Coastal hikes near Boston/N. Shore (Lynn, Malden: live in, beach, eat)

[Juicy J]

Hello all:

I'm looking for hiking trails on the water near Boston, preferably on the North Shore as I live in Malden. I grew up in RI and know of many spots down their: Sachusett point and the Cliff Walk come to mind, and looking for something similar up here.

Thanks!

[tysmith95]

Marblehead is beautiful. I love castle rock.

[timberline742]

Dogtown

Breakheart Reservation

[bohemka]

I'd like to be proven wrong, but I don't think you're going to find the type of cliff-side, ocean-vista walks the likes of which you're speaking, unless you don't mind catching glimpses between mansions.

Marblehead is certainly beautiful, but not in a cliff-side-walk way. There a few destination points like Castle Rock, Chandler Hovey Park, Fort Sewall, Crowninshield Island (accessible by foot at low tide), etc., but there's no real hike that strings them together without mixing in the "urban" elements of town as well.

Ravenswood Park in Gloucester has some very nice trails and at least one offers a nice peek at the ocean at a lookout point. Coolidge Reservation in Manchester offers a short walk through the woods that ends with a nice lawn that runs down to the ocean and coastal rocks. I'd imagine you could find some nice walks around Rockport. And Ipswich has Crane Beach, with a nice network of dune trails (but check to be sure some endangered bird isn't currently nesting, as they've got priority over your ability to hike anything). Nahant has a Northeastern research facility on the easternmost tip that you can hike around, but parking is non-existent.

I agree with timberline that Breakheart is really nice (especially if you've got a stroller), and has a lake beach as well. Lynn Woods is great, but, as with Breakheart, it offers no ocean views. Middlesex Fells is right in your back yard, and very popular for good reason.

On the south shore I really like World's End in Hingham.

I'll be following this if anyone else has recommendations. We're always looking for a good walk.

[timberline742]

Halibut Pt State Park is small, but the view is great along that rocky coast, and its a really fun place I think.

[charolastra00]

I really like the dunes around Crane Beach, but know that it gets super crowded on weekends (get there before 9AM!) and parking is pricy. It's a bit cheaper during the week and during the off-season (which is mostly when I go hiking). It can be a bit of a tough hike because of the sand, but some of the views are awesome! You can also go the other way and hike up Castle Hill toward the mansion where you get some good views of Ipswich.

Not to mention you can reward yourself afterward with fried clams from the Clam Box, fruit wine from Russell Orchards, and a cone from Downriver Ice Cream (one of my faves!). Nothing says, "I just burned 600 calories on a hike" like eating 5000 calories worth of Ipswich's best. :P

[Juicy J]

Thank you all for the great advice!

[MMS02760]

Originally Posted by timberline742

Halibut Pt State Park is small, but the view is great along that rocky coast, and its a really fun place I think.

Halibut is really interesting given it has the old quarry right by the edge of the sea.

[Amontillado]

We really don't have cliff walks north of Boston. You can climb outcrops in Middlesex Fells and see the ocean, if that's enough. Or you can walk around the North Reservoir that's in the Winchester part of the Fells, or beside the Mystic River and Mystic Lakes. Or there's Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield, though frankly I think it's pretty dull. Oh, and in Malden: walk around Fellsmere Pond, a very pleasant little stroll. There's even a clifftop viewpoint!

If all you want to do is walk by the sea, you can go to Plum Island when the nesting season is over (some time in August) and walk miles along the beach, on which there is absolutely nothing. Is that enough to justify an outing? It is for me.

Edited to say, Horn Pond in Woburn. Another good walk. We certainly do not lack good waterside hikes!