WEYMOUTH – Torrey Bird Sanctuary
Located right behind Weymouth High School, this hidden trail features plenty of parking, varied terrain and interest level, and is just the right length for the whole family.
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NORWELL – Norris Reservation
With three main trails totaling about 2.5 miles, this trail offers varied terrain, relatively high interest, and stunning scenic views.
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EASTON – Town Pool/Flyaway Pond
Located right behind the Easton Town Pool on Lincoln St., this well-marked network of trails features plenty of parking, an uncrowded setting, and some interesting sights to see. You can easily add on to make the hike longer, if you wish.
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EASTON – Wheaton Farm
Located on Bay Rd., Wheaton is a popular weekend destination for families. At over 1200 acres, this is the largest contiguous conservation area in Easton. The most popular areas is a flat, wide loop, perfect for families with small children just starting to hike. You can add on various trails and other loops if you’re…
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HANOVER – Colby Phillips Trail at Hanover Greenway
“This property is diverse and inviting. Features include boardwalks, a bridge over Cushing Brook, an observation deck on Cushing Brook Marsh, and the historic West Hanover Cemetery, immediately adjacent to the southern terminus of the trail system.”
Read more at https://www.nsrwa.org/listing/colby-phillips-trails/
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EASTON–Clifford G. Grant Reservation/Easton Town Forest
A well-marked, 2.5mi loop trail accessible from the local high school, Oliver Ames, provides fun for the whole family. There are geocaches, bridges, and a playground at the start of the trail.
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WEST BRIDGEWATER–The Skim Milk Bridge
Recently featured on the History Channel’s show Beyond Skinwalker Ranch in the episode “Bridgewater Triangle,” The Skim Milk Bridge is suddenly receiving a lot of attention. Local historians don’t know when or how it was constructed…and the area might be haunted. 🙂 HOW TO GET THERE Address: Elm St./Scotland St. West Bridgewater, MA Park at…
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COHASSET–Wompatuck State Park, Aaron River Reservoir
We access this gorgeous reservoir through a lesser-known entrance to this enormous, and enormously popular, state park. Wompatuck is filled with old, decommissioned bunkers that used to hold ammunition for the WWII and the Korean War. You can read more about the history of the park, and all the cool stuff visible around the 3,500…
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ABINGTON – Ames Nowell State Park
Ames Nowell is a year-round day use area with recreational activity (including non-motorized boating and fishing) centered around Cleveland Pond. Facilities include a picnic area, ball field and several miles of trails along the pond edge and the surrounding woods.
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NORTH WEYMOUTH – Webb Memorial State Park
Webb Memorial State Park is a peninsula that extends half a mile into Hingham Bay. Visitors are treated to scenic views of Boston’s harbor and skyline, and groups can rent a pavilion for special events from May – October. Available activities include fishing, picnicking, and walking.
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STOUGHTON – Bird Conservation Area at Bradley Lessa Playground
Bird St. Conservation Area has miles of trails and lots of interesting things to do along the trail. The trail we hike in the video is just under 3 miles. There’s the added benefit of a nice playground and plenty of parking at the entrance.
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WALPOLE – Adams Farm
Adams Farm features over 10 miles of trails. It’s easily accessible from Rte 109, and there is ample parking. Go for a nice, tranquil hike or bring your mountain bike–this is a great place to get your children started on off-road biking! HOW TO GET THERE Address: 999 North St. Walpole, MA Pull into the…
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QUINCY – Blue Hills @ Willard St.
