Find Plenty of Walks with Nature Walks in Eastern Massachusetts by Michael Tougias

Can you really find nature in Eastern Massachusetts?

For those of us living in the greater Boston metropolitan area (which is basically eastern Massachusetts) it can often seem like there's not really all that much nature left, except for occasional pockets here and there. However, there are actually a significant number of smaller nature reserves, reservations and state lands that can provide plenty of opportunities to enjoy nature, if you just know where to look. You won't find any major mountains, or even major hikes for that matter, but there are plenty of interesting and enjoyable walks in Eastern Massachusetts and even though you might think otherwise, there's plenty of forest and quiet areas down here.

That's where this book, by Michael Tougias comes in handy. It makes it easy to find those areas you may have overlooked in the past. I've found it to be a great book to just explore the area more than I would have before.

Nature Walks in Eastern Massachusetts covers the following areas (specific towns are in parenthesis):

- North of Boston (Newbury, Hamilton, Essex, Boxford, Manchester, and North Andover)

- Northwest of Boston (Carlisle, Concord, Sudbury, Wayland, Lincoln, Princeton, Holden, Boylston, Berlin)

- West of Boston (Needham, Wellesley, Dover, Natick, Sherborn, Medfield)

- Southwest of Boston (Norfolk, Foxboro, Wrentham, Sharon, North Easton, Middleborough, Holbrook, Braintree)

- South of Boston (Hingham, Norwell, Marshfield, Duxbury, Kingston, Mashpee, Sandwich, East Falmouth)

What you get in the book

Before you get to the chapters on the various nature walks, the books starts with a locator map that provides a reference for the various walks. There is a chart that provides a quick rundown of what each walk offers, followed by the acknowledgements and a quick introduction and a section on wildlife watching and on the Bay Circuit Trail (a trail that is proposed to completely encircle the Boston area).

Throughout the chapters on the nature walks, each nature trail starts with a small map and overview of where it is located and how to get to it. The trail descriptions are quite thorough. The major features that you will come across along the trail are described - as are any steep pitches, trail junctions, and side trails. In additions to location information and trail descriptions, natural history along the walks is described, along with some local history of the location.

There are no separate maps provided in the book - small maps are included directly in the text of trail descriptions. None of the trails written about are that difficult to follow that you would need to carry the book or a map with you.

Past the trail descriptions you chapters on biking on Cape Cod, Fishing, Hawk Watching, Cross-Country skiing opportunities and information on how protect rivers in Eastern Massachusetts. These are all fairly quick chapters, but provide useful information for the reader if they are interested in these topics.

There is also information about the author, the AMC and an alphabetical listing (index) of all the areas that are described in the book.

Who should get this book?

Anyone interested in finding the natural areas in Eastern Massachusetts should get a copy of this book. When I started reading it, I discovered so many areas that I had driven past and hadn't even given a second though - the book opened my eyes to all the nature that remains in our area and showed me that I don't need to always travel so far to get my dose of mother nature.

So...

Nature Walks in Eastern Massachusetts is an indispensable guide to the region's natural areas and nature walks. If you've ever wondered where you could possibly go for a walk that's close to Boston, then you should pick up a copy.