The cutest park ever! They even have amusement rides for toddlers ages till probably around eight or nine. Everything is free. They even have a cool, zip line and a place for volleyball, basketball, pickle ball, etc.. My kids had so much fun and we wish we had a park like this near our house. read more

Prospect Hill Park - Parks Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

See all

I really liked the walking trails and separate off road paths that were options. There were QR codes placed easily at every point on the trail to show you a map. Spent 2 hours walking around the main trail and enjoying the views of green trees. The air was fresh and there were a few people walking along. Park closes at 7pm! Aside from a small bathroom shed, I'm not sure if there's any other nearby bathrooms but there were a lot of picnic benches. read more

Prospect Hill Park - stairs on a trail path - Parks Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

You can't beat the minimal amount of effort (30-40 minute walk OR 5-10 minute drive) for a stunning view of Boston at the peak. It's great for a quick hike so not a several hour kind of affair. I have taken my dog here multiple times walking just up the paved driving area which is well maintained during the off season. It is a little over 2.5 miles to the top and down. There are 2 views one with the 2 stone benches with a direct view of the "Boston basin" skyline then a side view a few feet further up with a railing. There are picnic areas and several trails branching off of the main road. I haven't done them all yet but one of them ended up right behind Market Basket plaza area. This Waltham Land Trust gem has its own parking lot and park services off of busy Totten Pond Rd. and across from an ice rink. I often see the parking lot completely filled up and the ice rink always is full too with games (maybe not as much with the pandemic) so definitely plan your trip accordingly. There are some public bathrooms too but I can't imagine they are open or maintained now with the pandemic. Also according to the brochure "All picnic sites are available on a first come, first serve basis. To reserve a site for a special occasion, you must purchase a permit at the Recreation Department, Monday-Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm." If you're in the area this is a great way to see a beautiful view of Boston! More info and map here https://walthamlandtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/2016-07-12-GOS-Prospect-Hill-Rotated.pdf read more

See all

I went to this park alone on 6/1/2024. It is a big park. "natural oxygen bar"...i walked around the park. It is so big. I was trying to reach the top of 'big prospect hill" to see an beautiful overview of boston...but not able to find it...i will come next time to find it. Great to walk in the park with tree shade on a hot sunny day. read more

Simply beautiful!! Great place for a stroll with your pet, barbecue, or simply enjoying same "me" time. They have nice scenic view with a bench and some rocks for you to sit on. There's parking as you drive up to different parts of the park. There's parking right at the entrance of the park but I do not recommend walking up as it can be a long tedious walk. You can drive your vehicle up to any point you want as long as there's a paved road. Few trails for jogging or walking. I did notice poison ivy at few spots so be very careful and definitely take a mosquito repellent with you. Definitely a clean park and open to public all year around. read more

Prospect Hill Park - Parks Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

Prospect Hill Park is a conveniently located spot tucked away just off of 128. The park offers convenient parking, an easy paved path (and a number of trails), and nice views of the Boston city skyline at the top of the hill. The area is dog friendly and also has a ton of picnic areas if you're inclined to bring lunch. The park was clean and the other park goers were kind and courteous (e.g. people picked up after their dogs and acknowledged your existence when you passed one another). We took the paved pathway to the top, a round trip that took us about an hour, and met a ton of other couples, families, and groups of friends out for a fall walk. This is a great place for a short and east hike and a wonderful spot for a longer walk with your dog as well. read more

Prospect Hill Park - View from the top - Parks Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

Very beautiful in fall. Nice view to Boston. No problems with parking. Wide enough trails. read more

See all

A gem in the hills of suburbia! Prospect Hill Park is a great place to go all year round for a variety of activities that include sledding, trail running, biking, long boarding, photography and smoking! Watch out for poison ivy, dog shit and worst of all...little children! Cool views of Boston. read more

Prospect Hill Park - Summit view - Parks Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

See all

We were in search of a place to walk or hike and let our dog run off leash ...so we started out at Cat Rock Park in Weston, but they have recently banned all non-residents on weekends Luckily, Yelp helped us find Prospect Hill Park, just a couple of miles away in Welcoming Waltham! We had a beautiful, breezy hike with our happy dog bounding through the woods, and were rewarded with a lovely view of the Greater Boston skyline at the top of the scenic overlook. Thank you, Waltham for being accessible to all! read more

The spectacular topography of the Park encourages one to walk the trails like the Dinosaur Trail This natural environment is the wildlife habitat for small creatures and perfect greenery for butterflies, birds, and insects. The walks take in breath taking sights of tall Pine trees, flowering plants, and creeks that bring life to the 252 acre landscape. The park has two Summits of view point, 'Little Prospect', outlooks to the Boston Basin and river ways. 'Big Prospect', (at 485 feet), presents the feature overview of the Boston City Skyline. An ideal park for photography of panorama views to meadows and bird watching. Great for families as camping, walk trails and picnic areas are improved with support from Waltham Land Trust and Waltham City Parks Department. read more