When you think of the Blue Hills, you may think of Great Blue Hill, or the ski area, or maybe Houghton’s Pond or the Trailside Museum. However, the Blue Hills Reservation is HUGE, stretching over 7000 acres, from Quincy to Dedham, Milton to Randolph. There are over 125 miles of trails, according to the website.…
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BRIDGEWATER – The Great River Preserve at Conihasset, Wildlands Trust
The Great River Preserve (GRP) is 125 acres of woodland, field, and riparian (Google it!) habitats. You may find box turtles or hear bullfrogs along your way, and you’ll most certainly be treated to beautiful views of the Taunton River. Hot and buggy in the summer and wet in the spring, you might have the…
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BROCKTON – Stone Farm
Stone Farm was a great find for our families–it’s a beautiful, well-labeled, interesting, easy-to-access spot in the city of Brockton near the Easton line. It proves that nature can be found even in urban areas. The Wildlands Trust/Brockton Audubon manages these 105 amazing acres that, surprisingly, were deserted on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon. We had…
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ROCKLAND – Town Forest/Twin Ponds Trail
This, by far, one of the wackiest places we’ve ever been out in nature. There are painted rocks, toys, trinkets, tchotchke, and random surprises at every turn on this trail. From rusty old chairs, to bedazzled rocks, to dream catchers, to Christmas trees, to a story book trail, Rockland Town Forest has it all. The…
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CANTON – The Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate
We are huge fans of the Trustees of Reservations. They do amazing work making nature available to the masses while simultaneously preserving historic buildings and promoting the history of Massachusetts. The Bradley Estate, with its 90 gorgeous acres, is no exception. It’s immaculately kept, convenient, and beautiful. The estate hosts weddings from May to October,…
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LAKEVILLE – Betty’s Neck
Betty’s Neck is a beautiful property that snakes long the shores of Assawompset Pond (the largest freshwater pond in Massachusetts) from above–you’re high above the water while on the trail, and this provides some amazing views of the pond and the opposite shore. The trails also provide a challenging workout–the hills will get your heart…
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MANSFIELD – Corporal Robert Francis Hardy Conservation Area
This is a short (about 1.5 miles) and easy loop. It’s not worth driving a long way to visit this small spot, but if you are in the general area and looking for a stroller-friendly loop that is well-marked and not heavily trafficked, this is a great option. Maple Park Conservation Area is located minutes…
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FALL RIVER – Copicut Woods
Despite its location just outside the heart of Fall River, this property had the feel of a much more rural destination–we could have been in Vermont. We didn’t see everything that the Trustee’s side had to offer because we wanted to check out the Bioreserve as well. The Bioreserve turned out to be a fairly…
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NORWELL – Jacobs Pond
Jacobs Pond is a 60-acre body of water with 189 acres of surrounding conservation land. This property is one of our favorite discoveries–it’s a place we’ll return to again and again, for many reasons. First and foremost, Jacob’s Pond is just seconds away from our favorite ice cream place: Hornstra Farms. More about this amazing…
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COHASSET – Whitney and Thayer Woods
Whitney and Thayer Woods was a very pleasant surprise for us all. The two-mile, blue blaze trail that we chose to hike is 1. a piece of cake to navigate (as most Trustee’s properties tend to be), 2. easy to walk on with its wide gravel and hard-packed dirt trails, and 3. FUN. The trail…
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EASTON – Borderland
Borderland State Park offers over 1800 acres of beautiful land in Easton and Sharon. The heart of the park is the Ames Mansion, built in 1910. Various movies have been filmed in the park/mansion, including Mermaids, Shutter Island, the 2015 Ghostbusters, and, most recently, Knives Out. Droves of disc golf players and dog walkers visit…
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BRAINTREE/WEYMOUTH – Pond Meadow Park
Initially a flood control project for Weymouth Landing, the park opened in 1976 and is operated by the Weymouth-Braintree Regional Recreation-Conservation District. The nonprofit “Friends of Pond Meadow” has helped raise awareness and funds to support the park. It oversees the popular Summer Nature Program, which provides a week of nature experiences for children of…
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EASTON – NRT Sheep Pasture
This place is one of our favorites. It’s an easily accessible, beautiful spot to have a picnic, see some animals, climb big rocks, visit the community gardens, sled (behind the old foundation), make forts out of sticks, and visit the “dragon” cave. It’s jam packed with things to do, but it’s a manageable size and…
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This short and easy trail is a good out-and-back for small children. There are cool trees, a bubbling brook, massive stone walls, and Old Pond to look at in this 105 acres. Old Pond (and New Pond just down the road) are great spots for fishing! HOW TO GET THERE Foundry St. South Easton, MA…
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EASTON – Stonehill Nature Trail
This is a short (less than a mile), well-marked, fun trail through the woods that is super convenient. It’s a great place to introduce littles to hiking, although it would be treacherous with a jogging stroller (not impossible, just really hard). The trail is labeled with signposts along the way that educate about the nature…
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MARSHFIELD – Mass Audubon’s North River Wildlife Sanctuary
North River Wildlife Sanctuary provides short, clearly marked, and well-maintained trails. The signage is excellent, both in terms of trail markers and learning stations that talk about the habitats, animals, and even the solar panels on the property. In general, Mass Audubon is also very conscious of accessibility: the trail we took could be done…
