| Blue Hills Reservation | |
|---|---|
 Trail onGreat Blue Hill, the tallest point in the reservation | |
  Location in Massachusetts Show map of Massachusetts Blue Hills Reservation (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States |
| Coordinates | 42°12′44″N71°06′51″W / 42.2121460°N 71.1140608°W /42.2121460; -71.1140608[1] |
| Area | 7,000 acres (28 km2)[2] |
| Elevation | 633 ft (193 m)[1] |
| Established | 1893 |
| Administrator | Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation |
| Website | Official website |
Blue Hills Reservation is a 7,000-acre (2,800 ha)state park inNorfolk County, Massachusetts in the United States. Managed by theMassachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, it covers parts ofMilton,Quincy,Braintree,Canton,Randolph, andDedham. Located approximately ten miles south of downtownBoston, the reservation is one of the largest parcels of undeveloped conservation land within theGreater Bostonmetropolitan area. The park's varied terrain and scenic views make it a popular destination for hikers from the Boston area.[2]
Sailors along on the coastline noticed the bluish hue of the mountains, which is caused by the presence ofriebeckite,[3] giving the area its modern name.[2] The name of the state ofMassachusetts derives from theMassachusett Indian tribe's name of the hill:massa-adchu-es-et.[4] In 1893, theMetropolitan Parks Commission purchased the lands of Blue Hills Reservation as one of the state's first areas dedicated to public recreation.[2]
The practice ofFirst Day Hikes to markNew Year's Day with an outdoor activity began in 1992 at Blue Hills Reservation.[5] By the 2010s, the idea had spread and such hikes were taking place in state parks nationwide.[5]
Theecology of the Blue Hills is diverse and includesmarshes,swamps, upland and bottomlandforests,meadows, and anAtlantic white cedarbog. A number ofendangered species in Massachusetts, such as thetimber rattlesnake andcopperhead snake, reside in the reservation. Other flora and fauna includedogwood,lady's slipper,white-tailed deer,coyotes,wild turkey,red fox, andturkey vultures.[2]
The reservation experiences ahumid continental climate (Köppen:Dfa), typical of most ofNew England.[6] Summers are short but very warm with mild nights. Winters are short, very snowy, and very cloudy. Precipitation is heavy and very consistent year round.
Climate data forBlue Hills Reservation (Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory), 1991−2020 normals, extremes 1893−present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 68 (20) | 71 (22) | 89 (32) | 94 (34) | 96 (36) | 99 (37) | 100 (38) | 101 (38) | 99 (37) | 88 (31) | 81 (27) | 74 (23) | 101 (38) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 56.6 (13.7) | 56.9 (13.8) | 65.6 (18.7) | 79.4 (26.3) | 87.3 (30.7) | 90.0 (32.2) | 92.9 (33.8) | 91.3 (32.9) | 86.9 (30.5) | 77.6 (25.3) | 68.4 (20.2) | 60.0 (15.6) | 94.7 (34.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 34.7 (1.5) | 37.0 (2.8) | 44.1 (6.7) | 56.3 (13.5) | 66.8 (19.3) | 75.4 (24.1) | 81.7 (27.6) | 80.2 (26.8) | 72.7 (22.6) | 61.0 (16.1) | 50.1 (10.1) | 40.2 (4.6) | 58.4 (14.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 26.5 (−3.1) | 28.2 (−2.1) | 35.5 (1.9) | 47.1 (8.4) | 58.5 (14.7) | 66.5 (19.2) | 72.7 (22.6) | 71.4 (21.9) | 64.2 (17.9) | 52.5 (11.4) | 42.0 (5.6) | 32.5 (0.3) | 49.8 (9.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 18.3 (−7.6) | 19.5 (−6.9) | 26.9 (−2.8) | 37.9 (3.3) | 48.2 (9.0) | 57.6 (14.2) | 63.8 (17.7) | 62.6 (17.0) | 55.6 (13.1) | 44.0 (6.7) | 33.8 (1.0) | 24.9 (−3.9) | 41.1 (5.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 0.0 (−17.8) | 3.1 (−16.1) | 10.1 (−12.2) | 26.7 (−2.9) | 37.5 (3.1) | 45.9 (7.7) | 54.9 (12.7) | 53.4 (11.9) | 42.3 (5.7) | 30.5 (−0.8) | 19.6 (−6.9) | 8.7 (−12.9) | −2.5 (−19.