Step To It
There's only one way to truly enjoy the beauty of Greater Boston: by putting one foot in front of the other. And with sky-high gas prices, there's no better time to rediscover the oldest form of transportation. So strap on your most comfortable shoes and let your mind ramble on one of these 18 walks, selected for the nature lover, history buff, shopaholic, and people watcher in all of us.
BOSTON | CAMBRIDGE
1. BEACON HILL
Boston
Distance 1-mile loop
Estimated Time 30 minutes
Crowd Old-school Brahmins - and just-out-of school 20-somethings who inhabit the other side of the Hill
Inner Peace Quotient 7 (from 1 to 10)
Route Start at corner of River and Beacon streets and walk through the "flat of the Hill" on River. Right (R) on Pinckney Street, cross Charles Street, R on Joy Street, R on Mt. Vernon Street, Left (L) on West Cedar Street, L up Chestnut Street to the top. A right turn will leave you facing the grassy knolls of Boston Common.
Terrain Mere steps from the charming bustle of Charles Street is a collection of serene streets that, if you squint a little and block out the cars, makes you feel as if you've been transplanted to a posh 19th-century version of Boston. Beacon Hill's properly swanky byways are lined with historic town houses, impeccably manicured window boxes, brick sidewalks, and the occasional boutique. Pinckney and Mt. Vernon streets border the immaculate Louisburg Square (home of John and Teresa Heinz Kerry). Grand Mt. Vernon Street is also the former address of architect Charles Bulfinch and statesman Daniel Webster.
2. COMMONWEALTH AVENUE MALL
Boston
Distance 0.9 mile one way
Estimated Time 30 minutes
Crowd Dog walkers, joggers, strollers, occasional bench sleepers
Inner Peace Quotient 6
Route Follow the path in the center of the greenway on Comm. Ave. from Arlington Street; it ends between Hereford Street and Mass. Ave.
Terrain Part of Boston's Emerald Necklace, the mall is a tree-lined oasis in the middle of a major city thoroughfare. It's also a history lesson, dotted with statues and memorials. Learn about Alexander Hamilton, William Lloyd Garrison, Abigail Adams, and other notables. Don't miss the statue of sailor historian Samuel Eliot Morison (near Exeter Street) - and be sure to look at the quotes inscribed on the surrounding rocks and the little bronze beach creatures embedded in the base.
3. HURON VILLAGE
Cambridge
Distance 2-mile loop
Estimated Time 1 hour
Crowd Strictly Cantabrigians
Inner Peace Quotient 7
Route Start at corner of Brattle Street and Lake View Avenue. North on Lake View, R on Huron Avenue, L on Standish Street, R on Vassal Lane, L on Fayerweather Street, R on Concord Avenue, R on Huron, L on Appleton Street, R on Brattle.
Terrain Removed from the chaos of Cambridge's various squares and replete with jaw- dropping Victorian homes, this non-touristy walk through a largely residential neighborhood isn't too far from the Red Line (Porter Square or Harvard Square). Admirers of classic architecture will enjoy this one, as will anyone who likes to spot the occasional quirky shop or wants a gourmet snack - you'll pass the Huron Village branches of Formaggio Kitchen and Hi-Rise Bread Co. en route. (To extend your stay in this idyllic enclave in the People's Republic of Cambridge - and get off the pavement - add the nearby 2 1/4-mile path around Fresh Pond.)
4. NORTH END BAKERY TOUR
Boston
Distance 0.75-mile loop
Estimated Time Depends on your sweet tooth
Crowd Couples, families, tourists, locals - tutto bene!
Inner Peace Quotient 5 (it's crowded - but the sugar will send your serotonin level soaring)
Route Start at corner of Hanover and Cross streets. East on Hanover, L on Charter Street, L on Salem Street, L on Cross.
Terrain The biggest challenge on the flat sidewalks of this cramped - uh, close-knit - neighborhood is navigating the throngs of people who migrate here around dinnertime. You could simply walk off your giant plate of pasta, but why not make a stop or two for something sweet? This loop - which gets deeper into the 'hood than just Hanover Street and offers fun people watching - takes you past Lulu's Bake Shoppe, Modern Pastry, GiGi Gelateria, Mike's Pastry, A. Bova & Sons (at right, open 24 hours a day - try the black and white cookie), and more. Go ahead, have a cannoli.