Prospect Hill Park - Dinosaur Trail. Mostly of Burlington mylonite, a metamorphic rock, the base rock dates back 200 million years. - Parks Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

Prospect hill may not have the amenities of other parks but it is a decent place. And maybe tom went to the wrong hill. There is a hill on one end of the park the far end (you have to drive down the main road and then go onto a side road . You park your car at the lot and then walk up a path for a breathtaking view of Boston skyline. I think Tom went to the wrong hill. From the ski hill you can only see waltham. For more info go here. http://www.phpag.org/history.html Photos of the park: http://www.phpag.org/photos.html View from the top hill http://www.phpag.org/views.html http://www.phpag.org/BigPhotos/ViewFromLittleProspect.jpg Here's a trail map. As you can see the observation point is not the Ski hill but you have to go to the other end of the park where there is an observation tower/viewpoint. on the south end of the park. http://www.whysheep.com/dvb/phill.html read more

From Google Earth this park has a wonderful spot on a cliff-top ridge that looks back across Waltham and Watertown over the whole Boston basin. A great place to watch the sunset light shining off the downtown skyscrapers in the distance. Sadly, the park is a dump. Almost literally. It's dirty, industrial and hard to find (get off the 128 on Totten Pond Road and it's on the right as you descend in Waltham). Worst of all, after yomping up the steep ridge I found no spot with a clear view of Boston - only some fleeting glimpses of a wonderful panorama behind the trees. Get your act together Waltham and improve this park. It could be so much more and be a great spot for a great view. EDIT: Apparently if you go to another spot you do see a great view. My bad. It is still a pretty derelict place. BUT... AMAZING FOR SLEDDING!! So up from one star to two. WAIT: I just looked at the links Jeff put up DAMN THAT'S A VIEW! up to 3 stars now. Don't forget GO SLEDDING HERE! read more

I don't understand some of the negative reviews about Prospect Hill Park. It is not a dump. I think this is a beautiful city park, a wonderful oasis in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the industrial complexes of Waltham. It is a city park, so yes, you do hear the faint roar of I-95 in the distance if you listen hard enough, but that's part of the experience. But you also hear the rustling of leaves, the cicadas, and birds chirping. You get beautiful views of the Boston skyline, clean, well-marked trails, and the numerous picnic areas where you can set up camp and cook out in the woods. You do see remnants of when it might have been a "rough-er" park (graffiti on old electric towers) from way back in the day, but it's just a reminder that you're in a city park. You will run into families out for a stroll, hikers, cyclists, dog walkers. read more

FOUND a set of KEYS in the park!! If you lost a set of keys then message me with description of them and I will be sure they are returned to the correct owner! As far as the park, I will have to return when I have a map. Thank you to the person , here, who posted links of maps and trails of the park. This is exactly what I should have had today. I really was not able tol enjoy myself or see any views of the city.... I will come back to give a better review when I can say that I actually had the chance to experience the park. read more

Such a beautiful spot in the middle of corporate America! I was desperately seeking a quiet place to sit in the sun and read my book while up here on a business trip. After a quick search on Google Maps, I found this outdoor space less than a mile from my hotel. Prospect Hill Park did not disappoint! The smell of fresh flowers, the birds chirping and the friendly people walking their dogs were a wonderful coincidence. read more

Went on a weekday and it was fairly empty. Some bikers, some joggers and families. It was a nice park to go for a short hike and it has some pretty views, but I have to say that if you wander just a little off the paved trail, the park starts to look pretty run-down with all the garbage, plastic bags and graffiti everywhere. There were numbered camp sites along the main paved trail, so I guess people actually camp out here. I would probably never camp out here unless I was homeless. Another not so great thing about this park is that it is right next to the 128 freeway. If you want to hear birds chirping, the sound of wind rustling leaves, and the sound of nature, don't go here. All I heard while I was there was the nonstop droning of traffic on the freeway. read more

Nice little park with a small playground for the kiddos. Long walking trails in the woods. read more

Prospect Hill Park - Boston skyline - Parks Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

Really nice park! There are some hiking trails and a paved path so you can drive up. I tried hiking up, but it was too long so I drove up. The view at the top is amazing! Such a nice view of the Boston skyline. There are a a lot of picnic tables too and a playground. read more

See all

I love running on hills, and so far since my moving into Boston had been a bit frustrated by the relatively flat trails and paths around here ... Until I found this park. Lots of space, a pretty steep hill, a bunch of trails, some paved, some on pretty rough terrain, and the view of the whole Boston skyline in the distance is just great ! Reminded me of Twin Peaks in SF (OK, maybe I'm exaggerating a little here...). Plus there is a good number of fire pits and bbq and picnic tables, and most of them were empty on a sunny Sunday afternoon. So, overall, a great place. There is a parking lot on the North Side of the park (Totten Pond road), and street parking on the South side (prospect hill rd). read more

Nice city park with multiple hiking trails. There were also some scenic points where you can get the view of Boston. The trails have various difficulty levels too, so you can choose your own pace. If you live in Waltham or nearby cities, def recommend checking this out! read more

