traveldk.com

As the terminal for the harbor islands ferry and water shuttles to other islands, George’s Island is the gateway to the Boston Harbor Islands National Park Area. This undeveloped archipelago of 30 islands consists of 1,200 acres (485 ha) spread over 50 sq miles (80 sq km) and is made up primarily of drumlins, or piles of glacial debris. The prime attraction on George’s Island is the massive Fort Warren, a prison for Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.

Both these islands are naturalist’s delights – Bumpkin for its wildflowers, raspberries, and bayberries, Grape for its wild roses and bird life. On Bumpkin Island, hiking trails pass the ruins of a farmhouse and 19th-century children’s hospital, which also housed German prisoners rescued from Boston Harbor in World War I.

Known for its extensive dunes, Lovell’s also has a supervised swimming beach. Extensive hiking trails lead across dunes and through woodlands. The remains of Fort Standish, active during the Spanish American War and World War I, can also be explored.

Peddock’s is one of Boston Harbor’s largest and most diverse islands. Hiking trails circle a pond, salt marsh, and coastal forest and pass numerous buildings of interest including Fort Andrews, active in harbor defense from 1904 through to World War II. The island is known for its black crowned night herons and for the beach plums and wild roses which bloom profusely in the dunes.

Accessed by a causeway attaching the island to the mainland, 60 acres (24 ha) of the island were recently opened for recreation and walking – with dramatic views of the Boston skyline. Deer Island is also known for its state-of-the-art $3.8 billion sewage treatment plant. Distinguished by 12 gigantic egg-shaped digesters, it was key to cleaning up Boston Harbor.

Vastly enlarged by fill from the Big Dig (see 1991–: The Big Dig), Spectacle Island was opened to the public in 2004. It has some of the highest peaks of all the harbor islands as well as 5 miles (8 km) of trails, a marina, picnic areas, swimming beaches, and disabled access as well as the best Boston skyline view. A model for environmental sensitivity, the island’s services run on photovoltaic cells and wind power.

Boston Light, the first US lighthouse, was erected here in 1716 and it remains the last staffed offshore lighthouse in the country. Limited tours visit the small museum and lead visitors up the 76 spiral steps and two ladders to reach the top.

Once the site of a popular summer resort, Gallops also served as quarters for Civil War soldiers, including the Massachusetts 54th Regiment (see Shaw Memorial). The island has an extensive sandy beach, a picnic area, hiking paths, and historic ruins of a former quarantine and immigration station. Grassy bluffs offer spectacular views of Boston Light.

A learning center since the 1830s, Thompson is the site of an Outward Bound program serving more than 5,000 students annually. The island’s diverse geography includes rocky and sandy shores, a large salt marsh, and a hardwood forest. Killdeer, herons, and shorebirds abound.

This 244-acre (99 ha) peninsula overlooking Hingham Bay is a geological sibling of the harbor islands, with its two glacial drumlins, rocky beaches, ledges, cliffs, and both salt and freshwater marshes. Frederick Law Olmsted laid out the grounds for a homestead development here in the late 19th century. The homes were never built, but paths, formal plantings, and hedgerows remain. World’s End is accessed by road by driving through Hingham.