Blue Hills Reservation, Ponkapoag Pond Section

Many visitors use State Route 128 to reach Blue Hills Reservation, and who can blame them--it runs right through the middle of the park. But the highway, also known as Interstate 93, can feel a lot like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, with cars jockeying frantically for position. Most drivers are so busy navigating the traffic that they don't even notice the lovely, peaceful wilderness surrounding them.

If you're one of the lucky drivers taking the Ponkapoag Trail exit (yes, the trailhead has its own exit), get ready for a wonderful transformation. Soon, the drone of the traffic begins to fade and color returns to your knuckles. You realize that the leaves are changing, the dog pops his head out the window to breathe in the fresh scents, and your heart rate slows to less than a high-speed hum.

The sunshine sparkles off the ripples on Ponkapoag Pond. In the eastern corner of the lake, marsh grasses sway in the cool breeze, and across the water the many colors dapple the Blue Hills in the fall. The Great Blue Hill itself towers over all the beauty in silent repose.

The best hiking route is the Ponkapoag Trail, which loops around Ponkapoag Pond. A flat, dry run about four miles long, it passes through thick woods, along numerous shore points, and over marshes.

Be sure also to visit the innovative Boardwalk Trail. Built in the 1930s by a professor from a local college, it is constructed out of a base of logs placed hydroponically in the marsh. Then other flat-cut logs are placed over that. The trail rises and falls depending on how wet the season is, and it's a bit like walking on a rope extension bridge. Find the trail off the Ponkapoag Trail at the northwestern corner of the pond. Your tippy, tottering hike traverses the Ponkapoag Bog for almost a half mile, leading you into the middle of a wonderful, solitary, wet wilderness. The terrain is unlike any you have seen before, mainly because the area around it is like quicksand. Without a proper walkway, it would be impassable. At the end of the trail is the extra treat of the clear, clean water of Ponkapoag Pond; dogs love to "walk the plank" as they swim after sticks. On a hot summer day, you'll probably want to go for a dip too.

The Blue Hills attract many visitors year-round, but most of the crowds who come to climb the Great Blue Hill miss the Ponkapoag Pond section. In fact, you may often have the pond to yourself.

Dogs are welcome on leash in the Metropolitan District Commission park (but are often off leash under voice command). Free trail maps are available at the park headquarters in Milton, and for $1 you can get a large color map.

Directions: From State Route 128/Interstate 93, take Exit 3 to Ponkapoag Trail south. Teh northern parking lot and trailhead are right at teh highway exit. To reach the other park access points from State Route 128 take Exit 2A to State Route 138 south Washington Street. For the eastern parking lot, turn left into the MDC Ponkapoag Golf Course at the Turnpike Street/ State Route 138 intersection. For the southern parking lot, continue straight on Turnpike Street and turn left on Randolph Street. Turn left in to Blue Hills Reservation parking lot at the Westdale Road intersection. The park is open from dawn to dusk, but the southern parking lot is only open from 9 AM to 4:30 PM. (781) 698-1802