Hiking trails are full of history, beauty, and wildlife, but with so many options, it can be hard to choose your next path.

The following are 12 great hikes recommended by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR), Mass Audubon North Shore, Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC), and the Appalachian Mountain Club.

Massachusetts

Skyline Loop Trail in Blue Hills Reservation in Milton

The 2.64-mile Skyline Loop Trail in the Blue Hills Reservation in Milton gives hikers a taste of the longer, nine-mile Skyline Trail. The loop takes hikers over five hills, including Hancock Hill, which was once the farm of John Hancock of Declaration of Independence fame and the first independent governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

There is a tower built by the Civilian Corp of Engineers during the Great Depression, and hikers can look out over Boston and the Harbor Islands

Cedar Swamp Trail in Douglas State Forest in Douglas

As hikers experience the Cedar Swamp Trail, a .5-mile hike, the environment changes from a typical New England mixed hardwood forest into a cedar swamp as Atlantic white cedar and hemlock trees replace oak, maple, birch, beech, and ash.

“The thick growth of these evergreens allows little light to reach the forest floor,” according to DCR. “Keep an eye out for the unique foliage native to the swamp like sphagnum or ‘peat’ moss, skunk cabbage and cinnamon ferns, as well as the wildlife that calls the swamp home.”

Robert Frost Trail in Mount Holyoke Range State Park in Amherst

Fans of Robert Frost can experience nature through the writer’s eyes on this 4-mile hike on the Robert Frost Trail that honors the iconic poet’s Massachusetts connection. Frost spent part of his life in Massachusetts, teaching English at nearby Amherst College.

Hikers can look for a hidden pool and a fork in the road while exploring the interpretive trail, DCR noted, which is an easy to moderate hike.

Read more about these state park hikes: 3 beautiful hikes at Massachusetts State Parks

Rockery Trail at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield

For a unique, family-friendly hike involving rocks, head to the Rockery Trail at Ispwich River Wildlife Sanctuary, according to the Mass Audubon North Shore.

The 1/2-mile trail, the most popular hike at the sanctuary, includes boardwalks and features a rockery built by Thomas Emerson Proctor in 1905. You can climb the large stone structure and also walk through the little tunnel underneath. The wide easy trail is great for all ages.

Professor Chandler’s Long Walk at Rough Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary in Rowley

Hikers enjoy panoramic views at Rough Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, which includes the scenic Professor Chandler’s Long Walk. The .65-mile easy trail takes hikers out into the Great Marsh, the largest salt marsh in New England, and is great for bird watchers.

The trail is named after Professor Alfred D. Chandler, Jr., who donated much of the land.

Woodland Loop at Cedar Pond Wildlife Sanctuary in Wenham

The Woodland Loop trail is a universally accessible trail at Cedar Pond Wildlife Sanctuary. The .9-mile trail offers a loop through deciduous and pine forest and opens up to a small meadow at the midpoint.

These All Persons Trails are ADA compliant and include universally accessible interpretive features. Visitors can expect handrails, braille and tactile features, wildlife viewing boardwalks and platforms, audio tour stops, seating, and more, according to Mass Audubon.

Read more about these North Shore trails: 3 beautiful hikes on the North Shore

The Meadow Loop Trail in Great Barrington

Animals lovers will love the accessible half-mile Meadow Loop Trail in the 267-acre Thomas & Palmer Brook Reserve, according to the Berkshire Natural Resources Council. The path, conveniently close to downtown Great Barrington, has excellent wetland and meadow views with benches for resting and taking in the scenery. The trail is also great for beaver watching.

For those who want to keep hiking, the trail connects to the 0.6-mile Woodland Trail and 0.3-mile Whale Rock Trail, both moderate.

Mahanna Cobble Trail in Pittsfield

Those looking for a challenge can tackle the 2.8-mile roundtrip trek on the Mahanna Cobble Trail.

The trail starts at Bosquet Mountain ski area, where hikers climb a beginner-level ski slope before getting into the forest. Hikers are rewarded with views of Kennedy Park, Mass Audobon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, and Yukon Ridge.

Sunset Rock Trail in North Adams

Hikers who tackle the easy 1.6-mile roundtrip Sunset Rock Trail at Hoosic Range Reserve later in the day can take in the Taconic Ridge and Green Mountains and it’s a great place to view the sunset.

For hikers seeking even more great views in the 944-acre reserve, continue on for 3 miles along the Hoosic Range Trail. This trail is considered difficult because of its length, and the 6-mile roundtrip hike is a gradual climb.

