Hiking Guide: Blue Hills Nahanton Hill Loop
View from the summit of the Nahanton Hill Loop
Trail Basics
Location: Blue Hills Reservation, Milton, MA, USA
Trail type: Loop
Length: 5.1 miles
Elevation gain: 627 feet
Trail traffic: Heavy
Time to complete: 2 hours and 25 minutes
Difficulty: Moderate
Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5
My Thoughts
Terrain
The trail is unpaved, consisting of a mix of dirt paths and rocky slopes. The rocky slopes are a bit hairy, particularly when descending, as it is very easy to slip and/or fall. When working your way through these rocky bits, be sure to test that a given rock is secure before placing your entire weight on it. Parts of the trail can become narrow, requiring you to walk single file if hiking with a group, and about half of the trail lacks shade, resulting in a lot of sun exposure. Lastly, the trail is not super well sign posted; we had to rely fairly heavily on our AllTrails map.
Scenery
The bulk of the trail is through woods, so the scenery comprises your typical New England forest sights: trees, ferns, and the occasional wildlife (we were fortunate enough to see a deer). Portions of the trail also run alongside a solar panel farm, as well as a commercial area, so unfortunately, the trail lacks a sense of remoteness. The summit of the trail is nothing spectacular; it features a partially obscured view of Boston (it is not above the tree line).
Traffic and Parking
The first half of the trail was fairly light in terms of traffic, but as we progressed into the latter half, the traffic became quite heavy. The sheer number of people during the final part of the trail detracted from my overall enjoyment of the hike. With regard to parking, we were able to find it without any issue. The only downside is that the parking was on the side of a very busy road, so getting out of the parking area was a bit of a pain.
Supplies
You will want to bring plenty of water – you’ll need it after ascending the rocky slopes. You should also pack a lunch and some snacks, and a good pair of hiking boots or shoes would be preferable. I didn’t use hiking poles, but they would have been useful to have during my descents of the rocky portions of the trail. And last but not least, you’ll want to bring along hiking essentials: sunblock, first aid kit, bug spray, and a trail map (we used the one on AllTrails).
Overall
Is Nahanton Hill Loop the most exciting trail I’ve ever hiked? No, but it is a decent enough trail that is only a short drive from Boston.
