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Family-Friendly Hikes near Boston

125 routes near Boston qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 2.5 km, with the longest running to 6.2 km.

That is 66 percent of the 190 routes we map near Boston. They are shorter than the local average, 2.5 km against 8.2 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day. They also climb less than the area average, 21 m (69 ft) against 60 m (197 ft), so they suit a recovery day or a group with mixed fitness.

Family routes here are short, gently graded and interesting enough to keep younger legs moving. Every one is under seven kilometres with limited climbing. Most of these are on the gentler end, which makes the list a good starting point if you are new to the area.

Trails

A man fishing in the Indian Head River reservoir , on the border of Pembroke and Hanson in Massachusetts.
Easy

Indian Head River Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
5.6 km
/ 3.5 mi
Elevation gain
48 m
Typical duration
1 hr 14 min
  • River
  • Waymarked route
Sunset at Spot Pond in Melrose, Massachusetts
Easy

Virginia Wood Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
18 m
Typical duration
9 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Groton School, as viewed from the top of the chapel.
Easy

Sabine Woods Loop

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
4.3 km
/ 2.7 mi
Elevation gain
35 m
Typical duration
57 min
  • River
  • Forest
Looking west at the 1980-built Littleton station in 2011. This platform was demolished in 2013 to make way for the second track.
Easy

Balsam Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
2.2 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
9 m
Typical duration
28 min
  • Waymarked route
Orange Line platform and train at Oak Grove
Easy

Fells Path

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Typical duration
8 min
  • Waymarked route
Sunset at Spot Pond in Melrose, Massachusetts
Easy

Historic Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.5 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
30 m
Typical duration
22 min
  • Waymarked route
The junction of the former Woburn Branch from the Lowell Line at Winchester Interlocking, viewed from the Winchester Centre northbound platform
Easy

Long Pond Nature Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
20 m
Typical duration
27 min
  • Waymarked route
Orange Line platform and train at Oak Grove
Easy

Rock Circuit Connector

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
35 m
Typical duration
15 min
  • Waymarked route
South Weymouth Naval Air Station
Easy

Thompson Pond Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
7 m
Typical duration
22 min
  • Waymarked route
South Weymouth Naval Air Station
Easy

Twin Pond Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
31 min
  • Waymarked route
(1 in a multiple picture set) Many of my pictures were taken while hiking in the woods near Littleton, MA. One night we had snow, and the next day I was pushing through 3-foot drifts, when I came upon this bottle on a stump. Had it not been
Easy

Long Lake Loop

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
3.0 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
67 m
Typical duration
44 min
  • Lake
Established 1715
Easy

Yellow Loop

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
3.6 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
80 m
Typical duration
53 min
  • Waymarked route
Engraved memorial bricks along the Minuteman Bikeway at the Lexington Depot in Lexington, Massachusetts.
Easy

Lower Vine Brook Loop

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
10 m
Typical duration
15 min
  • River
Gropius House , Lincoln MA. Former garage, now converted to visitor center and shop.
Easy

Codman Forest Loop

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
8 m
Typical duration
29 min
  • Forest
Wheeler-Minot Farmhouse or Thoreau Farm, Concord, Massachusetts.
Easy

Main Trail (blue)

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Typical duration
13 min
  • Waymarked route
[The North Main Street (Route 27) bridge over the Worcester Main Line seen from the inbound platform at Natick station in December 2006
Easy

North Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
7 m
Typical duration
14 min
  • Waymarked route
[The North Main Street (Route 27) bridge over the Worcester Main Line seen from the inbound platform at Natick station in December 2006
Easy

Pegan Cove

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Typical duration
7 min
  • Waymarked route
Snow Leopard Hiding
Easy

blue trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Typical duration
6 min
  • Waymarked route
Former Littleton depot, now a stove restoration shop with junk piled around
Easy

Interior Loop Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
45 m
Typical duration
24 min
Westford Center Historic District , Westford Massachusetts
Easy

