Great trail for walking and rucking. Mostly shaded and the hill at the end for an extra challenge…read moreis fun.

This is a great way to see some history and get a good walk or bike ride in. I went here a few…read moreweeks ago. It wasn't too crowded even on a sunny day. Parking lot might get full but don't worry. Drive a few feet down the road and there are lots all along the route. I parked close to the visitors center. Small gift shop here which had some pretty cool stuff but I thought it was somewhat expensive. I did get there right in time for a short 30 minute movie. I was so happy I got to watch this. Some real cool lighting and a great story. "Road to Revolution" it was called. I highly recommend this! I then walked along the trail called "Battle road". Went for a few miles. There are great signs along the way to tell you about what historical event happened. I will definitely be back here in the fall when all the trees are colorful for a bike ride.

The most majestic gazebo you ever did see and don't you forget it! Do yourself a favor and sit and…read morecontemplate your humanity in this common on a warm summer day.

Located at the center of Waltham and just uphill from the Waltham MBTA station, this large green…read morearea has paths, trees, benches and today, a dude who walked into one of the bushy fir trees for a pee. Yep, that really happened. There are quite a few memorials and statues here including Nathaniel P. Banks (1816-1844). A large gazebo/bandshell was empty when I arrived but was set up for a summer concert later in the evening. A veteran's memorial is also set up with flags.

AN ABSOLUTELY MUST DO! 5 STARS! How would you like to picnic on the grounds of a Castle for FREE!…read moreThis is one of the Secret Hidden Gems of America that most people have never heard of or been to before. It's Time to jump into The TimeMobile & scour the Earth & take you to places from a different time that you won't believe still exist. We have set the dial to 1880's in the town of Wellesley MA. We have landed at this beautiful Castle that is in the middle of the center of Wellesley's business district. Well it looks like a castle but it's really Wellesley City Hall. I don't know about you but my city hall looks nothing like a Castle. LOL! Wellesley is a very affluent town & their city hall is a Castle. You can visit the park here for FREE & THE Parking is FREE as well. If they run out of spots there's metered parking on the perimeter & adjacent streets too. Near the front entrance there is a War Memorial dedicated to those who lost their lives in the Armed Services. The grounds of Hunnewell Park are filled with green grass, trees, a stream, a bridge & a pond. There's wildlife that resides here including white swans & geese. There are benches & picnic tables scattered throughout the property. What a picturesque & relaxing setting to Picnic or kick back & read. It feels like you are at a nature retreat rather than a park. It's great to take a photo here with the Castle & send it to your family & friends & say " Sorry I can't talk to you peasants now, I'm picnicking at a Castle". LOL! They will hate you forever until you tell them it's Free & you'll take them with you next time. The stone government building is a prime example of the Richardsonian Romanesque style of architecture along with a bit of French Chateau. It was built between 1881 & 1886 & designed by Shaw & Hunnewell. It was funded by & built on donated land by H. H. Hunnewell. The building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There's also something special here for the medical community that they will really like. There are 2 Doctor memorial plaques placed on large stones. The first one is for DR W*T G MORTON who lived here. He gave the world Ether for Surgery. The second plaque is for DR. JOSEPH E. MURRAY who in 1954 performed the first successful Human Organ Transplant. He was also a 1990 Nobel Prize Winner & resided in the town. Since you are in the area be sure to check out the Babson Globe another Freebie. It's the 2nd largest rotating globe in the world. And you can get something great to eat right across the street @ Tutto Italiano. They serve great Meatball Subs & get a side of their Delicious Homemade red roasted peppers too. They also have authentic Italian red sauce to go. It used to be, you had to have Mega Bucks & be really Rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget!

I spend a lot of time at Hunnewell Park. It is close to my home and although it used to offer a…read morelot more natural settings it has unfortunately become one giant athletic complex. Lights and sounds can be experienced almost every night now. We used to see and hear many more wild animals and experience it as a natural corridor. Alas, now it is only filled up with athletic equipment, stray plastic water bottles and other human trash.

