Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Massachusetts
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 07-25-2017, 10:51 AM
 
78 posts, read 58,706 times
Reputation: 45

Advertisements

Any recommendations for places to go hiking in the area with a rental car for the day?

Thanks.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 07-25-2017, 10:53 AM
 
23,067 posts, read 18,197,535 times
Reputation: 10636
Type of hike? Where are you exactly? How far are you willing to drive?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-25-2017, 11:02 AM
 
78 posts, read 58,706 times
Reputation: 45
Quote:
Originally Posted by massnative71 View Post
Type of hike? Where are you exactly? How far are you willing to drive?
Maybe up to 2 hours?

A pedestrian kind of hike, without any particular equipment, just proper shoes, dress, food, and water.

I'd be leaving from Somerville.

Thanks.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-25-2017, 11:05 AM
 
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
41,940 posts, read 36,707,217 times
Reputation: 40634
Just go to the Fells or Blue Hills and make it simple
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-25-2017, 11:08 AM
 
Location: Massachusetts
6,301 posts, read 9,580,343 times
Reputation: 4797
Great Brook Farms in Carlisle or Noanet Reservation in Dover, not much incline or rocks in either one, and you can a good 2 hour loop in both of these beautiful preserves. Save places like Middlesex Fells and Blue Hills for better equipment and a higher fitness level.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-25-2017, 11:40 AM
 
2,439 posts, read 4,797,971 times
Reputation: 3061
Quote:
Originally Posted by 495neighbor View Post
Great Brook Farms in Carlisle or Noanet Reservation in Dover, not much incline or rocks in either one, and you can a good 2 hour loop in both of these beautiful preserves. Save places like Middlesex Fells and Blue Hills for better equipment and a higher fitness level.
These are some of the many nice places for gentle hikes, or country walks, in eastern Mass. Would be hard to reach either one without a car but if you're renting one it's tempting to go farther afield to higher ground. Other hikes like these are more accessible by train, like the Lincoln town trails (Lincoln Station on the Fitchburg line), Estabrook woods in Concord, Ravenswood in Gloucester; and Whitney-Thayer/Wompatuck and Worlds End in Hingham.

Middlesex Fells and Blue Hills are the standard recommendations for rugged hikes close to Boston where you can walk from the T or take a Lyft or bus from the nearest T stop. Both have lots of rocks and inclines whereas Great Brook Farms, Lincoln trails and some of the other suburban preserves can be more like countryside. In the rugged-near-Boston category you also have Lynn Woods and Breakheart, both harder to reach without a car.

Within two hours you can get to Monadnock in NH or the Holyoke/Mt Tom ranges in Western Mass, both offering challenging hikes and big views. Farther north in NH you have White Mountains with endless possibilities and other single 'monadnocks' like Moosilauke, Cardigan and Ascutney. Berkshires offer many nice hikes too, like Alender Mtn, Mt Race, Mt Everett in the southwest corner, Monument Mtn in Stockbridge and Greylock in Adams/North Adams. White Mountains and Berkshires are from two to three hours away.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-25-2017, 11:47 AM
 
23,067 posts, read 18,197,535 times
Reputation: 10636
It's still hard to say without knowing how challenging you are looking for. For example Mt. Monadnock doesn't require any special equipment, yet it's still a real climb.


In addition to the other more gentle hikes recommended, another good option is Rocky Woods in Medfield. Borderlands in Easton is nice too.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-25-2017, 11:49 AM
 
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
41,940 posts, read 36,707,217 times
Reputation: 40634
Uh, its quite a bit of a stretch to call either Middlesex Fells or Blue Hills rugged hikes. They really are not. Well groomed paths, not much elevation change.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-25-2017, 11:56 AM
 
2,439 posts, read 4,797,971 times
Reputation: 3061
Quote:
Originally Posted by timberline742 View Post
Uh, its quite a bit of a stretch to call either Middlesex Fells or Blue Hills rugged hikes. They really are not. Well groomed paths, not much elevation change.
Not close to timberline, if that's what you mean, but the terrain is pretty rugged and Blue Hills, at least, have the highest elevation east of Wachusett in central MA.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-25-2017, 12:00 PM
 
23,067 posts, read 18,197,535 times
Reputation: 10636
If you hike the Skyline Trail, it's about a total 900 ft. gain (I want to say). None of it is too steep, don't recall any hands and knees for example. Then of course, there are many other types of trails in the reservation.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Massachusetts
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top