una_dogger
Well-known member
Seems these days there's more than a few of us living in the 'Ham, so I thought I'd post a little trip report from Prospect Hill Park, one of my favorite escapes and a quick walk from our house.
Prospect Hill Park is a 250 acre ridgeline preserve in Waltham, nine miles west of Boston. We access the park from the southern end, entering on the Wood Trail on Prospect Hill Rd.
The Wood Trail
After a short walk on the Wood Trail, I headed east on the Boston Rock Trail. The trail climbs steeply for the first 0.25 mile.
From Boston Rock, an excellent view of Waltham and Boston can be seen.
This overlook is also wheelchair accessible, from a small service road that runs through the park and is open May to November.
Here I picked up the Ridge Trail, and continued north. The trail winds up and down gently, passing through deep ferny forest and out onto open slab. I saw many, many stands of Pink Lady Slipper. More than I have ever seen!
The character of the Ridge Trail reminded me a bit of Harriman State Park in New York's Hudson Valley.
Normally I return via the Fisk Trail (ferny, huge white pines), but today, I continued onward another quarter mile or so to the Fire Warden's Trail. With a name like that, I just had to check it out.
This trail leaves the Ridge Trail near a large cell tower. Its not as well travelled as the other trails, and a bit rockier. After a quick jog down from the top, and a few blocks through the 'Hood, I was back at home, one hour later, working in my gardens, my "other" weeknight city escape!
There are quite a few more trails to explore in this Park. If anyone local wants to check it out some night, drop a pm!
Prospect Hill Park is a 250 acre ridgeline preserve in Waltham, nine miles west of Boston. We access the park from the southern end, entering on the Wood Trail on Prospect Hill Rd.
The Wood Trail
After a short walk on the Wood Trail, I headed east on the Boston Rock Trail. The trail climbs steeply for the first 0.25 mile.
From Boston Rock, an excellent view of Waltham and Boston can be seen.
This overlook is also wheelchair accessible, from a small service road that runs through the park and is open May to November.
Here I picked up the Ridge Trail, and continued north. The trail winds up and down gently, passing through deep ferny forest and out onto open slab. I saw many, many stands of Pink Lady Slipper. More than I have ever seen!
The character of the Ridge Trail reminded me a bit of Harriman State Park in New York's Hudson Valley.
Normally I return via the Fisk Trail (ferny, huge white pines), but today, I continued onward another quarter mile or so to the Fire Warden's Trail. With a name like that, I just had to check it out.
This trail leaves the Ridge Trail near a large cell tower. Its not as well travelled as the other trails, and a bit rockier. After a quick jog down from the top, and a few blocks through the 'Hood, I was back at home, one hour later, working in my gardens, my "other" weeknight city escape!
There are quite a few more trails to explore in this Park. If anyone local wants to check it out some night, drop a pm!
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