Lowell Woods and Sandy Valley Loop

Houghton's Pond Recreation Area is a loop trail that takes you by the lake located near Milton, Massachusetts.

Park at the end of Ponkapoag Trail Road to access the trail. Dog friendly, open year round. 

Note: The campus is currently closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. This is a lake on Wellesley College Campus.  It is easy to get to from just about any direction. Just park and walk toward the lake, and there are paths that will take you there. The easiest place to park (pinned on the map) is just off Washington Street near the end of the Wellesley College Campus as you leave downtown Wellesle...

Park in the lot off of Arborway to access the trail. This place is gorgeous year round. The winter offers a quiet solitude, fall boasts bright colors, spring is the most beautiful as the flowers start to burst and cherry blossoms take over, and summer is overwhelmingly green. There are dozens of spots around the arboretum where you can just nestle under some trees and have a private picnic or m...

Park in the Jamaica Pond parking area. You can go either direction on this loop trail, which is highly trafficked and dog-friendly. Keep a lookout for (and a respectful distance from) the wildlife that live here. The loop around Jamaica Pond itself is 1.5 miles. The best part about running in this area is that it links up to so many other running trails. It is a part of the Emerald Necklace whi...

Park in the lot across from Batterymarch Rd off of Willard St. Access the Skyline trail from here, it is marked blue. Follow the signs. The trails in Blue Hills are perfect for training for backpacking because they are so steep and rocky. I would fill up a big pack and take the skyline trail up to the gorgeous views at the top. It is forested and leads past a couple of bodies of water. A perfec...