Discover the Blue Hills Blue Hills Reservation Guide and Maps

Friends of the Blue Hills PO Box 416 Milton, MA 02186 [email protected] Original edition produced by David Hodgdon and Thomas Palmer www.FriendsoftheBlueHills.org

Friends of the Blue Hills 1 www.FriendsoftheBlueHills.org Introduction

Whether you are a frequent sojourner in the Blue Hills or a new glimpse of the unusual mating dance of the American woodcock. visitor, there is always something new to be explored in this inspiring You can spend your summers swimming at Houghton’s Pond, a landscape. Among the 7,000 plus acres, there are opportunities to hike, kettle pond formation, gift of the glacial age, or pack your rod for some bike, ski, swim, climb and contemplate the simple beauty of nature. One fishing at Ponkapoag Pond. In the warmer months, try launching your can take a serpentine drive through the reservation, stopping to admire canoe on the Neponset River at Fowl Meadow. When the precipitation views along the way or accept the challenge of hiking the Skyline Trail turns to snow, revisit Fowl Meadow for flat, easy cross-country skiing from beginning to end. or, alternatively, speed down the slopes at the Blue Hill Ski Area.

For adventurous souls, there’s the challenge of biking Great Blue Hill or rock climbing on the vertical walls at Quincy Quarries in the northernmost part of the park. Those seeking a workout can hike the Skyline Trail from Quincy to Canton, a hike offering much elevation change and wonderful views. Even if you don’t consider yourself a serious hiker, you’ll still find easy rambles on trails that take you around Houghton’s Pond. Any time of year is a good time to take the children to the Blue Hills Trailside Museum to see the creatures that live in the park and learn about the Reservation’s rich history.

The lueB Hills Reservation exists to provide recreation and enjoyment for all people and to preserve and protect this precious habitat for all living things that call it home. The Friends of the Blue Hills is a 1,000-member non-profit organization devoted to preserving and protecting the Blue Hills Reservation’s natural beauty, diverse natural habitats, and many recreational opportunities. We invite you to With this guide, you can explore each of the sections of the park. join us in this mission by practicing good stewardship while in the As you explore the Reservation throughout the year you will find new reservation and by becoming a member. Enjoy this special place. delights as each season transforms the landscape. In the spring, bring your binoculars and head to Fowl Meadow in the 000s, where you are likely to spot a pileated woodpecker and other colorful birds or catch a

Friends of the Blue Hills 2 www.FriendsoftheBlueHills.org About the Blue Hills Reservation

The Blue Hills Reservation encompasses approximately 7,000 to charm each of them. Though it would take a lifetime to explore acres of woods, ponds, wetlands and elevated rock set aside by the thoroughly, much of it is right next to Boston, and it lies open on all Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1893 for its citizens to use and sides. Legally speaking, it belongs to everyone, and it offers a standing enjoy. It is centered on the Blue Hills themselves, a long sweep of invitation to stretch steep, stony ridges rising seven miles from Quincy’s historic granite your legs and walk quarries in the east to the massive dome of Blue Hill in Canton and over the earth as if you Milton in the west. Although none of the peaks is so much as a owned it. thousand feet high, they stand well above the surrounding lowlands, The Reservation and dominate the landscape in all directions. is managed for the The Reservation was conceived by landscape architect Charles Commonwealth by Eliot, as a contrast and counterpoint to metropolitan Boston’s then- the Department of existing parks, such as Boston Common and Jamaica Pond, in that Conservation and Nature, and not Art, would be its dominant theme. Instead of wide Recreation and is open lawns and manicured groves, it would feature deep forests, shaggy from dawn to dusk cliffs, and free-running water. He was convinced that no city should daily throughout the be without spacious tracts of dramatic natural scenery open to all, and year. Now more than since this kind of scenery was rapidly vanishing around Boston’s turn- 100 years old, it is the of-the-century metropolis, he chose one of the richest remaining lodes, largest component of the Blue Hills, as the site for his largest park. Other properties acquired Boston’s peripheral under his direction include Nantasket Beach and the Charles River park system, and it Esplanade. has become even more precious as the region’s population has grow significantly and modern Today his vision is largely intact, and the oasis he created in the development has reached out to Rt. 495 and beyond. Thanks to the Blue Blue Hills continues to draw thousands into its delightfully hilly Hills, there is no need to drive to the Berkshires or New Hampshire to woods for an hour or a day. Containing portions of Boston, Dedham, get a sizable helping of the New England outdoors in its natural state. Westwood, Canton, Milton, Randolph, Quincy and Braintree, the Reservation is vast enough to absorb multitudes and intimate enough