5. KENNEDY LIBRARY TO CASTLE ISLAND
South Boston
Distance 3-plus miles one way
Estimated Time 2 hours
Crowd Runners, bikers, and kite fliers
Inner Peace Quotient 7
Route Follow pedestrian path from Columbia Point near the Kennedy Library along Carson Beach to Castle Island and Fort Independence.
Terrain Boston is a coastal city, yet few places offer direct access to said coastline. That's why this walk is such a treat. The paved path curves gently along the water's edge and affords views to the Boston Harbor Islands - and in the morning and evening (especially during the week), it's fairly quiet, populated by locals enjoying a workout or just watching the water from a bench, picnic table, or gazebo that encourages lingering. If you make it a 6-mile round trip, treat yourself to ice cream from Sullivan's (open March through November) before heading back.
6. UNION PARK AND UNION PARK STREET
South End
Distance 0.5 mile round trip
Estimated Time 30 minutes (not including shopping)
Crowd Hip locals and (mostly) hip visitors
Inner Peace Quotient 6
Route Start at intersection of Union Park and Tremont Street. Go southeast along one side of Union Park. Cross Shawmut Avenue and continue to Washington Street. Return the same way, but along the other side of Union Park.
Terrain This pretty stretch of South End real estate is close to some of the best dining in the city. The walk starts on Union Park, an ultra-desirable residential block lined with mid-19th-century town houses that face a perfect little green space, complete with a fountain. After crossing Shawmut (where home design store Hudson and South End Buttery - don't pass up the carrot-cake cupcake - are two worthwhile stops), you'll be on Union Park Street, home to such off-the-beaten-path boutiques as Aunt Sadie's, Looc, and the Michelle Willey/Vessels Gallery.
7. ASHMONT HILL
Dorchester
Distance 1-mile loop
Estimated Time 30 minutes
Crowd Born-and-bred locals and ahead-of-the-curve transplants
Inner Peace Quotient 6
Route From Peabody Square (intersection of Dorchester Avenue, Ashmont Street, and Talbot Avenue), go west on Ashmont, R on Ocean Street, L on Welles Avenue, L on Harley Street, R on Roslin Street, L on Montague Street, L on Ashmont.
Terrain The beautiful residential streets of Ashmont Hill, coupled with a small crop of affordably excellent dining spots (thank you, Chris Douglass), make this area surprisingly, decidedly stroll-worthy. After hoofing it up the hills and checking out the late-19th-century Queen Anne, Shingle Style, and Colonial Revival houses, stop in for a pizza at Tavolo or a Dot-tini (or a bottle from the eco-friendly wine list) at Ashmont Grill. For more information, go to ashmonthill.org.
8. ARNOLD ARBORETUM
Jamaica Plain
Distance 2-mile loop
Estimated Time 1 hour
Crowd Concrete-weary city dwellers and tree lovers from all over
Inner Peace Quotient 9
Route Start at the Arborway Gate and follow Willow Path into the Arboretum. Go R on Forest Hills Road. Bear L at Bussey Hill Road, to top of the hill. Back down the hill, veer L on Chinese Path, L on Oak Path, and L on Beech Path, which leads back to Forest Hills Road. Bear L on Meadow Road.
Terrain Magnolias and horse chestnuts and ginkgos ... oh, my. The country's oldest public arboretum - part of Harvard University - has 265 car-free acres and 15,000 species of trees, shrubs, and vines. This walk leads you to the top of Bussey Hill, from which you can see the Blue Hills to the south and the city skyline to the east. (If you'd like to summit another peak, tack a few miles onto the walk and climb up Peters Hill, the highest point in JP, at 240 feet.) Being this close to the city and yet so far away from it all is the ultimate form of urban relaxation. For more information, go to arboretum.harvard.edu.
9. EAST BOSTON GREENWAY
East Boston
Distance 1.5 miles one way
Estimated Time 45 minutes
Crowd Families, teens, lifelong Eastie residents
Inner Peace Quotient 5
Route Begin at Piers Park and follow the Greenway as it turns right and goes past Bremen Street Park and Logan Airport.
