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Boston Harbor Islands National & State Park, Boston, MA

Photo: Sarahmusumeci, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorLocal GemSummer pick

Boston Harbor Islands National & State Park

Ferries depart 66 Long Wharf, Boston, MA 02110 · Boston, MA

Why you should go…

A short ferry from Long Wharf turns downtown Boston into a national and state park of 34 islands and peninsulas. Georges Island centers on Fort Warren, a granite Civil War fortress you can explore corridor by corridor; Spectacle Island offers swimming beaches, a marina cafe, and drumlin-top trails with knockout skyline views. Rangers lead free tours, and both islands have picnic areas. Boston Harbor City Cruises runs the seasonal ferries, book ahead on summer weekends, and pack layers for the crossing.

  • #islands
  • #ferry
  • #hiking
  • #beach
  • #fort warren

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Boston Harbor Islands National & State Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    New England Aquarium

    $25–$50

    Circle the four-story Giant Ocean Tank, meet playful penguins and sea turtles right on Boston's waterfront.

    Right next doorSwitch it up: Attractions

  • Tours
    Family Favorite

    CityView Trolley Tours

    $25–$50

    A hop-on hop-off trolley loop past Boston's Freedom Trail sites, the North End, and the harborfront.

    Right next doorSwitch it up: Tours

  • Tours
    Quirky Fun

    Ghosts & Gravestones Tour

    $25–$50

    A nighttime trolley of the doomed through Boston's darker side, centuries-old burying grounds, ghost tales and true crime.

    Right next doorSwitch it up: Tours

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family Favorite

    Boston Public Garden & Swan Boats

    Free

    America's first public botanical garden, weeping willows, the Make Way for Ducklings statues, and famous Swan Boats.

    1.1 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Free

    Arnold Arboretum

    Free

    Walk 281 acres of trees, shrubs and lilacs in Harvard's arboretum, a free link in Boston's Emerald Necklace.

    5.7 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    Walden Pond

    $25–$50

    Swim, hike the shore and visit a replica of Thoreau's cabin at the pond that inspired Walden.

    16 mi awayMore like this