Wander through America's colonial past at the Old Manse in Concord, where the Shot Heard 'Round the World was followed only two generations later by an American literary revolution led by Emerson, Hawthorne, and Thoreau.
Or, enjoy a present-day retracing of Native American paddling routes along the Charles and Neponset rivers. Hike past stone walls built painstakingly by Yankee farmers engaged in a constant struggle with the rocky, rugged ground of New England. And that's just the start.
Francis William Bird Parkhttp://www.thetrustees.org/places-to-visit/greater-boston/bird-park.html42.15973643950-71.21500812630
Stroll meandering pathways and cross artisan-built stone bridges at this family-friendly park of open fields, groves of trees, and frog ponds.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/GB_FWBP_bench.jpgPolley LaneWalpole, MA02032Polley Ln, Walpole, MA 02032, USA
Bridge Island Meadowshttp://www.thetrustees.org/places-to-visit/greater-boston/bridge-island-meadows.html42.19233771770-71.34680513740
Paddle to this small upland amid the extensive Charles River floodplain and bushwhack up a hill to views of the surrounding wetlands.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/GB_BIM.jpgSouth End PondMillis, MA02054South End Pond, Massachusetts 02054, USA
Explore this former riverside farm along the carriage road loop or enjoy a leisurely paddle on the Charles.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/GB_cedariver.jpg161 Forest RoadMillis, MA02054161 Forest Rd, MA 02054, USA
Charles River Peninsulahttp://www.thetrustees.org/places-to-visit/greater-boston/charles-river-peninsula.html42.26035093460-71.26533550340
Surrounded on three sides by the river, this restored grassland field is accessible by either foot or boat.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/GB_CRP_water.jpgFisher StreetNeedham, MA02492Fisher St, Needham, MA 02492, USA
Follow meandering trails through a forest of pine, beech, and hemlock and enjoy what was once a family’s cherished preserve.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/GB_CW_trail.jpgFarm StreetDover, MA02030Farm St, Dover, MA 02030, USA
Chestnut Hill Farmhttp://www.thetrustees.org/places-to-visit/greater-boston/chestnut-hill-farm.html42.309942-71.554958
Explore scenic woodlands and rolling fields at this working farm, which was saved from development in the 1960s through the dedication of a local family.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/GB_CHF_landscape-clouds_google157x88.jpgChestnut Hill RoadSouthborough, MA017729-99 Chestnut Hill Rd, Southborough, MA 01772, USA
Stroll through elegant gardens complementing a stately country house then explore surrounding fields, pastures, and woodlands that echo the property’s agricultural past.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/GB_BE_chicken_TKates.jpg2468 Washington StreetCanton, MA020212468 Washington St, Canton, MA 02021, USA
Follow a network of trails through wetland, hayfields, and wooded upland to discover views and the foundations of an historic mill.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/Photo Gallery Thumbnails/GB_FFB_7_SVieira.jpgHartford StreetMedfield, MA02052Hartford St, Medfield, MA 02052, USA
Enjoy views of the Neponset River marshes and Boston Harbor from the hilltop site of the estate of the last Massachusetts Colonial governor.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/GB_GHF_snow_RHeath.jpgAdams StreetMilton, MA02186Adams St, Milton, MA 02186, USA
This modest reservation provides a portal to a much larger protected landscape of 1,300 acres. The preserve also features a wheelchair-accessible trail.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/GB_MP_walkers.jpgStearns SteetCarlisle, MA01741Stearns St, Carlisle, MA 01741, USA
These areas of marsh situated within the Charles River Floodplain represent The Trustees’ commitment to ecological diversity and protecting natural communities.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/GB_MML_water.jpgN. Meadows RoadMedfield, MA02052N Meadows Rd, Medfield, MA 02052, USA
Approach with care this fragile habitat of rare Rosebay rhododendrons with care — here you can experience one of very few populations of this important species.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/GB_MR_closeup_TKates.jpgWoodridge RoadMedfield, MA02052Woodridge Rd, Medfield, MA 02052, USA