Terrain Opened in 2003 (with just a 1/2-mile-long stretch) and expanded to 1 1/2 miles in 2007, this is a much needed and much enjoyed open space. It's bright and diverse, adorned with painted murals, a big blue caboose (an hommage to the converted rail line upon which the Greenway lies), boccie courts, playgrounds, and a paved path for walkers, joggers, and cyclists. For more information, go to bostonnatural.org.
NORTH
10. FRONT STREET
Marblehead
Distance 1 mile one-way
Estimated Time 30 minutes
Crowd Strollers, cruiser bicycles, and sea gulls
Inner Peace Quotient 8
Route Start at Front Street near Crocker Park. Go north all the way to Fort Sewall, then turn back, R on Fort Beach Lane (which turns into Doaks Lane), R on Orne Street, R on Gas House Lane, following it to the beach.
Terrain There's something transporting about hearing ocean waves crash on one side of you while knowing that civilization (in the form of one of the prettiest commercial areas in New England, Marblehead's Washington Street) is just a block away in the other direction. This walk takes you along the edge of Marblehead Harbor to Fort Sewall, which was once used to defend against the British, and to Gas House Beach, where the first settlers came to the town now known as Marblehead in 1629.
11. CRANE BEACH
Ipswich
Distance 3-mile loop
Estimated Time 1.5 hours
Crowd Depending on when you're there, beachgoers - or no one
Inner Peace Quotient 10
Route Follow Green Trail from Crane Beach parking lot. Bear R to head toward Castle Neck River side (it's a loop, so you'll return on the ocean side). Bear R again when you get to Red Trail; follow Red Trail all the way around back to Green Trail. Bear R at Green Trail (there's a path to the right down to the beach just before this intersection) and follow it back to the parking area.
Terrain There are 5 1/2 miles of trails amid the 1,200 acres of dunes and maritime pine forest at Crane Beach. Stick to marked trails and boardwalks to avoid harming the vegetation or disturbing the natural habitats that exist here (it's a major nesting site for piping plovers, once an almost extinct species). This is serenity at its best: sea breezes through willowy beach grasses, one of the longest stretches of white sand beach you'll find on the oft-rocky North Shore, and endless water views.
12. ROCKY NECK ART COLONY
Gloucester
Distance 0.8 mile round trip
Estimated Time Depends how long you linger in the studios
Crowd Gallery hoppers
Inner Peace Quotient 7
Route Start at public parking area on Rocky Neck Avenue, near East Main Street. Follow Rocky Neck Avenue to end of Rocky Neck.
Terrain Gloucester's historical art colony on the picturesque peninsula of Rocky Neck, where Fitz Henry Lane, Childe Hassam, and Maurice Prendergast worked, boasts dozens of cottagelike galleries and artists' studios - within easy walking distance of one another - that welcome visitors. Go to buy, browse, watch a sunset over the boats in Smith's Cove, or simply to find inspiration, as writers like Louisa May Alcott and Rudyard Kipling often did. For more information, go to rockyneckartcolony.org.
WEST
13. DECORDOVA SCULPTURE PARK
Lincoln
Distance 0.5 mile
Estimated Time 1 hour
Crowd Artsy types
Inner Peace Quotient 9
Route From the visitor station, take a wide loop around the museum grounds, steering inward to visit the main lawn and Alice's Garden.
Terrain At 35 acres, this is the largest sculpture park in New England, and it features permanent works, borrowed pieces, and temporary (up to five years) site installations. Sculptures are displayed on lawns, in fields, in woods, and overlooking Flint's Pond. This would be a pretty walk sans art, but the sculptures make it unforgettable. You'll definitely stop and smell the roses - or, rather, check out breathtaking pieces. During museum hours there's a $12 charge to visit the park (no fee for museum members and Lincoln residents), but when the museum is closed, it's free. For more information, go to decordova.org.
14. HALE RESERVATION
Westwood and Dover
Distance 2 miles
Estimated Time 1 hour
Crowd Families - and grown-ups nostalgic for summer camp
Inner Peace Quotient 8
Route From the Cat Rock parking area, follow blue-blazed Storrow Pond Trail to red-blazed Page & Sadie Trail; follow that around Noanet Pond and back to Storrow Pond Trail.