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R 2 g 8  e blue rectangular blazes. e trail climbs many of the peaks of the Blue Hills S tr  Ponkapoag  range, oering spectacular views over steep and rugged terrain. ee ) Great Pond t  (C ter losed in win ATHLETIC EXIT  ere are two ways to explore the Skyline Trail: Trail FIELDS Hill er lue Riv Ponkapoag B LEGEND Skyline Traverse travels an east-west route across the Blue Hills range. B EXIT  N. Main St. WESTWOOD r  @ Russ St./ is is the longest and most challenging hike in the park, with steep and oo N. Main St. CANTON k Scanlon Dr.  Blue Hills Reservation has over  miles of trails, including + miles of rocky terrain. is is not a loop trail so plan your transportation back to Sherman Lane EXIT  r EXIT  MILTON  S Scanlon Drive recommended color-coded routes for easier navigation. ese trails are blazed University Avenue e mith Trail Russ your starting point. . miles · to  hours · dicult i v  with painted markings that correspond to the map symbols listed to the right. R RULES AND REGULATIONS  St. CANTON Skyline Loop Trail is a popular sampling of the Skyline Trail. It links t e Madden DATA SOURCES: MASSGIS; e DCR NEPONSET n RANDOLPH Ro a YMCA a Reservation Headquarters DCR GIS; DCR FORESTRY; the north and south branches of the Skyline Trail between the Reservation s Park open dawn to dusk. L d RIVER RESERVATION gton MASSPARKS; DCR BUREAU n arrin CAMP l Headquarters and Eliot Observation Tower atop Great Blue Hill. F e i t o Nam P a ee Restroom (year-round, seasonal) OF PLANNING, DESIGN & PONKAPOAG o r tr N a ddle S RESOURCE PROTECTION; is challenging route summits ve hilltops over steep, rocky terrain. p For the protection and enjoyment of the Blue Hills, t T Mi h e Homans Lane  N  MASS AUDUBON’S BLUE Follow the blue blazes from the headquarters, heading west toward the following are prohibited:  ag   Parking Area (large, small) HILLS TRAILSIDE MUSEUM; po oad Great Blue Hill. . miles ·  to . hours · diculttreet   a Middle R FRIENDS OF THE BLUE HILLS; S   k ESRI; FEMA; USGS d • Littering Redman n   Swimming (seasonal) n Fa h o  o rm Pat Po P • Open res nkapo P  LOOP TRAILS ag T  ath Road Snack Bar, Picnic Area ra s P  Pond Street h il e re t in u Loop trails are marked with dots. ey begin and end at the same point, • Metal detectors Washington Street P t a e s P e a Playground Stream r at designated parking areas as marked on the map. B Acton h Duck P To • Alcoholic beverages oa Pa rd th  T Dedham Street m Avon w Pond Pipe Line r a    Skating Rink Intermittent Stream • Pets, except on a leash a l  Square Yellow Dot Loops .– mile ·  hour · easy F k

 • Hunting or trapping  Canoe Launch Pond Yellow dots mark short loops which enable you to enjoy parts of the

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d Tennis, Basketball Wetland GOLF COURSE e  • Camping, except at AMC Camp with permit R AMC Green Dot Loops .– . miles · –. hours · moderate oag Path Athletic Field/Court Elevation Contours • Motorized vehicles, except on public roads PONKAPOAG ap Course  CAMP  nk Green dots mark several woodland loops which allow you to enjoy the Course Ponkapoag Pond Po   ( foot interval) • Disruptive conduct, including public nudity  Building Footprint natural beauty of the reservation.

