Deer Island Harborwalk, Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
There are two trails Deer Island, which is part of Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. The Harborwalk is a paved path that runs along the shore allowing pedestrians and bikers to circle the entire park. While not completely flat, it is suitable for those in wheelchairs. Distance is 2.8 miles, and it took me about 1.5 hours to do the hike, which included stopping to take photos.
The second trail is the Hillside Trail, a paved path that leads up a steep hill and ultimately ends at an overlook of the Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant. While a view of a sewage facility doesn’t sound all that enticing, it’s actually pretty cool, plus if you want some real exercise, the Hillside Trail is much more challenging than the Harborwalk. I climbed to the top starting at the parking lot, then came back down on a side trail that connects with the Harborwalk and returned to the start along the shore. Round trip was 1.3 miles, and it took me about 45 minutes.
See the following web pages here on National Park Planner for complete details on each trail:
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Last updated on January 8, 2024