Terrain Hale Reservation's mission is to preserve open space (1,200 acres of it) and promote environmental education and responsibility, especially among children. To that end, its volunteers and rangers maintain about 10 miles of marked trails (and many other unmarked trails) through quiet woods and past scenic ponds. This walk circumnavigates the 50-acre Noanet Pond, Hale's largest body of water, where there's a fishing dock for anglers (catch and release is encouraged). For more information, go to halereservation.org.
15. WALDEN POND
Concord
Distance 1.7 miles
Estimated Time 1 hour (longer if you go in for a swim)
Crowd Those who wish to live deliberately, at least for a little while
Inner Peace Quotient 7
Route From parking lot, cross Route 126 and go toward the water, picking up the walking path that goes all the way around the pond. On the far side of the pond, take a detour on the side trail that leads to a replica of the cabin where Henry David Thoreau spent two years living alone.
Terrain Thoreau's former stamping ground can attract quite a crowd on warm days and during foliage season, when the colorful leaves beautifully contrast the pristine water of the glacial kettle pond. But if you bypass the main beach and take a walk around the pond, you'll find opportunity for quiet contemplation. Generously shaded, the trail offers water views the whole way - and plenty of spots that beckon you to go for a dip or cast a line. Those seeking a vigorous workout can try a few laps of trail running around Walden, followed by a cross-pond swim.
SOUTH
16. DUXBURY BEACH
Duxbury
Distance Up to 6 miles one way
Estimated Time You could easily spend the day
Crowd In summer, lots of frolicking families; in fall, beach-walking soul-searchers
Inner Peace Quotient 9.5
Route Start at the main Gurnet Road parking area, get on the sand, and walk southeast along the beach (but respect signs for off - limits areas).
Terrain This 6-mile barrier beach, which provides a natural habitat for rare birds such as the piping plover and least tern, is little more than a narrow swath jutting out into the Atlantic, forming the outer edge of Duxbury Bay. It can feel beautifully desolate at times, especially as you walk farther away from the mainland. The beach is anchored by delicate dune grasses, so tread lightly and avoid stepping on any plant life. And don't forget your camera.
17. WORLD'S END RESERVATION
Hingham
Distance 4-mile loop
Estimated Time 2 hours
Crowd Nature-seeking suburbanites
Inner Peace Quotient 8
Route From main entrance, follow the unmarked figure-eight-shaped perimeter trail to termination of World's End; return along the other side of the loop.
Terrain Hardly rugged but not at all developed, this 250-acre peninsula - originally designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, now maintained by the Trustees of Reservations, and technically part of the Boston Harbor Islands - offers incredible views of Hingham Harbor, the Boston skyline, and the Weir River. The 4-mile trail roughly traces the edge of the reservation, and additional carriage paths and trails cross the grassy coastal drumlins that make up the landscape. It's a relaxing, moderate hike that's even better if you go at off -peak hours - basically, any time except midday on weekends.
18. WHITNEY AND THAYER WOODS RESERVATION
Cohasset and Hingham
Distance 2.5-mile loop
Estimated Time 1.5 hours
Crowd Depending when you go, nonexistent or a mix of weekend warriors
Inner Peace Quotient 9
Route From main entrance on Route 3A, follow Bancroft Trail for 1.8 miles to where it ends at Bigelow Boulder (you'll also pass the boulder once in the middle of the walk), then take Boulder Lane east to Howes Road; L at Howes Road and return to the entrance.
Terrain This 800-plus-acre reservation is covered mostly in pine and hemlock forest and dotted with impressive glacial boulders. Bancroft Trail climbs, drops, and winds past a cluster of glacial boulders called Ode's Den and intersects with Boulder Lane at Bigelow Boulder. Should you want a longer walk, the reservation has 10 miles of trails stretching to the Weir River Farm in Hingham, most of which feel farther away from civilization than their suburban location would suggest. For more information about Whitney and Thayer Woods (as well as Crane Beach and World's End), go to thetrustees.org.
Christie Matheson, a frequent contributor to Globe Magazine, is the author of Discover Rhode Island, a guide to hiking, biking, and kayaking in the Ocean State.
Know of another great walk? Send us comments and your favorites at magazine@globe.com. 