Tom Paul Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
4.3 km
/ 2.7 mi
Elevation gain
29 m
Typical duration
57 min
Looking south, improvements continue on the I-95 roadway throughout the project corridor through fall 2016. This view shows the I-95 median area at the new Route 2 bridges.
Easy

ACROSS Lexington Route H

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
6.1 km
/ 3.8 mi
Elevation gain
42 m
Typical duration
1 hr 20 min
Carlisle, MA 01741, USA
Easy

Acorn Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
2.9 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
29 m
Typical duration
39 min
Belted Galloway, popularly known as an Oreo. Located near one of the fields where our supplier grows corn.
Easy

Barretts Mill Loop

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Typical duration
24 min
Chestnut St.
Easy

Black Heritage Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
22 m
Typical duration
28 min
Pedestrian entrance to Chestnut Hill station from Hammond Street. The auto entrance is off to the left of this image.
Easy

Blue Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
18 min
The Washington Street Bridge (left) and Finlay Dam (right) on the Charles River in Newton, Massachusetts and Wellesley, Massachusetts in 2011.
Easy

Crosstown Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.8 km
/ 1.1 mi
Typical duration
23 min
Sunset at Spot Pond in Melrose, Massachusetts
Easy

Dark Hollow Pond Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
15 m
Typical duration
20 min
White Cliffs mansion in Northborough, Massachusetts, completed in 1886 as the summer home of Daniel B. Wesson (1825–1906), co-founder of Smith Wesson firearms.
Easy

Edmund Hill Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
37 m
Typical duration
19 min
Egg Rock near Concord, Massachusetts, USA. Shows rivers and ice. Inscription is visible but not legible.
Easy

Egg Rock Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.9 mi
Typical duration
17 min
Fotografía del Museo Concord , en Concord, Massachusetts, Estados Unidos.
Easy

Emerson-Thoreau Amble

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
32 m
Typical duration
38 min
art and creativity
Easy

Green Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
34 m
Typical duration
20 min
Holy Trinity Church, a Greek Orthodox Church located at 62 Lewis Street, Lowell, Massachusetts. Shown are the west and south (front) sides of the building, as viewed from a distance.
Easy

Heritage Hike

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Typical duration
24 min
Wheeler-Harrington House , Concord, Massachusetts.
Easy

Hilltop Loop Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
2.6 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
36 m
Typical duration
35 min
Squannacook River Dam, West Groton, Massachusetts, USA.
Easy

Ice Line Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
4.1 km
/ 2.5 mi
Typical duration
51 min
The Israel Loring Elementary School in Sudbury, Massachusetts.
Easy

Lyons-Cutler Loop

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
2.2 km
/ 1.4 mi
Typical duration
28 min
art and creativity
Easy

Red Trail

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
24 m
Typical duration
21 min
Appleton Mills. Located at 219 Jackson Street, Lowell, Massachusetts. Viewed from the top of Edward Early Jr. Garage.
Easy

Redevelopment Rove

Massachusetts · United States

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.2 mi
Typical duration
25 min

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Indian Head River TrailMassachusetts5.6 km48 m1 hr 14 minEasyApril to October
Virginia Wood TrailMassachusetts0.6 km18 m9 minEasyApril to October
Sabine Woods LoopMassachusetts4.3 km35 m57 minEasyApril to October
ALC ACROSS Lexington Route CMassachusetts4.1 km12 m52 minEasyApril to October
Balsam TrailMassachusetts2.2 km9 m28 minEasyApril to October
Fells PathMassachusetts0.7 kmflat8 minEasyApril to October
Historic TrailMassachusetts1.5 km30 m22 minEasyApril to October
Long Pond Nature TrailMassachusetts2.0 km20 m27 minEasyApril to October
Rock Circuit ConnectorMassachusetts0.9 km35 m15 minEasyApril to October
Thompson Pond TrailMassachusetts1.7 km7 m22 minEasyApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Indian Head River Trail, Virginia Wood Trail, Long Pond Nature Trail. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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