I tend to get restless pretty easily. As I write this, I can’t help but envision myself outdoors on another beautiful summer day in Boston. Fortunately for me, Greater Boston, and the entire New England region, hold a wealth of natural beauty waiting to be explored. After moving to Boston last summer, I have spent many weekends enjoying a whole host of great outdoor spaces within driving distance of Brighton. For the restless among us, here are a few activities and places I can’t wait to get back to during these summer months (and a couple to be enjoyed in the snow this winter):
Biking
Throughout the summer, I’m often looking for the first opportunity I can to hop on my bike and hit the trails around the Boston area. A popular path for biking and running in the area, the Minuteman Bikeway is a paved rail trail that runs 10 miles from Bedford into Cambridge. The path is fairly flat and level, and cuts through some great little towns to stop off and explore along the way, including Lexington and Arlington town centers.
Another great rail trail option for biking in the area is the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, a personal favorite of mine, running 20 miles from Framingham to Lowell. I guess I’m letting the cat out of the bag now, but this trail tends to have far less congestion than some of the other popular bike trails in the Boston area (so let’s keep the secret).
If you’re looking to get a bit farther away from the Boston area, a great summertime option for biking is the Cape Cod Rail Trail. Traversing 25 miles across the Cape, the beautiful trail begins in Yarmouth and extends all the way up to Wellfleet in the northeastern tail. There are several checkpoints and walkable towns along the path if you’re looking to break up the 25-mile path into more digestible segments.
Hiking & Nature Walking
Right in BC’s backyard, the Chestnut Hill Reservoir is a beautiful spot for a morning run or peaceful stroll between classes. The 1.5-mile trail is a favorite of BC students and staff. Only a few miles south of Simboli Hall is another popular spot within Boston city limits: Olmsted Park and Jamaica Pond. Extending from Jamaica Plain into Brookline, the park is a nice stop for a weekend stroll, or if you’re really adventurous, an extended trek along the Emerald Necklace trail into Boston Common.Just south of Boston is the Blue Hills Reservation, a local gem offering a range of great hiking trails and beautiful views, with a pond-side beach and summer swimming. I recommend a trip in the fall for some scenic views of the seasonal colors.If you’re willing to travel a little farther, a trip to Waschusett Mountain north of Worcester offers a great range of hiking and biking trails, with a variety of difficulty levels. You can even take your car up to the top of the mountain for a sweeping 360° view (including the Boston skyline on a clear day!).
More Outdoor Fun
While hiking, running, and biking are some of the more popular outdoor activities around the Boston area, there is so much more to explore if you’re feeling adventurous. A favorite summer activity of mine is kayaking on the Charles River. Paddle Boston is a reliable option for renting kayaks, canoes, or paddleboards if you want to do your best impression of the many college crew teams that populate the Charles. Paddle Boston has several rental locations with quick access to the river–two of my favorites are the Kendall Square location in Cambridge for easy access to phenomenal views of the Boston skyline from the water, and the Waltham Moody Street Dam location a bit farther upstream.Once the winter months start dragging on and the snow piles up, hitting the slopes is the best way to fight the seasonal slump. If you’re willing to hop in the car at sunrise, several mountains are accessible to the Boston area for a day trip. A couple hours west off the Mass Pike are some fun peaks in the Berkshires, including Jiminy Peak, Catamount, and Butternut, the latter of these offering $25 skiing on Fridays throughout the season. Beginner-friendly McIntyre Ski Area in Manchester, New Hampshire is another accessible option for a day trip. For those who are a little more committed, basically all the slopes in Vermont are worth a trip to experience the best of Northeast skiing. Mount Snow is one of the closer options with a great variety of intermediate terrain.Enough writing–I’m ready to get outside! I hope you’ll join me at one of these awesome outdoor spaces in the Boston area.