Great Blue Hill

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Great Blue Hill
Elevation	635 feet (194 m) ^[1]
Location	Norfolk County, Massachusetts
Range	Blue Hills
Coordinates	42°12.72′N 71°6.85′W / 42.212, -71.11417Coordinates: 42°12.72′N 71°6.85′W / 42.212, -71.11417
Topo map	USGS Norwood

Great Blue Hill is a hill of 635 feet (194 m) located within the Blue Hills Reservation in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Massachusetts, 10 miles (15 km) southwest of Boston. The name was giving by early European explorers who, while sailing along the coastline, noticed the bluish hue on the slopes when viewed from a distance.^[2]

[edit] Geography

The north and west sides of Great Blue Hill drain into the Neponset River, and thence into Boston Harbor. The south and east sides of Great Blue Hill drain into the Blue Hill River, thence into the Farm River, Monatiquot River, Weymouth Fore River, and into Boston Harbor.

Its summit is the highest point in Norfolk County and also the highest within 10 miles of the Atlantic coast south of central Maine. For this reason, American meteorologist Abbott Lawrence Rotch chose Great Blue Hill as the site for an observatory, which became known as the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory after its completion in 1885. Rotch conducted ground-breaking studies of the atmosphere at Blue Hill for many years, and the National Weather Service still gathers data at the site. From the modern — albeit somewhat neglected — Eliot Tower at the summit, one can often see the city of Boston and many of the surrounding hills of the Milton and Canton area.

Great Blue Hill, and the Blue Hills Reservation in general, is a popular hiking destination, valued as much for its splendid trails and views as for its proximity to the metropolitan area. There is also alpine skiing available at Blue Hills Ski Area, consisting of eight trails served by a double chair and two surface lifts.

The well-known Boston public television and radio station WGBH takes its call letters from Great Blue Hill, the original location of the station's FM and TV transmitters.