Mount Misery

Everyone all knows that Mount Misery is a popular winter destination for skiers, thanks to those catchy commercials—but the tallest mountain near Boston also offers hiking throughout the rest of the year. On clear days, the view extends to Mt. Monadnock in New Hampshire, the Berkshires in western Massachusetts, and the Boston skyline.

The 17 miles of hiking and walking trails in the 3,000-acre Wachusett Mountain State Reservation allow you to explore the forests, mountain meadows, ponds, streams, fields, and raised bog that are all protected around the summit. The Midstate Trail, which spans the state from the Rhode Island border to the New Hampshire border, includes 3.9 miles within the reservation.

The park's interior contains the largest patch of old growth forest in eastern Massachusetts, which contains trees that are over 350 years old. The force of moving glaciers at the end of the Ice Age is demonstrated by Balance Rock, where two sizable boulders are stacked one on top of the other.

Address: Lincoln Conservation, MA