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M (within reservation) Hilltop (with elevation) • Group use of  or more, except with a DCR permit  e Upper Reservoir Map    a Red Dot Loops .–. miles · –. hours · challenging • Destruction or removal of vegetation, animals, le d State Police Town Boundary  Hemlock Av o reet enue w d St Red dots mark rugged, rocky loops over hilly terrain providing a more structures, artifacts, or other State property GOLF Ree Road Train Station Blue Hills Reservation ton Pa Ro challenging hike. oag CLUBHOUSE Ac th a kap d In addition, the following activities are on ok FISHERMAN’S  MBTA Bus Stop Other State Parkland o Fawn Circle P Br h  BEACH t  DIRECTIONAL LOOPS allowed in designated areas only: a Turnpike Street P

• Parking Harrison Road n Sunset Drive  RESERVATION ROADS AND TRAILS Directional loop trails are marked with triangles, and both loops begin and nit B o Turner Road Pecu roo ct Cynthia Road A k • Sporting activities Canton Narrow Trail Paved Path end at the Houghton’s Pond main parking lot. ese are designed as rolling  Street routes for a fun mountain bike ride or long woodland hike. e trails are • Mountain bicycling Ridley Road Wide Trail Bicycle Path marked in one direction only and are to be followed counterclockwise.

.° ( ) Magnetic MA State Plane NAD To Cobbs • Charcoal grills or fuel stoves Washington Street Corner (see Unpaved Road Boardwalk Forest Path Loop  miles · moderate • Non-motorized boating at Ponkapoag Pond  bus schedule) North Street AMC CAMP Connolly Street White triangles mark this rambling loop in the Houghton’s Pond section. It • Swimming at Houghton’s Pond with lifeguard ENTRANCE RANDOLPH Paved Road orroway Brook Bridge Farm Street et Oak StreetN oers a long woodland hike or novice-to-intermediate mountain bike ride. CANTON Ca Stre supervision Bridle Path nton  FARNHAMCONNOLLY INTERSECTIONt NUMBERS ee Breakneck Ledge Loop . miles · challenging STATE PARK DCR tr All visitors must follow directions of park personnel or  S N. Main Street NEPONSET RIVER t e four-digit numbers seen on the map indicate u Yellow triangles mark this hilly loop in the Great Blue Hill section. It RESERVATION n police. Any violations of these regulations may result in st trail intersections. Look for the small white signs t RANDOLPH e provides a rocky, rugged experience for the advanced mountain biker or e h with black numbers on trees or posts along trails. arrest and/or ne per order of  Commonwealth of Stre C avid hiker. olph Find the corresponding number on the map to Rand Massachusetts Regulations .. determine your location. NOTE: MAP INK COLORS MAY FADE WHEN EXPOSED TO SUNLIGHT. STAY ON DCR DESIGNATED TRAILS FOR SAFETY AND RESOURCE PROTECTION. PRINTED WITH SOY INK ON RECYCLED PAPER. DESIGNED BY D. KIMBALL  DCR GIS APRIL  D. DESIGNED BY Blue Hill

The Blue Hill section is centered on Blue Hill itself, a 460-million- crosses a small gully, honors the Reservation’s creator, Charles Eliot. year-old dome of granite porphyry which, at a mile wide and fifty It leads to the three-story fieldstone tower built in 1929 from whose stories high, is the largest chunk of rock anywhere around Boston. upper chamber much of eastern Massachusetts is visible on a clear Massachusetts, an Algonquin name, translates as “At the Great Hill.” day, highlighted by downtown Boston, and Massachusetts Bay. New Four hundred years ago the local Native Americans used the term to Hampshire’s lonely giant, Mount Monadnock, may be in view sixty- refer to themselves. In adopting the name for their settlement, the Bay seven miles to the northwest. Picnic tables are scattered under the roof Colonists ensured that the entire state would be named after Blue Hill. of the stone-floored pavilion below.

