A Beautiful Fall Hike through Blue Hills Reservation
Blue Hills is one of the most beautiful places to hike in New England. This 7000 acre urban oasis, located just 10 miles outside of Boston, is an amazing place to visit any time of year. Autumn is a particularly scenic time of the year for hiking, especially during peak fall foliage. If you find yourself vacationing in Boston this time of year, do take the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful fall foliage hike at Blue Hills Reservation.
A rustic escape from city life
Mike & I have hiked the scenic Great Blue Hill Red Dot Trail on several occasions. This time was even better with that fall feeling in the air: leaves scattered among the ground, brightly colored trees, and brisk, cloudy weather. At the top of the hike, you can take the short walk over to Eliot Tower for great views of the surrounding mountains and skyline.
Views from the Red Loop Trail
Our hike was fantastic. We weren’t expecting the foliage to be that great as we haven’t noticed much color at other state parks in the area, as of yet. However, the foliage was beautiful. Although the colors weren’t at peak, plenty of yellow, orange, and red colors were starting to peek through.
Fall Foliage Chairlift Rides
This weekend, The Blue Hills Ski Area was offering a fall foliage chairlift ride up to the top of the Great Blue Hill (ski season typically begins at the end of December).
On a clear day, you can see the Boston skyline. To see pics of the skyline & read more about my experience hiking this trail visit my earlier post: Blue Hills Reservation: A Beautiful Hiking Just Outside of Boston!
The chairlift ride was a unique experience. It would have been even better if colors would have been at peak, however, the ride up was still pretty fun.
A few views from the chairlift ride
From here, we took the 5 minute walk over to Eliot Tower, a 35 foot tall stone structure. The views at Eliot Tower are breathtaking! It was a cloudy day, so we were unable to see to the Boston skyline. However, there was some great orange foliage.
If you find yourself visiting the Boston area in October, be sure to visit Blue Hills for the foliage ride. This was a great experience, especially for the small price tag (only $2). The views of the surrounding forests can’t be beat! Rides will be offered at Blue Hill on October 19th and 20th from 10:00am-4:00pm. Check the Blue Hills Ski website for this year’s dates.
Houghton’s Pond
More great fall foliage in Milton can be found at Houghton’s Pond. This beautiful pond provides a beautiful setting for fall photography. We would like to come back in a week or 2 to see if the leaves have changed anymore.
Address & Parking Information
To hike the Red Loop Trail at Blue Hills, you can park at the free lot located at 1904 Canton Ave. Milton, MA 02186.
Free parking for Houghton’s Park can be found at 840 Hillside Street Milton, MA 02186.
