Outdoor Adventures & Activities in Greater Boston & Camrbidge

Outdoor pursuits in Quincy run the gamut from hiking and biking to kayaking and, in the winter, skiing and skating. Blue Hills Reservation, a 7,000-acre urban oasis, features 125 miles of trails for hikers, joggers, bikers and mountain bikers. In the winter, there’s lift-served skiing, and snowshoeing. (There’s also a public skating rink.) For beach-lovers, the Quincy Shores Reservation boasts trails, a lookout tower and picnic areas in addition to its sandy beach. Walk the Presidents Trail through the city, past historic homes as well as shops and restaurants. In Adams National Historical Park, in addition to Adams homes, you can walk into the orchard and formal garden. Hike to the Abigail Adams Cairn to see where she and son John Quincy watched the Battle of Bunker Hill.

The Charles River west of Boston is a welcoming place for kayakers and canoeists. Several nature preserves run by the Trustees of Reservations along this paddling route allow you to touch land, explore, and have a picnic. It's about a 20-mile float from start to finish -- prepare accordingly and take a map!

• You can put in at Cedariver, a former farm in Millis, which has a state-run boat launch. - Area Map
• Moving downstream, paddlers encounter Shattuck Reservation, which is old pasture land, with nice views and trails. - Area Map
• Next, watch for Bridge Island Meadows, accessible only when the water is flowing in Bogastow Brook. - Area Map
• Next along the Charles River float is Rocky Narrows in Medfield, with incomparable views of the Charles River as it winds between granite walls. Just across the river from Rocky Narrows is Peters Reservation in Dover, which has a mix of natural flora, designed landscape and plantings, and two miles of trails. - Area Map
• Take out can be at Charles River Peninsula in Needham, a great picnic spot surrounded on three sides by the river, with access to a state-run boat launch. - Area Map