Wherever you enter the Blue Hill section, you’ll be going uphill, The Reservation’s most popular year-round destination is the and the way can get rugged. Persist and you will eventually emerge on Trailside Museum on Rt. 138, just north of the ski area. Operated for the summit, which at 635 feet is by far the tallest of the Reservation’s the DCR by MassAudubon, it maintains a substantial collection of dozen peaks. Although there is no car access to the top, you can ride up native wildlife for educational purposes, and its exhibits display the in style on the ski area’s chairlift on October weekends. in addition, the Reservation’s varied natural landscapes in detail. A full schedule of DCR, provides wheelchair access on request. weekend and evening programs is available.

The broad, grassy trails of Blue Hill Ski, which opened in the late Follow Blue Hill River Rd to Hillside St around the southern edge 30’s, stripe Blue Hill’s western slope. Mechanical snowmaking was of Blue Hill from Rt. 138. In about two miles you’ll reach the DCR’s invented here, although most winters provide plenty of the natural Reservation Headquarters, a white frame house on the left, just up the product. Amenities include a lodge, snack bar, and equipment rentals. hill from the State Police station. Here you can get maps, check the Many of Boston’s skiers cut their teeth on Blue Hill. schedule of events, and have your questions answered by rangers.

The summit is flat and is slowly reclothing itself in oak and pine. The Blue Hill section also includes Wolcott, Houghton, Hemenway The turreted castle at its southern end houses the Blue Hill Weather and Hancock Hills, which combine to give it the highest average Observatory, a semi-automated station in continuous operation since 1885. elevation of any portion of the reservation. Runoff is swift, and there Tours are available for groups and on a walk-in basis on most weekends are few ponds or permanent streams. But the section is rich with the from February to November and by appointment year-round. high bluffs, bare ledges, and broad vistas for which the Reservation is celebrated – they are strung along its upper trails in bunches. Once A short walk away at the summit’s northern end are the Eliot you’ve hiked past a few, you probably won’t want to come down. Memorial Bridge Tower and Pavilion. The granite footbridge, which

Friends of the Blue Hills 5 www.FriendsoftheBlueHills.org Friends of the Blue Hills 6 www.FriendsoftheBlueHills.org Houghton’s Pond

Thanks to its splendid beach on a spacious sand-bottomed permitted, fishermen catch trout, perch, sunfish and hornpout from the pond, the Houghton’s Pond section is the summertime heart of the shore. Reservation. Just south of the Pond an abandoned portion of the original Rt Twenty-five-acre Houghton’s Pond owes its existence to a huge 128 runs east of the softball fields for a mile or so along the base of the block of ice that got stuck on the south side of the Hills as the last Hills before butting up against the embankment of the new Rt. 128 that glacier ebbed back across them about 15,000 years ago. Meltwaters replaced it. The old two-lane road provides a level surface for skiers, laid down deep beds of sand all around the block, and when it finally walkers and cyclists along Blue Hill River and its bordering maple vanished, it left a shelving basin like a window into the underlying swamps. aquifer. The Pond remains cool and clear even in the hottest weather, as The northeast corner of Houghton’s Pond marks the gateway to if recalling its origins. the rest of its section, which is heavily wooded and full of the rugged The Pond occupies a deep notch in the south-facing bulwark of the heights typical of the Reservation as a whole. 449-foot Tucker Hill, Hills, and its level surroundings were farmed for generations before topped with a fine group of windblown pines, is a moderate quarter- their conversion to the Reservation. Today its broad north shore is mile hike away. A half-mile further stands its taller companion, 496- largely reserved for swimmers, who come from Boston and elsewhere foot Buck Hill. Buck is well worth a visit, since it is unique among the in droves. Lifeguards are on duty in the summer months. high hills in being open on all sides near the top, with no ambitious trees interrupting the view in any direction. If you live anywhere near The rest of the Pond is surrounded by wide lawns, open woods, Boston, you may be able to see your house from Buck Hill. ball fields, tennis courts, bathhouses, shady picnic grounds dotted with barbecue stoves, and a stone-floored refreshment pavilion. The Many of the people who have been coming to the Blue Hills for pavilion, which was put on the State and National Historic Register in years have never gone further than the Houghton’s Pond section. 1980, was built in 1920 by Stickney and Austin. All of these features Perhaps this demonstrates the power of cool clear water. are within easy walking distance of each other. Although no boating is