The Western Greenway is located almost entirely inside the triangle bounded on the northeast by…read moreConcord Avenue in Lexington and Belmont, on the southeast by the MBTA commuter rail and the now-abandoned Mass Central Rail line, and to the west by Lexington Street in Waltham. To be sure, there has been a significant amount of development inside this triangle. But there are also significant swaths of green space. The green space comprises various parcels, some of which are publicly-owned and have been designated as parks or conservation land. There are other publicly-owned parcels whose future is still undetermined, and there are some undeveloped parcels along the Greenway that are privately-owned. Most of the blazed segments of the Greenway are in Belmont and Waltham extending from the Beaver Brook area all the way around past the YMCA on Lexington St. toward the Lyman Estate. I usually like to park in the lower section of the YMCA driveway, or the lot over at the Robert Treat Paine Estate off of Beaver street. There are a couple trail heads in the lot, and they are all well marked. It is a great place to walk the dogs or take a light hike. There are no serious steep uphill or challenging terrain, it's really just a great place to take a leisurely hike in the woods. We see deer and other wildlife out there all the time. It was really a shock to me when I first discovered it that there was this much undeveloped space in the heart of Waltham. There are many marked and blazed trails, but the Greenway is still under development in certain sections. It is worth a visit to the Waltham Land Trust website to see what areas are suitable for what your looking to do.

Great trail network in the greater Boston area. I live just a mile from the trail and love going…read moreout for a trail run or mountain bike loop. Would recommend if you're looking for a quick escape from the hustle and bustle of Boston

I went kayaking in Sudbury river in the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. The river is calm…read moreand we saw many animals, including birds (geese, swan, and a number of others that I couldn't see but hear), fish, muskrats. During COVID-19 pandemic, kayaking is one of the best activities that can keep social distance.

HUNTING??!! No thanks!…read more I definitely won't be returning to this wildlife "refuge" (Refuge: a place to seek shelter from pursuit) after learning that, not only is hunting is allowed, but it takes place near and at the same time that hikers, children and others are enjoying the same area! Yikes! Hunters are asked to "Please exercise caution when hunting on or near the rivers or near nature trails." but hunting accidents happen all the time and even children are allowed to hunt on the land. (Who teaches a child to kill, anyway?). Hunting is not limited to invasive species but allows indiscriminate killing of native species as well. These "refuges" are confined by developed areas, necessary for migratory species and become essentially canned hunts. Not only do I not want to get shot but I will not support a sham program deceiving the public into thinking that it protects and shelters wildlife.

Otherwise known as Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust, this is an excellent, private non-profit…read moreand land trust in Lowell that aims to improve the quality of life for the people of Lowell through the creation, conservation, and preservation of parks, open spaces, and special places. It provides technical assistance to city agencies, local non-profits, businesses, and neighborhoods to support a healthy, diverse urban forest (urban forestry); It also protects land and offers programs, such as whitewater rafting trips on the Concord River; educates people about their current and historic impact on the natural environment (environmental education); acquires and protects conservation lands where nature is left undisturbed (land protection)

The family were in New England for an extended weekend and I knew I needed to carve out a minute to…read morepay my respects to a writer that's been influential to me and my friends. First stop: Edson Cemetery (about 10 minutes away) to visit his burial plot, which would prove to be more profound and interesting to me. (I'd recommend that and skipping this park, to be honest.) Lowell seems to be a town struggling and it was heartbreaking to see so many people suffering and asking for help at almost every corner as I tried to get here. Then when I got to the park itself there were a few homeless people on the outer benches which made me feel like an idiot when I pulled out my phone to document my visit. All that being said... I think it's cool (and meaningful) that 'Ti Jean' was given a memorial park in his hometown. The park's small. Some benches are spaced between concentric columns. There was also a ping-pong table as well as plenty of trees off to the side. Some of the columns that have etched quotes and tidbits regarding Kerouac are faded/damaged and hard to read. Parking was an issue. (Litter all around was another.) Even the most devoted fans of Sal Paradise might not dig coming here. (If I were much braver I would've loved to swing by Arthur's Diner across the street which looked EXACTLY like the kind of place the Beats would've frequented to ramble and rant and preach and maybe even do a bit of writing about their most recent experiences out and about in the world.)

This park has cool history but it is pretty busy during the day & very small in size, and might be…read morebetter to see early in the morning or sunset. Parking is doable in the area.

Nice view of the Charles River near Moody Street. But as you go further west there's not much of a…read moreview at all because of the dense vegetation. But there's a nice walkway on the opposite side of the river, near Moody Street. And there's also a nice park on the other side of Moody Street, near the Museum of Industry.