Blue Hills Reservation

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Blue Hills Reservation is a Massachusetts state park located in Milton, Quincy, Canton, Randolph, and Dedham. The park is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

1 Description
2 History
3 Recreational Opportunities
4 External links

[edit] Description

Blue Hills Reservation (commonly referred to simply as "the Blue Hills") is a 7,000+ acre park primarily used for hiking and mountain biking.

The Blue Hills' gentle terrain and scenic views, in combination with the reservation's proximity to Boston, make it a popular destination for hikers from the metropolitan area. The highest point within the reservation, Great Blue Hill in Milton, is the site of a historic weather observatory whose tower offers views of Boston and the surrounding area. Between approximately December and March, Great Blue Hill also offers a ski area, and Houghton's Pond and nearby Ponkapoag Pond are popular swimming and recreation areas during the Northern Summer months.

The ecology of the the Blue Hills is diverse, and includes marshes, swamps, upland and bottomland forests, meadows, and an Atlantic White Cedar bog. A large number of endangered species in Massachusetts, such as the Timber Rattlesnake, reside in the reservation. Other flora and fauna include dogwood, lady's slipper, coyotes, turkey vultures, and copperheads.

The reservation has affiliations with the Massachusetts Audubon Society (named for the famous ornithologist, John James Audubon). It includes a museum called the Trailside Museum, known by locals simply as "the Trailside."

Located a few short miles from downtown Boston, the reservation has the distinction of being the largest conservation land within a major metropolitan area.

[edit] History

The Blue Hills were so named by early European explorers who, while sailing along the coastline, noticed the bluish hue on the slopes when viewed from a distance.

More than ten thousand years before those Europeans arrived, Native American made their home in the hills. The Natives referred to themselves as Massachusett, or "people of the great hills". The Commonwealth of Massachusetts derives its name for this Native American name.

In 1893, the Metropolitan Parks Commission purchased the lands of Blue Hills Reservation as one of the first areas set aside for public recreation. Today, the reservation is rich in both archaeological and historic resources. Sixteen historic structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places tell the fascinating tales of Native Americans, explorers, farmers, quarry workers and inventors.