Friends of the Blue Hills 7 www.FriendsoftheBlueHills.org Friends of the Blue Hills 8 www.FriendsoftheBlueHills.org Chickatawbut The eastern section of Chickatawbut Road runs two miles along cluster of low cinderblock buildings where the Blue Hills Trailside this section’s northern boundary from Rt. 28 in Milton to Willard St. in Museum bases its day camps. The Air Force built the Center in the Quincy, paralleling the ridgeline along its gentle backside. Anywhere late 1950’s as a radar installation for its 3rd Missile Battalion, and the along here you can hike through to the crest, which is studded with airmen who lived here controlled the Nike anti-aircraft missiles housed rocky openings overlooking a carpet of treetops extending south to Rt. in the silos two miles below in Randolph. Today both soldiers and 128. If you climb down into these trees, you are entering the greenest missiles are long gone, but the site itself is still not open to the public and wildest part of the Hills. The road is gated at both ends, and is due to safety and contamination concerns. . closed after dark. Further east toward Quincy, opposite the Broken Hills, Halfway across Chickatawbut Hill the road widens briefly for the Chickatawbut Road descends into what use to be the Blue Hill Chickatawbut Overlook, where a bush clearing downslope frames Reservoir, built over the former Twinbrook Swamp to expand Quincy’s a terrific view of Boston’s skyline, and a low stone parapet attracts drinking supply. The MWRA filled in half of the Reservoir to build two summer sunbathers. The two or three picnic tables under the pines Covered Watertanks. Now, a parking area for a couple cars gives easy across the street go fast on summer weekends. access to a short path along a small pond.

The broad steps under the pines lead a short distance uphill to The Great Cedar Swamp lies a half mile over the ridge on the an historic stone observation tower and pavilion built in the 1930’s other side of the Reservoir. An elongate basin hemmed in by upland by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Similar to the one on Blue Hill, on three sides, it supports a mature and nearly impenetrable stand of it has good views to the north. The tower lies about a hundred feet Atlantic White Cedar, a valuable timber tree almost completely logged lower than Chickatwbut Hill’s actual summit. To reach the top of out centuries ago. Thanks to its comparative remoteness, the Swamp Chickatawbut, follow the trail that skirts the small bog in a hollow of is probably the least-visited part of the Reservation, despite the showy the rock just to the south. At 517 feet, Chickatawbut Hill rivals Blue display of mountain laurel – rare in these parts – that lights up the slope Hill in size. Much of the Hill’s broad summit is taken up by the fenced to the west in June. compound surrounding the Chickatwbut Hill Education Center, a

Friends of the Blue Hills 9 www.FriendsoftheBlueHills.org Friends of the Blue Hills 10 www.FriendsoftheBlueHills.org Quincy Quarries

