Skyline Trail Traverse (Blue Hills) Hiking Guide
The Skyline Trail is the spine of the Blue Hills Reservation, a blue-rectangle route that runs the length of the range from Quincy in the east to Great Blue Hill in the west. DCR calls the full traverse the longest and most challenging hike in the park. It is not a loop, so the planning starts before the hike does: you need a car at each end, a friend with a car, or a bus schedule.
How Long It Really Is
Numbers for this trail depend on what you count. AllTrails maps the one-way traverse from Willard Street in Quincy to Route 138 in Milton at 6.9 miles with about 1,630 feet of climbing and an estimate of four to four and a half hours. The Friends of the Blue Hills guide, using the official DCR map, gives 9 miles and 4 to 7 hours, because the trail splits into north and south branches in the western section and the figure covers both. Hiking it out and back from Willard Street, AllTrails lists 15.5 miles and nearly 3,600 feet of gain, a full day.
The Route, East to West
From Willard Street the trail climbs quickly onto the eastern hills and stays on ridges almost the whole way, dropping into notches and climbing back out over granite ledges again and again. Midway along, the trail passes Chickatawbut Hill; DCR's Chickatawbut Overlook on the road below it is one of the park's best views of the Boston skyline. In the west, the trail splits around Hancock, Hemenway and Wolcott Hills before both branches meet at Great Blue Hill and the Eliot Tower. From the summit, descend to Route 138 near the Trailside Museum and the ski area.
Two Road Crossings to Respect
Walking the whole Skyline means crossing busy roads, and the Friends of the Blue Hills single out Routes 28 and 138 as the dangerous ones; the group has campaigned for safer crossings at both. Cross as a group, wait for a real gap, and do not count on drivers expecting hikers to step out of the woods.
Shuttles, Buses and Parking
DCR's map shows MBTA bus service at both ends. The 238 bus from Quincy Center to Holbrook/Randolph stops on Willard Street at Ames Street and at Copeland Street, near the eastern trailhead. The 716 from Mattapan Station to Cobbs Corner stops at the Trailside Museum on Canton Avenue (Route 138), but DCR warns that route has an unusual schedule. DCR also notes that public parking in the reservation is limited and heavily used on weekends. There is no parking fee in the Blue Hills; Houghton's Pond is the main free lot, a useful bailout point near the western half.
What to Carry and When to Go
You will find no water along the ridges and little shade on the open ledges, so carry more than you think you need on warm days. The reservation is open dawn to dusk, which on a late-fall traverse leaves little slack. Dogs may come along on a leash no longer than 10 feet, per DCR rules, though a full traverse over this much rock is a lot to ask of a dog. Timber rattlesnakes and copperheads live in the Blue Hills; they are protected and shy, so give any snake room and keep moving. In fall, check the reservation page for deer management dates before you go.
Hiking tips for Skyline Trail Traverse (Blue Hills)
- Stage a car or check the 238 and 716 bus times before you start; there is no loop back.
- Start from Willard Street so the hardest climb, Great Blue Hill, comes with the best finish.
- Carry at least two liters of water; nothing is available on the ridge.
- Cross Routes 28 and 138 together as a group and only at a clear gap in traffic.
- Use the numbered intersection posts to track progress on the DCR map.
Nearby trails to explore
- Great Blue Hill Skyline Loop
- World's End Carriage Path Loop
- Noanet Peak Loop
Hike this trail with TrailMates
The full Skyline is easier with someone to share the car shuttle. Use TrailMates to find Boston hikers heading to the Blue Hills Skyline Trail. Download the TrailMates app to connect.