The Trustees maintains 60 miles of coastal trails including beaches and dunes, rocky coasts, and islands. Taking in some ocean air on these coastal hikes doesn’t have to be a huge endeavor when you explore some of these typically uncrowded gems.

Coolidge Reservation, Manchester-by-the-Sea

A scenic pond and a small forest of pine and oak lead you to a spectacular seaside lawn offering memorable views of Massachusetts Bay and the North Shore.

Halibut Point Reservation, Rockport

Scramble across ledges scarred for eons by wind and wave, and examine tide pools teeming with marine life.

Lowell Holly, Mashpee

Carriage roads follow the shoreline of Mashpee and Wakeby Ponds—both ponds are stocked with fish—and pass through the peninsula’s beech woodlands. The ponds’ shallow waters provide an opportunity for cooling off when the mercury rises, and two peninsular knolls offer spectacular views.

Lyman Reserve, Buzzards Bay

Follow winding trails from upstream cranberry bogs and woods to a sandy beach at Buttermilk Bay.

Menemsha Hills, Chilmark

Experience the drama of a rocky shoreline and scenic vistas across Vineyard Sound to the Elizabeth Islands from the second-highest point on the island. Coastal hikes don’t get any better.

Old Town Hill, Newbury

Climb to the top of this 168-ft coastal hill and enjoy panoramic views of the Great Marsh and New Hampshire’s Isle of Shoals.

Slocum’s River Reserve, Dartmouth

One of the best coastal hikes on the South Coast. Thread your way through woodlands and cross open fields to one of the state’s loveliest tidal rivers.