Massachusetts Trails

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Backpackers aren't the only ones hitting the trail with the arrival of warm weather. Catch furry, feathered, and flippered friends on their seasonal journeys.

Experience thru-hiking fever (and New England hardwoods) on this section of the historic Long Trail across Glastonbury Mountain. BY RYAN WICHELNS

Get the closest to the Alps without leaving the States—by traversing the Presidentials, including Mt. Washington, in winter. BY RYAN WICHELNS

Take a breather from hiking the Presidentials and take in New Hampshire's White Mountains from a whole new perspective.

We've got your picks for the best after work, day-long, and overnight trips near Beantown, including the White Mountains, Blue Hills, and more.

Climb the peak with the infamous moniker "Home of the World's Weather" in winter.

Tag three mountains, including the highest point in Connecticut, on this 12.1-mile hike in Mt. Washington State Forest. Attractions include: pretty streamside camping, spectacular ridgeline hiking, fine mountain views, and a bounty of blueberries.

Paddle this 11.5-mile loop through open bays and protected salt marshes to beaches with giant sand dunes and historic buildings from the late 1700s.

Paddle to sandy sanctuaries, explore an old fort, and camp on the Boston Harbor Islands on this scenic 9.7-mile out-and-back to Peddocks Island.

This 12.1-mile loop skirts five reservoirs, cuts through forests of oak, hemlock, and birch, and gains 2,600 feet of elevation in 2,060-acre Middlesex Fells Reservation.

On this 6-mile loop in Blue Hills Reservation, you'll see dense hardwoods, meadows, ponds, glacial leftovers, rocky hills, and sweeping views of Boston.

This 5.8-mile loop takes you through a 400-year-old forest to summit the highest Bay State peak east of the Berkshires.

This scenic 4.2-mile hike in the Blue Hills Reservation loops under pines and passes by a rare Atlantic white cedar bog, home to 17 endangered species.

Lazy folks drive to the top. Be a champ and hike the 7.8 miles from farm fields and hardwood forests to the highest summit in Massachusetts.

Head up to a ridge overlooking the Hudson Valley and Catskills, and return through beaver and berry country.

Stand in three states, then summit a wooded peak while passing the highest hill in Connecticut on this 4-mile dayhike in the Taconic Mountains.

Hop off the bus for a 12.6-miler through red-maple swamps and old-growth forest filled with deer, grouse, and turkeys.

Link meadows to hilltops across Westborough’s open spaces.

This 9-mile out-and-back charges up Mount Greylock, the highest peak in Massachusetts.

Take a ridgeline walk to views of the Boston skyline.

Bag the highest Bay State mountain east of the Berkshires, a famous New England ski resort.

Explore Wompatuck State Park on a labyrinthine trail system that showcases classic New England-style singletrack right outside Boston.

On this 6-mile loop in Blue Hills Reservation, you'll see dense hardwoods, meadows, ponds, glacial leftovers, rocky hills, and sweeping views of Boston.

Take the 5.5-mile trek up Bellows Pipe Trail to the summit, while your there enjoy a local cocktail a cup of chowder at Bascom Lodge.

Walk deliberately into woods filled with waterfalls and stone walls on this 23.6-mile point-to-point deep in Massachusetts' Mt. Grace State Forest.

Walk deliberately into woods filled with waterfalls and stone walls.

Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in Massachusetts.