Last Sunday morning I found myself in Boston at around 6 AM after giving my mom a ride to the airport. I’d been debating going up to the mountains after to photograph the foliage but a rainstorm a few days ago seemed to have wiped out most of the color. A friend had mentioned that the foliage was good in the Boston area, but I didn’t have plans to stick around because typically I prefer to stay away from cities, but I was there for sunrise so I figured I’d look around and see what I could find for some of the best hikes near Boston. That’s when I came across the Rock Circuit trail.
Parking for the Rock Circuit Trail
I arrived at the Flynn Skating Rink in Medford at about 6:30 AM to find only one other car in the lot. This of course had changed drastically by the time I returned at about 10 AM to a completely full lot (keep in mind this was a weekend day). The skating rink is the closest lot to the trailhead but there are other smaller lots located along the road.
How Long Does The Hike Take?
There are so many side trails and alternative routes in this hiking system that the time can vary quite a bit. The loop I chose was just under 5 miles and took me a little over 3 hours with some time given for taking photos.
Trail Description
The Trailhead
Leaving from the skate rink parking lot, you’ll start by crossing the road to reach the trailhead sign. This was a two way street but there was a median in the middle that you can safely stand on to wait for oncoming traffic. Even by mid morning the traffic wasn’t too bad and I felt I could safely cross back. The trail was pretty easy to follow with white trail markers and signs throughout but with the many alternative routes available in the park I would recommend using a secondary navigation source as well.
Melrose Rock
If you follow the trail in a clockwise direction the first point of interest will be Melrose rock. The beginning of the trail starts pretty level with sections of trail exactly like you’d expect in New England (lots of rocks and roots) and sections that are more packed and even. After some time you’ll come to another road crossing, shortly after the road you’ll have arrived at Melrose Rock. When I had been looking at photos of nearby trails, this was the view that made me pick the rock circuit. A stunning ledge overlooking lush trees and a view of the Boston skyline. It looked like nothing I ever would have expected to find in a city.
Cascade Falls
After Melrose rock, I took a look at the trail map on Alltrails to check the distance to the next significant feature. I was surprised to notice two little waterfall symbols not far from the loop. I found the first cascade after taking a short side trail which led to a view of the top of the falls. The second side trail was marked with a prominent sign. It was a bit longer and relatively steep but gave a more unobstructed view of the falls. Although we haven’t been having much rain at all this season there was still a significant amount of water running through the falls and definitely worth the short detour.
Black Rock
After the falls, you’ll find yourself right next to Black Rock. You’ll have been able to see this ledge from Melrose Rock. The views from here are quite pretty and the ledge also offers lots of open space for walking around unlike some of the other peaks along the trail.
Pinnacle Rock
At this point I was beginning to feel exactly how strenuous this hike could be. Following the white blazes seemingly leads you directly up and down every rocky peak in the park, even when it feels unnecessary. If I were to do this trail again, I’d like to try it as a trail run. With all the rocky ledges in this area I think it would be even more enjoyable to play with alternative routes up the rocks with minimal gear (although I was happy to have my camera with me for most of the trail)!
Boojum Rock and MIT Observatory Site
After crossing back across the road, the last two points of interest along the route were very welcomed. I was feeling ready to get my boots off and walk on something flat. Boojum Rock offered another beautiful view of the city and not much further down the trail sat the historical 1899 MIT observatory site, along with a few documents about its history.
The rest of the trail remained pretty rocky. I arrived back to a bustling parking lot and according to my watch had completed 4.97 miles, and 1,095 feet of elevation gain.
If you still have any questions about the Rock Circuit Trail, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to answer it. Have you hiked any trails that you loved near Boston? I’d love to hear about them!
Trail: Rock Circuit
Length: 4.97 miles loop
Elevation Gain: 1,095 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Parking: Lot at skating rink across from trail head
Directions: Click here for Google Maps