on the right. Towards the top, trees grow on either side.

Description: Lynn Woods Reservation entices with scenic trails, multiple reservoirs, rose gardens, and tall tales behind cryptic sites....
Climb: moderate-to-intense
Features: bicycle-friendly cross-country skiiing dog-friendly foliage free gardens large (>1000 acres) panoramic views pond remote reservoir rock-climbing skyline views
City: Lynn, MA

Mass Audubon Boston Nature Center & Wildlife Sanctuary

Tall yellow and green grasses grow in a field. In the mid-background, there are thick bushes and some bare deciduous trees. In the background, there are densely leafy deciduous trees. The sky is blue with some light clouds on the horizon.

Description: Mass Audubon Boston Nature Center's simple trails pass by wetlands, fields, and community gardens....
Climb: flat
Features: accessible bird-watching free gardens small (<150 acres)
City: Boston, MA

Middlesex Fells Reservation

Brilliant foliage reflects on a shallow pond beneath a partially cloudy day. Leafy deciduous trees grow thickly on the far shore, and in shadow in the foreground, a large boulder lies.

Description: Waterfalls, rocky hills, and city views grace the trails of Middlesex Fells Reservation....
Climb: moderate-to-intense
Features: bicycle-friendly bird-watching cross-country skiiing dog-friendly fishing foliage free large (>1000 acres) panoramic views pond pool reservoir rock-climbing skating rink skyline views waterfalls
City: Medford and Melrose, MA

Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary

As seen through a bare forest in early spring from a high hill, there is a vernal pool in a valley.

Description: With 25 miles of trails, the Mass Audubon Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary harbors forests, fields, and wetlands....
Climb: moderate-to-intense
Features: bird-watching foliage medium (151-1000 acres) remote
City: Sharon, MA

Mount Auburn Cemetery

On the right, the trunk of a tree at close range. At mid-range, there are three gravestones in the center with three wild turkeys standing among them. To their right, there is a tree with intricate branches. To the left and behind, there are three more gravestones with three more turkeys, one partially cut off. In the background, a path in front of two sarcophagi and more gravestones and trees.

Description: Bucolic Mount Auburn Cemetery preserves a sanctuary of natural solace and urban wildlife....
Climb: easy-to-moderate
Features: accessible bird-watching foliage free gardens medium (151-1000 acres) panoramic views skyline views
City: Cambridge, MA

Pine Banks Park

From a height, with the rocky top of the hill visible, there are the tops of tall trees with a glimpse of the horizon in the mid center. The sky is clear blue.

Description: Pine Banks Park provides recreational fields and brief wooded trails that climb to a scenic outlook....
Climb: moderate
Features: athletic fields bicycle-friendly dog-friendly esker free rock-climbing small (<150 acres)
City: Malden, MA

Prospect Hill Park

Flowering weeds grow in the foreground amongst a gravel path. Then, the tops of leafy deciduous trees growing below. A tree looms in the front left. In the distance, green urban sprawl extending towards the horizon where a blue tinged hill is discernible. Power lines extend diagonally from the top right and top left.

Description: Prospect Hill Park's steep hills, vernal pools, and dense woods open up to scenic outlooks east and west....
Climb: intense
Features: accessible bicycle-friendly dog-friendly foliage free medium (151-1000 acres) panoramic views skyline views
City: Waltham, MA