Blue Hills Reservation

IUCN Category V - Protected Landscape / Seascape

The Ponkapoag Pond to the Great Blue Hill in the background

Blue Hills Reservation is a state park in Norfolk County in the state of Massachusetts in the United States. The park is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation and is part of the Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston. The area of ​​the reserve extends to the urban areas of Milton, Quincy, Braintree, Canton, Randolph, and Dedham south of Boston.

Description

The Blue Hills Reservation (commonly referred to by locals as the Blue Hills ) are primarily used for hiking and mountain biking. In winter, downhill runs and also Skilangläufe take place, otherwise also rock climbing are possible ( in designated areas of the park ) and equestrian in appropriate months.

The diverse landscapes of the reserve makes it in combination with its proximity to the city of Boston has become a popular destination for hikers from the metropolitan area of ​​Greater Boston. With 194 meters is the highest point in the park of the Great Blue Hill in Milton, on the tip of the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory is located, from which a good view of Boston and the surrounding area is possible.

Depending on the weather there in the months of December to March with the Blue Hills Ski Area have a ski area. In summer the lakes Houghton 's Pond and Pond Ponkapoag popular and much-used facilities for swimming and relaxation.

The ecology of the protected area is very diverse and includes marshes, swamps, woodlands, meadows, and a Moor with White cypresses. Some endangered species in Massachusetts, such as the forest Rattlesnake, also live in the park. Other examples of local flora and fauna are dogwood, orchids, coyotes, turkey vultures and North American copper head.

The protected area has close relations with the Massachusetts Audubon Society, which is named after the famous ornithologist John James Audubon. One result of this collaboration is the Trailside Museum, which displays exhibits of animals of the park. The observatory Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory on the Great Blue Hill was founded in 1885 and is the oldest continually operated weather station in the United States.

Since the area is a few miles south of downtown Boston, it is the largest contiguous protected area within a U.S. metropolitan area.

History

The Blue Hill got its name from the early European explorers, where a bluish glow on the hill noticed when they sailed along the coast. The blue color is of Riebeckite included in the stones.

Already more than 10,000 years before the first Europeans reached the land, Indians already had settled in the hills. They described themselves as Massachusett, which translated means as much as people of the big hill. The name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has in this Indian name originated.

In 1893, the Metropolitan Parks Commission purchased the area and pointed it out as one of the first protected areas in the Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston. Today, the area of a variety of archaeological and historical resources benefited.

Not less than 13 entries in the National Register of Historic Places that tell stories of Native Americans, their discoverer, and of farmers, workers in quarries and inventors.

Leisure and recreational activities

The protected area non-motorized boats can be driven, even when fishing is allowed. There are campgrounds, hiking trails, horseback riding trails, opportunities for rock climbing and special routes for mountain bikes. Also popular are the existing sports facilities and picnic areas. In winter there is the possibility for ice skating and downhill and cross-country skiing.

Entries in the National Register of Historic Places

In reserve 13 sites were registered in the National Register of Historic Places:

• The headquarters of the park administration
• The parkways throughout the protected area
• The Brookwood Farm with its old barn
• The Chickatawbut Observation Tower
• The Comfort station on Blue Hill Avenue
• The Eliot Memorial Bridge, near the highest point of the Great Blue Hill
• The Great Blue Hill Observation Tower near the highest point of the Great Blue Hill
• The Great Blue Hill Weather Observatory at the summit of Great Blue Hill
• The quarry and archaeological site Massachusetts hornfels Braintree Slate Quarry
• The stables of the Metropolitan District Commission
• The Ponkapoag Camp of Appalachian Mountain Club
• The Refreshment Pavilion at the Houghton 's Pond