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MILTON – Blue Hills Red Dot Loop
Climbing Blue Hills is a rite of passage for those who live in the Boston area. It was our first hiking experience growing up, and one that we requested time and time again. We never got bored of Blue Hills, and, here we are, 30 years later, taking our kids up and down the same…
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HANOVER – Indian Head River Trail
This trail was a pleasant surprise for us. Although our hike got cut short by overtired children (as they sometimes do when you’re hiking with kids…), we still enjoyed the portion of the trek that we finished. If you start at the Indian Head River Trail on Broadway in Hanover, it’s roughly a four-mile loop…
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TIVERTON, R.I. – Fort Barton and Fort Barton Woods
This hike was a nice surprise for us when we went in summer 2020. After a short but pretty steep walk along a paved road from the parking area to the fort, we were rewarded with amazing views of Narragansett Bay. Fort Barton Woods itself was beautiful; it consists of 83 acres of heavily wooded…
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MIDDLETOWN, R.I. – Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge
Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge’s 242 acres have something for everyone. Sachuest Point was farmland before its strategic location made it desirable to the US military. It housed weapons to defend the US against German U-Boats in World War I and then served as a rifle range and communications center for the US Navy during…
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WESTPORT – Gooseberry Island
Just past Horseneck Beach in Westport is Gooseberry Island. These gorgeous 73 acres are accessible from a narrow causeway that begins across from the Horseneck Point Life Saving Station. You can sit and relax (or play!) on the small rocky beach near the parking lot and then explore the island on foot. The trail is…
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LITTLE COMPTON, R.I. – South Shore Beach/Goosewing Beach Preserve
We’ve been hearing so much about South Shore Beach in Little Compton, RI, that we figured we had to give it a try. We do not recommend this excursion as a hike (which was our original intent), but we do endorse it as a beach trip! First of all, if you’re coming from the Mass…
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MARSHFIELD – Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary
This trail is mostly mowed grass and boardwalks, making it completely stroller accessible. The beginning of the trail is also wheelchair accessible (see trail map).
The Fox Hill Trail and River walk are through a meadow and marshland, with no shade. You probably wouldn’t want to hike this trail in the middle of the day…
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DUXBURY – Lansing Bennett Forest
The Lansing Bennett Forest loop (roughly 2 miles long) is a fairly standard wooded trail. It’s well marked and a breeze to navigate, which makes it a great option for families with kids. From the parking area on Union Bridge Road, follow the yellow trail to the blue blazes. The blue trail is a loop,…
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TAUNTON – Massasoit State Park
Massasoit State Park’s 1200 acres are conveniently located close to Routes 24 and 495; getting here is easy. The park is large and sprawling, but for this particular hike we concentrated only on the Rico Trail, which is a roughly 2-mile loop near the main entrance parking lot. In the past, we’ve been mountain biking…
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MARSHFIELD – Hoyt-Hall Preserve
Hoyt-Hall Preserve is a beautiful two-mile (ish) loop through 123 acres of land that is chalk full of history. Hundreds of years ago, the Wampanoag summered in this area. Governor Winslow received a land grant in the 1630s and started parceling the area out to settlers for farming. The English eventually dammed the water in…
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SHARON – Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, Bluff Trail
This moderately difficult hike will appeal to experienced hikers and families with older kids because of the length (about 3 miles), gradual incline to the top of the Bluff Trail, and some steep inclines/declines along the way. We offer two options for this hike. The first we did with our kids, and the second we…
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PEMBROKE – Willow Brook Farm Preserve
Willow Brook Farm Preserve is a fairly standard woodland trail with a few features that set it apart. There is a large open field in the middle, a high wooden tower with scenic views, and boardwalks and bridges over wet areas. There are two main loops (one is 1.1 miles, the other is 1.8 miles)…
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BROCKTON – Brockton Audubon Preserve
This is a nice, easy hike easily accessible from the highway (Route 24) and Brockton’s Westgate Mall. By itself, this hike is short and sweet, but you can add it to the nearby Stone Farm Conservation trails and make a longer loop out of it. You’re never very far from civilization on this walk; you’ll…
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DEDHAM, MA – Wilson Mountain Reservation
Wilson Mountain is right off 128/93–it couldn’t be easier to find. This DCR property is a great alternative to Blue Hills, as it is far less busy and every bit as beautiful (although the summit is far less dramatic). Kids and adults alike will enjoy the variety of the terrain. There are plenty of beautiful…
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PEMBROKE – Pembroke High & Hobomock Elementary Trails
Not all hikes are a hit. This was a miss. However, there are several things that would have made it better. And that’s why we’re writing it up anyway! If you live close to the trail head (all the way at the end of Learning Lane near the baseball fields and tennis courts), it’s winter,…
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CAPE COD CANAL – Herring Run Recreation Area
Looking for an easy place to hike or ride your bikes with your kids? Why not try the Cape Cod Canal?
The Herring Run Recreation Area is easy to get to. Ttake the exit just before the Sagamore Bridge and head right. Follow the road a little ways and you’ll see the parking area on…
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