Moose Hill Farmhttp://www.thetrustees.org/places-to-visit/greater-boston/moose-hill-farm.html42.12758900210-71.21049707100
Follow a trail from the farmstead through restored woodlands to hillside hayfields and pastures, where you'll enjoy views of Great Blue Hill and the Boston skyline.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/GB_MHF_snowshoers_JNapoli.jpg396 Moose Hill StreetSharon, MA02067396 Moose Hill St, Sharon, MA 02067, USA
Follow a network of trail across a grand preserve that features woodlands and ponds, a former mill site, and Noanet Peak, which offers views of the Boston skyline.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/GB_NW_water_RSmith.jpgDedham StreetDover, MA02030Dedham St, Dover, MA 02030, USA
Ascend the hill to enjoy treetop vistas, amble around Holt Pond, or follow trails that leads through an adjacent Trustees reservation to the Charles River.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/GB_NH_artist_DThomas.jpgNoon Hill RoadMedfield, MA02052Noonhill Rd, Medfield, MA 02052, USA
Hike past a former mill pond, cross a wetlands boardwalk, and explore a forest of pine and oak on your way to a boathouse on the banks of the tidal North River.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/southeast/googlethumbnails/SE_NOR_Window_TKates.jpg10 Dover StreetNorwell, MA0206110 Dover St, Norwell, MA 02061, USA
Once the ancestral home of local Native Americans and later a Colonial-era farmscape, this ridgeline is a thickly wooded habitat laced by remnant stone walls.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/GB_PH_trees.jpgPegan LaneDover, MA02030Pegan Ln, Dover, MA 02030, USA
Pierce Reservation includes four acres of woodland and fields behind a private residence at 224 Adams Street. It is only accessible from adjacent Governor Hutchinson's Field.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/central-ma/googlethumbnails/C_PR_KMcMahon.jpg224 Adams StreetMilton, MA02186224 Adams St, Milton, MA 02186, USA
Revived as the site of a Community Supported Agriculture program, this farm features a trail that explores woodlands, fields, and wetlands.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/GB_PF_pigs_KMcMahon.jpg39 Powisset StreetDover, MA0203039 Powisset St, Dover, MA 02030, USA
By foot or canoe, enjoy incomparable views of the Charles River at its most serene as it slowly winds between granite walls. Or amble among pine groves and past wetlands along seven miles of trails and footpaths.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/GB_RN_view_canoers_SLapides.jpgS Main StreetSherborn, MA01770S Main St, MA 01770, USA
Enjoy expansive views from atop Cedar Hill, amble along a trail to a former quarry site, or explore five ponds that dot this woody landscape.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/GB_RW_lilypads_RSmith.jpgHartford StreetMedfield, MA02052Hartford St, Medfield, MA 02052, USA
The forest has reclaimed this centuries-old pasture land along the Charles, where trails poke out to the river’s edge with lovely views. A paddler's favorite.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/GB_SR_LadySlipper_DThomas.jpgCauseway StreetMedfield, MA02052Causeway St, Medfield, MA 02052, USA
Signal Hillhttp://www.thetrustees.org/places-to-visit/greater-boston/signal-hill.html42.18525698550-71.15949866350
At the far end of an industrial park you’ll discover a protected refuge that offers both views of the Blue Hills and access to the Neponset River.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/GB_SH_people_TKates.jpgUniversity RoadCanton, MA02021University Rd, MA 02021, USA
The Old Mansehttp://www.thetrustees.org/places-to-visit/greater-boston/old-manse.html42.46853130330-71.34844693910
The first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired nearby – and, less than a century later, Emerson, Hawthorne, and Thoreau spawned a revolution in American philosophy from here.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/GB_OM_girls_TKates.jpg296 Monument StreetConcord, MA01742296 Monument St, MA 01742, USA
Two Mile Farmhttp://www.thetrustees.org/places-to-visit/greater-boston/two-mile-farm.html42.119922-70.766622
