Massachusetts

One of my favorite walks to a spectacular falls. The trail is easy to follow and one mile from NY parking lot and 0.5 from the parking lot. The apparent place to swim. There are several very nice, family safe swimmable pools in the creek above and after the falls. There are signs at the top of the falls warning you not to approach too near the top. Be sure to swim upstream or downstream of the...

For this 1-mile hike, you can park at the Purgatory Chasm Visitor Center. From there hit the trail and explore the unusual gap between the tall granite walls, which might be adorned with climbers. Great for all ages and dogs are welcome too. The trail is open March-November.

Park in the parking area near Bellevue Pond. There are multiple entrances to the reservation (some closer to the reservoir itself than others). I have spent days in there hiking around and never seeing the water and there are days when I just hiked right in to the water and sat and enjoyed it. The trails are perfect for mountain biking as well. I spent so much time here when I lived in Boston b...

Park in the lot across from Batterymarch Rd off of Willard St. Access the Skyline trail from here, it is marked blue. Follow the signs. The trails in Blue Hills are perfect for training for backpacking because they are so steep and rocky. I would fill up a big pack and take the skyline trail up to the gorgeous views at the top. It is forested and leads past a couple of bodies of water. A perfec...

Park along the trail and then hop on. The Freedom Trail allows you to not only see the most beautiful parts of Boston (which is an absolutely gorgeous city) but you can learn some history too! Head off the trail a bit to explore the Charles River, the waterfront near the aquarium and picturesque Beacon Hill. If you have a nice day and want an easy way to see the best parts of Boston, this is de...

Located just north of Boston, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1941 to provide feeding, resting, and nesting habitat for migratory birds. The refuge lands are both scenic and diverse, with approximately 4700 acres of habitats including sandy beach and dune, cranberry bog, maritime forest and shrub land, and both salt water and freshwater marsh.Although the primary functi...

This is family-friendly hike takes you to nice views of Boston, after a moderately challenging stretch of elevation gain. Follow the blue markers along Great Blue Hill Trail to reach the observation tower. This is also a great spot for bird watching, and for exploring the nearby weather station.

Park in the parking area off of Refuge Rd. Take the Dunes Trail, a boardwalk path for the ~1-mile loop. Enjoy the views from an observation deck on three-story-high dunes. This trail is accessible from April-October.

Cape Cod, Massachusetts is full of campgrounds and dunes to explore, but the best of the two are located at the very end of the cape, around the areas of Truro and Provincetown.Travel to the very beginning (or end, depending on how you look at it) of historic U.S. Route 6, which spans from Provincetown, MA to Long Beach, CA. One of the nicest campgrounds I've found is Dunes Edge Campground, whi...