The Blue Hills Reservation may be located only minutes from downtown Boston, but this 7,000-acre natural oasis feels like it’s a world away from busy city life. Its rolling green hills and thick, forested areas stretch all the way from Quincy to Dedham, and it contains 125 miles of trails that wind through the 22 hills in the Blue Hill chain.

Walk or bike your way to the top and you’ll be able to see not only the beautiful natural landscape, but also an all-encompassing view of the entire metropolitan area below. If you’re interested in wildlife or bird watching, there are also ample opportunities to see all types of birds and animals native to the area. Dragonflies, turkey vultures, and rabbits are common in the area, as are more elusive creatures like the endangered timber rattlesnake.

For history buffs, the Blue Hills Reservation even contains 16 historic Native American structures that are listed on the National Register.

Blue Hills Reservation
695 Hillside St
Milton, MA 02186
(617) 698-1802
www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-south/blue-hills-reservation.html

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr tom_bullock