Wander cart paths and foot trails that lead through resurgent woodlands and past stone walls to the broad meadows of the North River.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/southeast/googlethumbnails/SE_TMR_KJohnson.jpgUnion StreetMarshfield, MA02050Union St, Marshfield, MA 02050, USA
Weir River Farmhttp://www.thetrustees.org/places-to-visit/greater-boston/weir-river-farm.html42.23977058250-70.85345225350
This family-friendly farm, one of the last farms in Hingham, will enthrall visitors with its own “family” of horses, pigs, cows, chickens, and sheep.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/SE_WRF_girlwithgoat_TKates.jpgTurkey Hill LandHingham, MA02043Turkey Hill Ln, Hingham, MA 02043, USA
Whitney and Thayer Woodshttp://www.thetrustees.org/places-to-visit/greater-boston/whitney-thayer-woods.html42.23415235240-70.82388483340
Step back in time to woodlands dotted with glacial erratics and vernal pools featuring bridges over streams, carefully sited benches, a hermit’s shelter, and secluded holly grove.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/SE_WTW_RCheek.jpgRoute 3AHingham & Cohasset, MA02043MA-3, Hingham, MA 02043, USA
Rolling hills and rocky shorelines offer sweeping views of the Boston skyline, while tree-lined carriage paths designed by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted make delightful walking trails.
http://www.thetrustees.org/assets/images/prop/greater-boston/googlethumbnails/SE_WE_mom-son_TKates.jpgMartins LaneHingham, MA02043Martins Ln, Hingham, MA 02043, USA
Explore scenic woodlands and rolling fields at this working farm, which was saved from development in the 1960s through the dedication of a local family.
Stroll through elegant gardens complementing a stately country house then explore surrounding fields, pastures, and woodlands that echo the property’s agricultural past.
This modest reservation provides a portal to a much larger protected landscape of 1,300 acres. The preserve also features a wheelchair-accessible trail.
These areas of marsh situated within the Charles River Floodplain represent The Trustees’ commitment to ecological diversity and protecting natural communities.
Approach with care this fragile habitat of rare Rosebay rhododendrons with care — here you can experience one of very few populations of this important species.
Follow a trail from the farmstead through restored woodlands to hillside hayfields and pastures, where you'll enjoy views of Great Blue Hill and the Boston skyline.
Follow a network of trail across a grand preserve that features woodlands and ponds, a former mill site, and Noanet Peak, which offers views of the Boston skyline.
Ascend the hill to enjoy treetop vistas, amble around Holt Pond, or follow trails that leads through an adjacent Trustees reservation to the Charles River.
Hike past a former mill pond, cross a wetlands boardwalk, and explore a forest of pine and oak on your way to a boathouse on the banks of the tidal North River.
Once the ancestral home of local Native Americans and later a Colonial-era farmscape, this ridgeline is a thickly wooded habitat laced by remnant stone walls.
Pierce Reservation includes four acres of woodland and fields behind a private residence at 224 Adams Street. It is only accessible from adjacent Governor Hutchinson's Field.
By foot or canoe, enjoy incomparable views of the Charles River at its most serene as it slowly winds between granite walls. Or amble among pine groves and past wetlands along seven miles of trails and footpaths.
The forest has reclaimed this centuries-old pasture land along the Charles, where trails poke out to the river’s edge with lovely views. A paddler's favorite.
The first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired nearby – and, less than a century later, Emerson, Hawthorne, and Thoreau spawned a revolution in American philosophy from here.
Step back in time to woodlands dotted with glacial erratics and vernal pools featuring bridges over streams, carefully sited benches, a hermit’s shelter, and secluded holly grove.
Rolling hills and rocky shorelines offer sweeping views of the Boston skyline, while tree-lined carriage paths designed by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted make delightful walking trails.