More than a century ago the Quarries section rang to the hammers The sheer walls and tough, crystalline stone of the quarries have of Quincy’s leading industry. Today the stonecutters are gone, but they attracted rock climbers for generations, and in good weather you’re left a dramatic landscape behind. likely to see a few climbers snapped into belay ropes high over your head. A good place to begin exploring this landscape is at the end of Mullin Avenue in Quincy, where a pair of stone obelisks at the bottom When reinforced concrete replaced stone as a primary building of the parking lot frame the Granite Railway Incline. Here, beginning in material in the late 19th century, the bulk of the quarries’ output began 1828, fresh-quarried granite blocks were winched down the steep slope to flow toward markets for ornaments and facings. Walk Riccuti Drive on special cars riding the stone footers and pig iron rails still in place. to its end, follow the curve to the right, and you’ll come upon the The cars continued two miles north on custom-built tracks to Gulliver’s massive ruined walls of a building where much of this fine work was Creek in Milton, where the blocks were loaded aboard sloops and done, the 1893 Historic Lyons Turning Mill. Though it was humming barges on the Neponset River for shipment as far away as New Orleans until 1907, the Mill was left to crumble for a century. Recently, the City and San Francisco. This was the first commercial railway ever built in of Quincy has begun to reconstruct this historic structure. the US, and it carried the granite for many New England landmarks, In contrast to the bold profiles and heaped-up rock of the old including Boston’s Customhouse, Fort Warren on George’s Island, and quarries, the St. Moritz Ponds occupy one of the most tranquil spots in the Bunker Hill Monument. The blue gray stone, Quincy Granite, was the Reservation, popular with young families and strolling sweethearts. prized for its hardness and durability. These shallow, spacious ponds at the Reservation’s northeast edge, The Quarry Foot Path leads up the Incline and into the Quincy created from dammed wetlands in the 1920’s, are rimmed with tall Quarries Historic Site, a 22-acre portion of the Reservation purchased pines and quiet trails, and brim with water lilies and painted turtles. in 1985 in order to preserve and showcase several representative They make an attractive transition to the deeper woods to the west, quarries. Many others have been filled and redeveloped since where diligent searchers can locate the foundation of a 20-meter ski quarrying ended after WWI. The steep, graveled path, marked by white jump built in 1925 by homesick stonecutters from Scandinavia. rectangular blazes, enters the site between two of the larger quarries, Though it contains its share of unbroken forest, the Quarries Granite Railway on the left and Little Granite Railway on the right. section is most notable as an example of an industrial landscape Both of these quarries have long since filled with water, and appear as abandoned to time. Come and see what wonders were worked here, and deep pools backed by towering cliffs. Though the water looks inviting, what was left behind. the cliffs drop off suddenly.

Friends of the Blue Hills 11 www.FriendsoftheBlueHills.org Friends of the Blue Hills 12 www.FriendsoftheBlueHills.org Ponkapoag Pond

The gentle terrain of the Ponkapoag section occupies a broad The YMCA Day Camp has operated here summers since the 1920’s. swath of woods, water and marshes lying across Rt. 93 from the Hills’ The Appalachian Mountain Club camp offers the only site where southern ramparts. It includes some of the Reservation’s most special visitors can stay overnight in the Blue Hills. Hidden in a wooded bluff places. Chief among them is 200-acre Ponkapoag Pond, the park’s on the Pond’s edge, visitors can stay in the AMC rustic cabins for an largest water body and premier fishing spot, which lies within Canton affordable get-away, right next to home. and Randolph. A loop trail completely encircles it. The Pond’s best boat launching spot is at Fisherman’s Beach on its The Pond’s west side is dominated by the popular 36-hole south shore. Ponkapoag Golf Course, the country’s first public course, whose Several trails in the oak woods east of the Pond lead to a pedestrian clubhouse fronts Rt. 138 in Canton. Designed in the 1920’s, its smooth bridge across Rt. 24. On its far side (5,400 Section) lie about 200 acres slopes and broad fairways offer the park’s best Nordic-ski touring. of Reservation land called Ponkapoag Mid Section. At its center is a Ponkapoag Pond, as well as Fowl Meadow, (see below) are relic of the Cold War, a Nike site, a group of fortified underground silos designated by the state as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern, which housed massive liquid-fueled anti-aircraft missiles in the early which means that these areas contain unique and valuable natural 1960’s. Quail, uncommon elsewhere in the park, like the open terrain resources and deserve a high level of protection. here (5,600 Section).

