Rocky Woods Reservation

Rocky Woods is one of the best and least crowded trails in the Boston area. It's a wetland reservation between the Charles River and the Neponset River full of owls, towhee, etc. It's perfect for picnics, birdwatching, hiking, and running, especially if one is with kids and seniors. Some of the parts are inaccessible and flooded because of beaver dams.

Lovely hike in Rocky Woods. We love the off-leash area for our pup. He LOVES it too! We hiked the ridge trail and around Echo Pond. Too bad beavers are making a mess of Echo Pond. The pond is beautiful yet is experiencing high water (weather and beaver action) thus we could not walk over the bridge/path across the pond. Trustees of Rocky Woods caretakers have work to do.

This gem is a great place to visit any time of year but my favorite time to visit is in the winter. Hiking, running, snowshoeing, skiing (if you're good with climbing and descending steep hills) are all possibilities. There are lots of options for shorter hikes, like the loop around Chickering Pond. That loop has lots for the younger set to explore, including the shoreline and fishing. You should also take the kids up to Echo Pond and check out the way the busy beavers are altering the landscape there. It's a good example of how industrious beavers can be. The Trustees are installing new signage which makes navigating the trails even easier. The cabin is a fun stop when it's open on weekends. In the winter you can rent snowshoes and in the summer...boats. On a cold day, take a seat by the wood stove and put your feet up for a while!

Love Rocky Woods. Miles of trails of varying difficulty. Open fields. Lakes. Wildlife. A welcome station where kids can borrow fishing nets and pails to catch frogs in the ponds. Canoes to rent in the summer and ice skating in the winter. This place is a gem.

Perfect for dog parents to let their dog off the leash and let them roam around! The reservation is pretty huge, with many miles of trails and also connects to the Naonet woodlands reservation. The parking is not free, but you can buy the Trustees annual pass to park for free at any of the Trustee properties including this one.

Great looping trails with gorgeous rocks, hills, pines, brooks and ponds.

Great little trails that add up to a moderate hike. Unleashed areas for the dogs make this a no brainier family outing.

Awesome place for dog walking and nature experiencing, not too far from the big ole city. They have some great trails, some of which are off leash dog friendly - as long as your dog isn't a POS. It's really lovely. Parking is $6 a day, unless you're a trustee's member, then it's free!

Just amazing natural beauty A great place to take the family on a hike or take the family fishing

A beautiful local place for a hike (some easy hills) and a beautiful lake. It is worth the small 5$ admission charge.

Very well marked trails, easy going.

Well marked trails and they can be easily combined to make it a few miles worth of hiking

Nice hiking spot. They have some great picnic tables right on the pond. The kids love it. Trails are indeed rocky so wear good shoes. Most of it is not stroller accessible so don't bother bringing one unless you do the red trail. Only knock on the place is when people have their dogs off leash in the on leash zone.

This is a great hiking area! You could easily spend 3 -5 hours here.

A very beautiful Trustees property, very well marked trail options. Pay to park if not a member. Dogs in leash welcome, nice camping area as well. Echo Pond is currently washed out, but easy to go the opposite direction.

Great hiking, very kind rangers

Nice park with 3 or 4 main trail options of varying length and steepness from a 45 minute stroller-doable walk around a pond and along a story-boards to 2 hours loop with some moderately steep segments. Less popular and with larger parking lot then nearby Noanet woods. Both are Trustees properties with parking fee for nonmembers.

Rocky Woods has well-maintained campsites, gorgeous trails, and terrain that varies from rocky hilltops to ponds and swamps. It's an excellent forest escape surprisingly close to the city.

Conveniently located a short walk from a dear friend's home, this park is a lovely respite from the city, complete with multiple trails which connect also to other reserves, streams , & peace- inducing beauty. This is good for kids and adults, and even daily (or less frequent) visits.

A great place for a family outing. Lots of hiking trails, but the jewel in the crown is the educational cabin where they have things for kids to look at and very helpful staff to answer any questions. You can also rent canoes (I think it was around $15 for an hour) and fishing rods. A lovely place to relax.