Read more about these Berkshires hikes: 3 beautiful hikes in the Berkshires

New Hampshire

Arethusa Falls Trail in Hart’s Location

Hikers on the Arethusa Falls Trail in Crawford Notch State Park are in a for a real treat, according to the Appalachian Mountain Club: New Hampshire’s highest waterfall. It’s a 1.3-mile moderate hike to the near 200-foot waterfall. Once at the waterfall, folks can hike down to the bottom and sit and dip their feet in the water.

The falls were discovered by Edward Tuckerman in 1875, according to visitwhitemountains.com, who named it after a nymph in Greek mythology that turned into a fountain.

Zealand Trail in Bethlehem

Zealand Trail connects to the Appalachian Trail, and hikers get to experience a short section of it before it goes out to Zealand falls. It’s about 2 1/2 miles to the falls.

The Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Maine to Georgia, is the longest hiking-only footpath in the world, and the New Hampshire portion offers more miles above the treeline than any other state on the trail, according to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

There is also an AMC Zealand Falls Hut on the trail, where hikers can stay overnight with a reservation.

Mount Willard Trail in Hart’s Location

Mount Willard’s elevation is 2,865 feet, and the summit is located in Crawford Notch State Park. It is a 1.6-mile moderate hike up to the summit, and hikers follow an old carriage road.

Folks start out at the top of Crawford Notch and hike along forests and along a stream, and there’s a tiny waterfall and an area called the Centennial Pool. Hikers can see the southern end of the Presidential Range, Crawford Notch, Mount Tom, and Mount Willey.

Read more about these hikes in the White Mountains: 3 beautiful hikes in the White Mountains

Kristi Palma

Travel writer

 

Kristi Palma is the travel writer for Boston.com, focusing on the six New England states. She covers airlines, hotels, and things to do across Boston and New England. She is the author of the award-winning Scenic Six, a weekly travel newsletter.

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What happened in Nottingham?

Thomas Moulton, the Seacoast entrepreneur, proposed converting a vacant warehouse on Route 4 into a data center to the Nottingham planning board in May, which was first reported by InDepthNH.

In the days leading up to the planning board meeting, a petition online garnered more than 25,000 signatures.

Moulton withdrew his application hours before the meeting last Wednesday, where he was slated to discuss the proposal.

He cited the fierce criticism from local residents, which included a planned protest outside the meeting.

Protestors still gathered outside the meeting on May 27, and dozens of residents spoke out against data centers during the meeting’s public comment section.

What caused public pushback to the data center?

Kristen Lamb, who serves on the town’s conservation committee and master plan update subcommittee, said she was concerned about water quality impacts, increased electricity bills and noise pollution. She said Nottingham residents care deeply about protecting the natural landscape.

“We have a history of prioritizing our natural history, our natural resources and water quality” she said.

Numerous studies have found the energy consumption of data centers could place a serious strain on water infrastructure and power grids.

Plus, Lamb argued that building a data center would violate the town’s zoning ordinances.

In the days leading up to last week’s meeting, Lamb spoke out online and wrote letters detailing her concerns to the planning board and Gov. Kelly Ayotte.

What does state law say?

Data centers have become an increasingly hot-button issue in state legislatures across the country.

In New Hampshire, Democratic legislators introduced Senate Bill 439 earlier this year, which would have created a statewide definition of data centers and granted local municipalities more authority over regulating them. Sen. Debra Altschiller co-sponsored the bill.

“[Building data centers is] one of the fastest growing and, quite frankly, most disruptive forms of industrial development in the country,” said Altschiller. “It’s something brand new, and we can’t treat the development of AI data centers as if it is just any other kind of manufacturing.”

In a Senate committee in January, Sen. Timothy Lang, a Republican, introduced an amendment that pushed the legislation in the opposite direction.

“Basically, what the amendment does is rewrite the bill,” he said during the committee meeting on Jan. 20. The amended bill would instead limit towns’ ability to regulate data centers, and allow them in commercial and industrial zones.

The amended bill passed the House Committee on Municipal and County Government along party lines on May 5.

However, it died in a bipartisan floor vote in the House, 304-11, meaning there was no real movement in state laws or regulations on data centers this year.

“Municipalities are left with whatever they have in place right now, today,” said Altschiller. “And it’s not a whole lot.”

Democrats in the House also introduced a bill that would prohibit building data centers in the state and create a committee to study their environmental impact. It failed in committee.

What happens now?

Despite Moulton’s withdrawal, Kristen Lamb said he could still reintroduce the proposal in the future or another developer could try a similar plan, so she and other residents are continuing their fight.

“Our town is interested in moving forward with a moratorium or exploring what we can do to make it explicit that data centers or any kind of commercial industry that has that kind of impact on our water, residents income and way of life and wildlife doesn’t get passed,” she said.

The planning board’s workshop meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on June 3 at the town office building.