National Recreation Area · Massachusetts

Trails in Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area

31 named trails · 29 miles · 1 with the Park Service's own write-up. The lines, trailheads and points are the Park Service's; the write-ups are the Service's own words; the climbing is read from USGS elevation along each line.

Open on the parks map Every park with trails Park on nps.gov

31 trails, A to Z.

1

59 ft–61 ft · earth surface

Picnic areas

Along the way 1 2 3

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

2

55 ft–56 ft · earth surface

Picnic areas

Along the way 1 2 3

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

3

55 ft–61 ft · earth surface

Picnic areas

Along the way 1 2 3

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

4

65 ft–68 ft · earth surface

Picnic areas

Along the way 1 2 3

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

BATTERY

13 ft–16 ft · asphalt surface

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

BOARDWALK

7 ft–10 ft · asphalt surface

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

BUILDINGS

0.1 mi one way · about 50 ft of climbing · 23 ft–68 ft · earth surface

Picnic areas

Along the way Ctr Campus

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

CAMPUS

66 ft–69 ft · asphalt, earth surface

Picnic areas

Along the way Ctr Campus

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

FIELD EDGE

0.1 mi one way · about 40 ft of climbing · 9 ft–46 ft · earth surface

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

FROM DOCK

0.2 mi one way · about 40 ft of climbing · 11 ft–69 ft · earth surface

Picnic areas

Along the way Ctr Campus

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

M6

13 ft–22 ft · earth surface

Picnic areas

Along the way Near Dock

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

MAIN

1.5 mi one way · about 90 ft of climbing · 5 ft–45 ft · asphalt, earth surface

Picnic areas

Along the way 1 13 14 14 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

MAIN3

10 ft–17 ft · earth surface

Picnic areas

Along the way 1 2 3

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

MAIN4

10 ft–10 ft · earth surface

Picnic areas

Along the way 1 2 3

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

MAIN5

0.1 mi one way · 6 ft–10 ft · earth surface

Picnic areas

Along the way 1 2 3 Near Dock

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

MAIN7

0.1 mi one way · about 20 ft of climbing · 22 ft–57 ft · earth surface

Picnic areas

Along the way 1 2 3 Near Dock

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

MAIN8

0.1 mi one way · 61 ft–71 ft · earth surface

ViewsPicnic areas

Along the way 1 1 2 2 3 Overlook Overlook Overlook Overlook Overlook

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

MIDDLE LANE

6 ft–10 ft · earth surface

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

NEWLY CLEARED

20 ft of descent · 46 ft–62 ft · earth surface

Picnic areas

Along the way Woods

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

PATH TO OUTSPACE

22 ft–25 ft · earth surface

Picnic areas

Along the way Near Dock

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

PATH TO PIC2

20 ft–20 ft · earth surface

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

PATH TO PICNIC TABLE

21 ft–22 ft · earth surface

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

PATH2BENCH

64 ft–70 ft · earth surface

ViewsPicnic areas

Along the way 1 2 Overlook Overlook Overlook Overlook

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

PRIVY TRAIL

21 ft–29 ft · asphalt surface

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

STEPS

7 ft–26 ft · asphalt surface

Picnic areas

Along the way 1 2 3 4 Near Dock

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

SW TRAIL

0.9 mi one way · about 20 ft of climbing · 10 ft–33 ft · earth surface

Views

Along the way Overlook

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

TO CAMP

38 ft–40 ft · earth surface

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

TO SHORE

0.1 mi one way · 10 ft–18 ft · earth surface

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

TO TOILET

43 ft–43 ft · earth surface

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

W/STEPS

about 40 ft of climbing · 14 ft–57 ft · asphalt surface

Picnic areas

Along the way 1 2 3 4

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

WEST LOOP

0.2 mi one way · about 50 ft of climbing · 21 ft–70 ft · earth surface

ViewsPicnic areas

Along the way 1 2 Overlook Overlook Overlook Overlook Overlook

On the parks map · Drive to the trail's end

635 more mapped segments without a name are on the map, not in the list.

More hikes the Park Service describes

Write-ups that name no single mapped trail, in the Service's words.

Visit a Mainland Park · dogs allowed
Made up of 34 unique islands and peninsulas, the Boston Harbor Islands have something for everyone. Choose a mainland park and plan your adventure!
Visit One of the Boston Harbor Islands · no dogs · Spring, Summer, Fall
Made up of 34 unique islands and peninsulas, the Boston Harbor Islands have something for everyone. Choose an island and plan your adventure!

About these trails

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-14 and simplified for the map. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do", unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.