5 of the best places south of Boston for walks that give you a special reward or surprise

Sue Scheible
·2 min read

Sometimes you're taking a walk and everything is just right -- you're relaxed, getting good exercise and fresh air, the landscape is scenic, songbirds greet you, you feel transported away from your everyday world.

Life is good. The walk is doing just what you want it to do. Then you round a bend, or climb a hill, and you're suddenly in an even better place with an added reward. A stunning view. A bubbling stream. The perspective of an open meadow or colors in a cranberry bog with songbirds or a great blue heron.

Those are the kinds of surprises that elevate a good walk into something more.

Here are five of the best places on and around the South Shore that walkers and hikers find rewarding:

Norris Reservation, Norwell

129 acres with trails and a half-mile of river frontage passing a former mill pond, a wetlands boardwalk and a boathouse on the tidal North River. Popular with families. Trustees of Reservations. 18 Dover St., Norwell. 781-740-7233.

Bay Farm Trails, Kingston and Duxbury

Sally Avery, second from left, points out different bird features in a guidebook to seniors taking her course at the Duxbury Senior Center.
Sally Avery, second from left, points out different bird features in a guidebook to seniors taking her course at the Duxbury Senior Center.

An 80-acre land preserve along Kingston Bay. 100 Park St., Duxbury. A walk across a large meadow with birds and butterflies takes you to the bay.

Noanet Woodlands, Dover

Nearly 600 acres of trails across woodlands and ponds, a former mill site and Noanet Peak with views of the Boston skyline. An old mill site with a dam, more intimate walks beside a stream, Powisset Farm across the street. Trustees of Reservations. Powisset Street. 508-785-0339.

Wompatuck State Park, Hingham (mostly)

3,526 acres of forest, streams, ponds. Mount Blue Spring. A campground with 250 sites,12 miles of paved bike paths and 40 miles of forest trails. Mostly in Hingham, portions in Cohasset, Norwell and Scituate. Several entrances. Off-road trails for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and cross-country skiing. 204 Union St. 617-895-8245.

Borderland State Park, Easton, Sharon

Walt Granda led this five-mile hike in Borderland State Park for the Appalachian Mountain Club Southeastern Mass. Chapter.
Walt Granda led this five-mile hike in Borderland State Park for the Appalachian Mountain Club Southeastern Mass. Chapter.

This historical park has a mansion open for seasonal tours and more than 20 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding. Fishing and boating. Facilities for tennis and disc golf. 259 Massapoag Ave., North Easton.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: 5 of the most rewarding places South of Boston to take a walk