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A path through woodlands next to a pond. Shutterstock

10 superb hikes in and around Boston, mapped

These include the Minuteman Bikeway, Arlington’s Great Meadow, and routes around Boston’s sewage hub—just remember to practice social distancing

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Like just about everything else, the novel coronavirus pandemic has upended shared spaces in the Boston region, including its parkland. Yet, if you practice the recommended social distancing (and you should), you can still seize on the bucolic environs of what’s easily one of the more naturally wondrous metro areas in the entire United States.

To accentuate that wonder—and to get you safely out of the house now and then—here are 10 superb hiking options throughout the Boston region, all of them spacious enough to afford that 6 feet of distance from your fellow ramblers.

A few things to know going in: Both local and state parks are not being cleaned nor sanitized as regularly as usual, so take precautions. And facilities such as athletic courts and fields as well as restrooms and visitor centers are shuttered due to the pandemic.

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Minuteman Bikeway

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It is impossible to overstate the hiking opportunities along this 10-mile trail from Bedford to Cambridge (where it’s accessible via the Red Line’s Alewife stop).

Yes, it’s officially for bikes, but hikers use the paths just the same; and woodlands—as well as some historic sites—line said paths.

The view, framed by leaves, of people biking and walking along a path. Boston Globe via Getty Images

Cutler Park Reservation

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The 600-acre state park includes a 1.5-mile loop around its Kendrick Pond that allows hikers to take in the reservation’s major sites—which are said to include a variety of avian life.

An open pasture with long grass. Wikipedia

Arlington's Great Meadow

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Until around 115 years ago, this 183-acre expanse was water storage for the Town of Arlington.

Since drained, it’s been a lush nature preserve with at least two miles of prime trails and plenty of off-shoots.

Added bonus: Arlington’s Great Meadow is just off the Minuteman Bikeway.

A large, open meadow with long grass. Wikipedia

Fresh Pond Reservation

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The 162-acre reserve surrounds the 155-acre source of Cambridge’s water.

Fresh Pond Reservation is full of pathways and trails. Go deep enough, and you’ll feel like you’re in the country.

Trees changing color in a lush park. Shutterstock

Arnold Arboretum

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Legendary landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted designed the greensward, and Harvard University owns and administers it.

Its 281 acres offer innumerable avenues for hiking, and its website provides maps and tips that make taking in the arboretum’s 15,000-plus plants relatively non-mind-bending.

A lush shot of foliage in an arboretum. Shutterstock

Middlesex Fells Reservation

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The closest big state park to Boston proper, the 2,200-acre Fells unfolds over several towns, including Medford and Malden, and offers more than 100 miles of trails.

Bring a fishing rod, too—that’s allowed.

An older man coming upon a trail marker in a forest. Boston Globe/Contributor/Getty Images

HarborWalk

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The Harborwalk edges the city in an almost continuous run that includes ample opportunity for hiking fast or slow on the waterfront.

There are plenty of attractions and other parkland just off the HarborWalk as well as numerous of places to sit should you decide against storming the full 43 miles at once.

A walkway next to Boston Harbor with the city’s skyscrapers lighting up at dusk. Shutterstock

Castle Island

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The five bastions of the old Fort Independence dominate this 22-acre state park. There is also plenty of greenspace as well as a long run of the HarborWalk.

Plus, Castle Island connects easily with the JFK library area via Marine Park and Carson Beach—urban hikers can make a real day of it.

The exterior of Castle Island in Boston. There is a path along a waterfront. In the distance is a stone building. Shutterstock

Lynn Woods

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The City of Lynn bills this 2,200-acre greensward as the second-biggest municipal park in the United States.

It comes complete with more than 30 miles of trails and three reservoirs that provide water to the city—and scenery to the park.

The view over a forest with skyscrapers in the distance. Shutterstock

Deer Island

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The peninsula is partly in Boston, partly in Winthrop, and is entirely a piece of a national park covering the Harbor Islands.

There is a 2.6-mile pathway along the waterfront (which offers breathtaking water views as well as views of planes landing and taking off from Logan) and a further two miles of trails on the hills farther inland.

Deer Island also hosts a sizable—and curiously awesome—wastewater treatment facility, which is open for tours.

In the foreground is a lawn with green grass. In the distance is a large white building. Shutterstock

Minuteman Bikeway

It is impossible to overstate the hiking opportunities along this 10-mile trail from Bedford to Cambridge (where it’s accessible via the Red Line’s Alewife stop).

Yes, it’s officially for bikes, but hikers use the paths just the same; and woodlands—as well as some historic sites—line said paths.

The view, framed by leaves, of people biking and walking along a path. Boston Globe via Getty Images

Cutler Park Reservation

The 600-acre state park includes a 1.5-mile loop around its Kendrick Pond that allows hikers to take in the reservation’s major sites—which are said to include a variety of avian life.

An open pasture with long grass. Wikipedia

Arlington's Great Meadow

Until around 115 years ago, this 183-acre expanse was water storage for the Town of Arlington.

Since drained, it’s been a lush nature preserve with at least two miles of prime trails and plenty of off-shoots.

Added bonus: Arlington’s Great Meadow is just off the Minuteman Bikeway.

A large, open meadow with long grass. Wikipedia

Fresh Pond Reservation

The 162-acre reserve surrounds the 155-acre source of Cambridge’s water.

Fresh Pond Reservation is full of pathways and trails. Go deep enough, and you’ll feel like you’re in the country.

Trees changing color in a lush park. Shutterstock

Arnold Arboretum

Legendary landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted designed the greensward, and Harvard University owns and administers it.

Its 281 acres offer innumerable avenues for hiking, and its website provides maps and tips that make taking in the arboretum’s 15,000-plus plants relatively non-mind-bending.

A lush shot of foliage in an arboretum. Shutterstock

Middlesex Fells Reservation

The closest big state park to Boston proper, the 2,200-acre Fells unfolds over several towns, including Medford and Malden, and offers more than 100 miles of trails.

Bring a fishing rod, too—that’s allowed.

An older man coming upon a trail marker in a forest. Boston Globe/Contributor/Getty Images

HarborWalk

The Harborwalk edges the city in an almost continuous run that includes ample opportunity for hiking fast or slow on the waterfront.

There are plenty of attractions and other parkland just off the HarborWalk as well as numerous of places to sit should you decide against storming the full 43 miles at once.

A walkway next to Boston Harbor with the city’s skyscrapers lighting up at dusk. Shutterstock

Castle Island

The five bastions of the old Fort Independence dominate this 22-acre state park. There is also plenty of greenspace as well as a long run of the HarborWalk.

Plus, Castle Island connects easily with the JFK library area via Marine Park and Carson Beach—urban hikers can make a real day of it.

The exterior of Castle Island in Boston. There is a path along a waterfront. In the distance is a stone building. Shutterstock

Lynn Woods

The City of Lynn bills this 2,200-acre greensward as the second-biggest municipal park in the United States.

It comes complete with more than 30 miles of trails and three reservoirs that provide water to the city—and scenery to the park.

The view over a forest with skyscrapers in the distance. Shutterstock

Deer Island

The peninsula is partly in Boston, partly in Winthrop, and is entirely a piece of a national park covering the Harbor Islands.

There is a 2.6-mile pathway along the waterfront (which offers breathtaking water views as well as views of planes landing and taking off from Logan) and a further two miles of trails on the hills farther inland.

Deer Island also hosts a sizable—and curiously awesome—wastewater treatment facility, which is open for tours.

In the foreground is a lawn with green grass. In the distance is a large white building. Shutterstock