6 beautiful Massachusetts winter hiking spots to tackle this season
Kristi Palma | December 7, 2022 | Boston.com
Sure, the temperatures are falling, but that doesn’t mean you have to put your hiking boots away. Massachusetts parks provide lots of pretty trails for hiking and snowshoeing during the cold months.
Ahead, discover six parks the Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) recommends for hiking while bundled up.
Mohawk Trail State Forest in Charlemont
If tall trees captivate you, head to the 6,000-acre Mohawk Trail State Forest, where the DCR says you’ll find some of the tallest recorded white pines in New England. According to the DCR, one particularly stunning spot in the woodlands is a 2-mile round-trip path called the Nature Trail Loop, a moderately strenuous hike that includes an open meadow loop. To get to the trail, begin at the headquarters located on Cold River Road in Charlemont, hike up the road, and turn right toward the group camp site area. Then continue down the road and follow the Nature Trail on the left and through the woodland to the upper meadow. The Nature Trail Loop will begin on your right.
Borderland State Park in North Easton
The DCR says the trails at this 1,843-acre park are still easy to walk after a snowfall, and the terrain around the Pond Loop Trail is especially flat and easy, which makes for great snowshoeing. The trail cuts through forested uplands, fields, and along the edges of Leach Pond. While at the park, look for the historic Ames Mansion, built in 1910 by Blanche Ames, an artist, feminist, author, and inventor. The mansion has been featured in several movies, including the 2016 “Ghostbusters” remake with Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig. The park’s headquarters is located at 259 Massapoag Ave. in North Easton.
Myles Standish State Forest in Carver
Former presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson all passed time fishing, camping, and hunting in this Carver spot with winter-friendly trails. Explore the 2 1/2-mile East Reservoir Trail, which the DCR calls flat, well-marked, and snowshoeing-worthy. Keep an eye out for swans, otters, foxes, and squirrels.
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