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −14 (−26) | −21 (−29) | −5 (−21) | 6 (−14) | 27 (−3) | 36 (2) | 44 (7) | 39 (4) | 28 (−2) | 21 (−6) | 5 (−15) | −19 (−28) | −21 (−29) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 4.50 (114) | 4.00 (102) | 5.52 (140) | 4.76 (121) | 3.82 (97) | 4.63 (118) | 3.47 (88) | 3.91 (99) | 4.06 (103) | 5.49 (139) | 4.31 (109) | 5.39 (137) | 53.86 (1,367) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 18.6 (47) | 18.2 (46) | 15.0 (38) | 2.8 (7.1) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.7 (1.8) | 1.8 (4.6) | 12.6 (32) | 69.7 (176.5) |
| Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 10.6 (27) | 11.5 (29) | 9.8 (25) | 2.6 (6.6) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.3 (0.76) | 1.3 (3.3) | 7.7 (20) | 17.1 (43) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 13.2 | 11.3 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 13.0 | 12.1 | 10.5 | 10.2 | 9.2 | 11.5 | 10.9 | 12.6 | 139.5 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 8.1 | 7.1 | 5.7 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 5.3 | 29.2 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 132.1 | 146.7 | 174.0 | 185.6 | 220.2 | 231.8 | 258.1 | 242.5 | 204.1 | 182.1 | 133.3 | 125.9 | 2,236.4 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 46.3 | 50.9 | 48.5 | 47.9 | 50.4 | 52.7 | 58.0 | 58.7 | 56.7 | 55.1 | 47.0 | 45.9 | 51.5 |
| Source 1: NOAA[7][8] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: BHO[9] | |||||||||||||
The highest point within the reservation,Great Blue Hill in Milton, is the site of the historicBlue Hill Meteorological Observatory. The observatory was founded in 1885 and is the oldest continuous weather recording station in the United States.[10] Its tower offers views of Boston and the surrounding area. The tower and observatory are among numerous reservation features listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.
| Name | Location | Image | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Hills State Police Station H-7 | Hillside Street,Milton |  | |
| Blue Hills Reservation Parkways | Milton,Quincy,Braintree,Canton |  | |
| Brookwood Farm | Hillside Street,Milton |  | |
| Chickatawbut Observation Tower | Chickatawbut Road,Quincy |  | |
| Comfort Station | Blue Hill Avenue,Milton |  | |
| Eliot Memorial Bridge | Milton |  | |
| Great Blue Hill Observation Tower | Milton |  | |
| Great Blue Hill Weather Observatory | Milton |  | |
| Massachusetts Hornfels-Braintree Slate Quarry | Milton |  | |
| Metropolitan District Commission Stable | Hillside Street,Milton |  | |
| Old Barn | Blue Hill River Road,Canton |  | |
| Ponkapoag Camp of Appalachian Mountain Club | Randolph |  | |
| Refreshment Pavilion | Hillside Street,Milton |  |
The Blue Hills Trailside Museum, which is operated by theMassachusetts Audubon Society, offers indoor and outdoor animal exhibits.[11] The museum opened in 1959, and was initially operated by theMuseum of Science.[12] Mass Audubon began operating the museum in 1974.
Houghton's Pond is located within Blue Hills Reservation.[13]
Blue Hills Reservation is primarily used forhiking andmountain biking. It is also used forsnowshoeing,downhill skiing,snowboarding, andcross country skiing during winter, androck climbing (in certain areas) andhorseback riding during permissible months. Between approximately December and March, Great Blue Hill offers aski area.Houghton's Pond and nearbyPonkapoag Pond are popular swimming and recreation areas during the summer. Other recreational opportunities include non-motorized boating, camping, fishing, picnicking, playing fields, ice skating, interpretive programs, and a children's playground is accessible from the Hillside St entrance toHoughton's Pond.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