A quarter of the Pond’s surface is underground, in effect, since its Ponkapoag East Section, which it the reservation’s most obsure, entire northwest corner is covered by an uncommon wetland plant is located off West Street in Braintree and Pond Street in Randolph. community known as a bog mat – a buoyant layer of vegetation that This area, a small upland cut off front he high ground by Route 93, is spreads out from the shoreline. Eventually it becomes thick enough surrounded by marshes where ducks often gather. A parking lot, just to support an extensive cedar forest. You can tour the Ponkapoag west of Braintree’s Ridge Arena provides access to this area while a Boardwalk, a National Environmental Study Area. The Boardwalk is a piece of the old Route 128, now closed to cars, leads you into adventure. string of anchored planks extending a fifth of a mile from dry land to Every Blue Hills connoisseur loves this spot. open water.

Friends of the Blue Hills 13 www.FriendsoftheBlueHills.org Friends of the Blue Hills 14 www.FriendsoftheBlueHills.org Fowl Meadow

The broad expanse of Fowl Meadow is low-lying, devoid of rock, often remains dry when much of the Meadow is flooded, and allows and flat as a pancake. It formed during the last glacier, when Canadian access to, and a good view of, the Meadow’s open water, broad marshes, ice blocked the Neponset River at Hyde Park, and the lake that resulted old oxbows, and extensive stands of red maple and aspen, all of which reached all the way back to Walpole. The meadow is a deep deposit of attract considerable numbers of migrating waterfowl and songbirds in sand and gravel now overlaid by the largest freshwater marsh remaining season. Near its midpoint side trails branch off toward the bordering inside Route 128. It is bisected north to south by the beeline rails of the river and uplands. Amtrak Boston-to-New York route and by the meandering channel of the Walkers are more likely to see deer along the Burma Road than Neponset River. anywhere else in the Reservation, as they find their way under Rt. 128 via The 30-mile long Neponset River drains most of the watershed of the Neponset River. Norfolk County and forms a floodplain in the Fowl Meadow before At its southern end, the Road runs into the Interstate 95 Stub, a curving east and emptying into Boston Harbor at Quincy and Dorchester. crumbing relic of a citywide battle between citizens and highway builders Though usually only yards wide, after heavy rains the river can leave its in the late 1960s. Plans to extend Interstate 95’s six lanes through the banks and widen to a half-mile or more. These occasional floods prevent Meadow and into Boston along the current route of MBTA Orange Line trees from becoming established in much of the Meadow. In colonial were scrubbed at the last minute by popular outrage and the leadership times the Meadow’s fine grasses produced hay that supported livestock, of Governor Frank Sargent. Today the areas around the defunct ramps, making it one of the area’s most valuable resources. which were never opened to traffic, are maintained as open fields by the A fascinating path, the Fisherman’s Trail follows the winding levee of Department of Conservation and Recreation. This habitat is important the Neponset’s east bank through the length of Fowl Meadow. The river to wildlife and is otherwise scarce in the reservation as a whole. Public is flat water in the Meadow and is passable by canoe most of the year. access is available off the final curve of the ramp leading from Rt. 95 to Though once famously dirty, the river has become considerably clearer in Rt. 128 westbound. recent years as the towns upstream have cleaned their discharges, and fish Beginning at the I95 Stub, a wooded corridor incorporating the and aquatic plants are beginning to return. Skyline Foot Path connects the Meadow to the main body of the The Meadow’s downstream end is marked by the three granite arches Reservation across Rt. 138 to the east. Smack in the middle of this of Paul’s Bridge, where traffic has crossed between Milton and Boston corridor lies Little Blue Hill (6,500 Section), a matchbox version of its since the 18th century, and two former structures have given way to the neighbor. Though it can be climbed in minutes, it ledgy summit is open present one, built in 1932. in places and offers fine views of Blue Hill itself. Trails start from the large public lot just north of the Dunkin Donuts on Rt. 138. With its easy The most popular trail in the Meadow, the Burma road, begins near grades, its abundant water and its rich and varied animal and plant life, the parking lot just south of the bridge. It runs straight through the the Meadow has always been popular with local residents as a tranquil Meadow about 2.5 miles to Rt. 128. Built atop an embankment the Road oasis amidst its busy surroundings. Come and explore. Friends of the Blue Hills 15 www.FriendsoftheBlueHills.org Friends of the Blue Hills 16 www.FriendsoftheBlueHills.org