Harborwalk on Deer Island, Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
Length: 2.8-mile loop
Time: 1.5 hours
Difficulty: easy with a few slight hills
Deer Island map (click to enlarge)
The Harborwalk on Deer Island in Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area is a paved path that runs along the shore, allowing pedestrians and bikers to circle the entire island. While not completely flat, it is suitable for those in wheelchairs who have help or who are strong enough to pull themselves up some small hills. The entire trail is out in the open, so wear a hat and apply sunscreen if avoiding the sun is important to you.
Small hill on Deer Island’s Harborwalk, Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
There are three ways to begin a hike from the Deer Island parking lot, all on paved paths. If standing with your back to a fenced area of high-voltage power equipment, the trail to your 2 o’clock position is the Hillside Trail, not the Harborwalk. The other two trails are the Harborwalk. I began the hike by crossing the road and heading towards the water, which sent me hiking in the counterclockwise direction around the island. There’s not much to the hike, but I will point out some of the key sites of interest along the way.
Start of a counterclockwise hike on Deer Island’s Harborwalk, Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
The first point of interest is a memorial to A. David Mazzone, the judge who presided over a federal lawsuit brought by the Environmental Protection Agency against the city of Boston for violation of the 1972 Clean Water Act. Mazzone ruled in favor of the EPA, which resulted in a state-of-the-art sewage treatment plant being built on Deer Island.
A. David Mazzone Memorial along the Harborwalk on Deer Island in Boston Harbor
The trail forks a quarter mile past the memorial, and there is no directional signage pointing out which way to go. The fork to the right simply follows the shoreline, while the fork to the left is nothing more than a path to the Irish Memorial; both trails merge again 300 yards ahead. I took the shoreline route and thus did not see the memorial. The left fork does go uphill, so it is not suitable for those in wheelchairs.
Intersection of the Harborwalk and a path to the Irish Memorial on Deer Island, Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
On June 25, 2015, the body of an unidentified child was found in a plastic bag on the shore of Deer Island not far from the turnoff to the Irish Memorial. Soon thereafter, a makeshift memorial was set up along the Harborwalk on the spot where the body was found. A forensic likeness of the child’s face was released to the media; publicity surrounding the case was huge. In September, a tip came to police about a child who was similar in appearance to the unidentified child and who hadn’t been seen in a while. The tip came from a neighbor of Rachelle Bond and her boyfriend, Michael McCarthy. McCarthy was eventually charged with murdering two-year-old Bella Bond, and Rachelle was charged as a accessory. The two quickly turned on each other, blaming the other for the murder. Rachelle pleaded guilty and was sentenced to time served (a little less than two years) and two years probation. McCarthy was found guilty of second degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with a chance for parole in 2037. Today the makeshift memorial has been replaced by a permanent one that resembles a grave, but this is not where Bella is buried. She is buried in the nearby Winthrop Cemetery.
Original 2015 memorial on Deer Island in Boston Harbor for Baby Doe, later identified as Bella Bond
Permanent Bella Bond memorial along the Harborwalk on Deer Island, Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
Permanent Bella Bond memorial along the Harborwalk on Deer Island in Boston Harbor
The Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant is part of the scenery for much of the Harborwalk. While the mention of a sewage treatment plant is not very enticing when it comes to describing a hiking trail, the plant is actually pretty cool. The most prominent features are the digesters, which are known as the eggs. This is where solid waste is broken down into sludge and methane gas. The gas is used to produce electricity for the plant, while the sludge is piped to Quincy and turned into fertilizer (and some is piped to popular fast food restaurants and turned into hamburgers and similar healthy products). The next time you are eating a juicy orange from Florida, be sure to thank the people of Boston.
Glimpse of the Deer Island sewage plant digesters from the Harborwalk, Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
Digesters of the Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant, Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
There is another fork in the trail at the southern end of Deer Island. A right takes you to an observation deck located at a point where you can view the surrounding islands. Wayside exhibits and binoculars are available. Taking a left at the fork just bypasses the point.
Southern tip of Deer Island in Boston Harbor
Observation deck at the southern end of Deer Island, Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
As you head north on the Harborwalk, you get another view of the eggs from the east side of the Deer Island. Other than the sewage plant, there are no further man-made points of interest.
View of the digesters from the Harborwalk on the east side of Deer Island, Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
As you head back to the parking lot, you will encounter a number of paved trails that fork off to the left. The two you pass when still walking alongside the sewage plant are just paths that allow employees to access the Harborwalk. Once you pass the plant there are three more trails, all of which are connectors to the Hillside Trail. Stay to the right and continue along the shoreline to remain on the Harborwalk.
Connector to the Hillside Trail from the Harborwalk on Deer Island, Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
Just before reaching the parking lot is a nice view of the town of Winthrop and the gravel beaches along the shore.
View of Winthrop from the Harborwalk on Deer Island in Boston Harbor
While it may seem odd, I enjoyed the Harborwalk as much as any trail within Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, despite the fact that it basically encircles an industrial area. There are plenty of nice views of the harbor, plus you can learn a few things along the way. I also suggest hiking the Hillside Trail. It is much more difficult, but there are even more wayside exhibits, and the overlooks give the best views of Deer Island and the surrounding area.
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Last updated on January 12, 2024