Great piece of woods with evidence indian and witch history. Beautiful view of boston, recently updated for even better view, trimmed trees and benches. nice trail from bottom to top, about 15-20 min walk Id say not bad read more

WHO KNEW this little gem was right in Waltham! Really good semi hard hike - good like hour workout. Tons of picnic spots along the way with grills and picnic tables. AMAZING views/lookouts too! Very clean. Easy parking. Def going back! read more

This is the park that nobody in Waltham knows about. I guess it used to be some sort of ski hill? Now it's just a great quiet wooded area in Waltham with some amazing views of Boston at various spots along the top. Nice well-marked trails if you want to go for some hikes for a few hours without straying too far from Waltham. If the green gate at the bottom is open you can drive all throughout the park - you'll see some spots to pull over and various camping sites. read more

For those of you who came here by searching for off-leash dog parks, please be aware that Waltham has a leash law and NO dogs should be off leash in the park! That law exists to protect both the park's wildlife and people's pets. Aside from the obvious issue of being considerate to other park users, be aware that there are several families of coyotes in the park and they will defend their dens. There are also foxes, raccoons and other biting animals in the park. People with leashed dogs or no dogs won't ever see the dangerous animals. People who let their dogs run free might be in for an unpleasant surprise! Be sensible and considerate: keep your dog on a leash at all times in the park and in the rest of Waltham. Thank you. As for the park, it is lovely and expansive, with plenty of hiking trails and amenities such as picnic areas and benches overlooking views of Boston. Some of the trails are eroded because idiots go off road on them, but otherwise it's a lovely oasis. I especially like the plentiful ladies slippers in the Spring. read more

Beautiful park! Go here to get away from the loud city noises. The farther you walk, the quieter it gets :)

Great afternoon hike with friends - awesome spots for BBQ & landing with Boston view is well maintained.

Words and pictures and cannot describe how great this park is. You have to be there for yourself to see the amazing view over Boston. This place is a great place to go for a run or BBQ with many permanent sites left around for grilling. There is also a road so you can drive to the top and back. read more

Definitely worth a visit if you live in the area. Good exercise. Nice view at top. Trail map at: http://www.city.waltham.ma.us/sites/walthamma/files/u157/prospect_hill_-_trail_map_11x17_2011.pdf read more

We took the pup here today to walk off some of his energy. There are several trails to explore, but they ranged from .1 miles to slightly over a half mile. There are a couple of nice picnic shelters and about ten other picnic tables scattered over the park. I think I would go there fairly regularly if I lived in Waltham, but I didn't love it enough to want to drive out there from Cambridge on a regular basis. It is a wooded area, and I think it would be a nice cool place to have a picnic on a hot summer day. read more

Could be a great park. There is plenty of broken of glass on the trails and paved roads throughout the park. Also, lots of trash that doesn't seem to find its way into the numerous trash barrels. I used to go here often with my dog and kids. I have recently reduced my trips here due to the risk of injury from broken glass. Also, there are some shady looking characters hanging out here during the 4-6pm timeframe during the week. read more

Very nice and very large woodsy park. I went with a few friends and we were all shocked that it is in the heart of Waltham. It is a little difficult to find. It is across the street from the ice skating rink. Then you can park in the lot and walk up or you can drive up part of the way. If you bare left at the only fork and then park at the small lot at the top, it is a short walk to the second highest point in the vicinity of Boston. That is the greatest view. From there, there are more secluded trails. It was enjoyable and peaceful although very buggy. read more

This is an incredible park. The town of Waltham is fortunate to be able to call it its own. I hope they continue to maintain it. It offers a tranquil and invigorating walk up and down hills. There are camp sites, picnic sites and some spectacular views at the top. Occasionally, you may see small groups of chaperoned children exploring the woods, brooks and creeks. I think that if people say negative things about the park, it's probably a local who wants to keep hoards of people away. I've only had one brief unpleasant observation during a walk. Some picnickers had music blasting from their car. Hello!!!! People go to the park for a tranquil, natural experience, not to dance Bachata! read more

I wasn't sure what to expect after reading the reviews of this park. It was a gorgeous day though and the dog and I needed a quick, pre-work outing so we decided since this was only a couple of miles away, to give it a shot. To be frank, I don't understand a lot of the negative reviews. Is it the nicest park I've been to? Probably not but I really liked it and didn't feel as though it was unclean or unsafe. Yes, we came across the "shelter" that had some graffiti but you're not in a national park and that's going to happen. Some of the other things that were there (water tanks and old radio towers) are a part of the town history and while not scenic like a waterfall etc, it certainly didn't negatively impact my experience or feelings about the park. It's just where it is. Trails aren't marked extremely well but we still had fun exploring with no particular direction in mind. View from Little Prospect Hill (of the Boston Skyline) was pretty and I look forward to going back earlier in the morning when the sky is a little less hazy and then when the leaves start to change. All in all, the dog and I had a great time and look forward to going back. Also of note, they have relatively recently put in restrooms near one of the shelters that look clean and new. read more