Saugus, Massachusetts
Breakheart Reservation
Photo: Joseph Reagle, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Two lakes in a big forest, supervised summer swimming at Pearce Lake, and rocky hilltops to climb for views of Boston and New Hampshire.
Written for ages 4–12.
Researched from this park's own sources. Nobody's walked it yet.
Read this bit out
Climb up to one of the rocky high points here on a clear day and you can see a long way: Boston off to the south, New Hampshire away to the north, and the middle of Massachusetts to the west. You are not on a mountain. You are in the woods about seven miles from Boston's tall buildings, standing on a lump of rock that happens to be tall enough.
One of your three free places, or the Explorer Pass. What that costs
Before you go
- Time there
- Plan on about 2 hours at the park.
- Parking
- Free parking at 177 Forest Street in Saugus, or at 100 Hemlock Road in Wakefield, which is closer to Pearce Lake Beach. Open sunrise to sunset.
- Underfoot
- A large trail system through forest, with climbs to rocky vistas, plus paved loop roads of 2 and 3 miles that suit strollers. Supervised swimming at Pearce Lake in summer.
- Stroller
- A stroller works on some of it.
- Food
- Picnic areas, a pavilion and a playground; grills must be propane, with no charcoal allowed.
22 challenges written for this place
A game deals seven to fifteen of them, so no two visits are alike.
4 things to spot, 3 photographs to take and 3 things to work out.
Every game includes this one
Get To A Lake
There are two lakes in this forest. Find one and get to the edge of it.
A few of the others
Climb To A View
Climb up to one of the rocky vistas and look out.
At The Water
One photo of everybody at the edge of the lake.
From The Top
One photo taken from a vista, with as much distance behind you as you can get.
Their Turn
Hand the phone to the youngest. They take one picture of whatever they want.
Three Places At Once
From the high ground you can see Boston, New Hampshire and central Massachusetts. Work out which direction each one is.
Why Two Lakes?
There are two lakes in here. Work out whether they are joined.
The rest are a surprise — that's the whole point.
Also around Saugus
Rumney Marsh Reservation
Saugus
A 600-acre tidal salt marsh in the Saugus and Pines River inlet, flat and open for bird watching, and a state Area of Critical Environmental Concern.
Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site
Saugus
A 17th-century ironworks rebuilt on the Saugus River, with working waterwheels, a blast furnace, a forge, a half-mile nature trail and a picnic area.
Play this at Breakheart Reservation
Free. Works with no signal once you're there.