Outdoor ideas

Below are some ideas for outdoor fun and adventure for Cub Scouts in and around Arlington, MA.

Hiking

Middlesex Fells Reservation (Malden/Medford/Melrose/Stoneham/Winchester, MA) – The Fells is a huge area with lots of different trails to choose from. [map and trail descriptions] Our favorites are

• Bellevue Pond, Wright’s Tower, Panther Cave (but nearby parking is difficult)
• Flynn Rink, Rock Circuit Trail, Boojum Rock (with lots of parking at rink)

Menotomy Rocks Park (Arlington, MA) – Arlington’s “wildest” park, 35 acres, with a short walk around Hill Pond and a longer (~ 1 mile) walk including the loop trail up the hill and through the woods. [more info]

Whipple Hill (Lexington, MA) – a nice wooded area just across the Lexington border. The 120-acre area has several color-coded trails. [map]

Lone Tree Hill (Belmont, MA) – a small wilderness area next to McLean, with access across Pleasant St. from the Belmont Star Market. The gravel trail up the hill to the colorful water tower is a nice walk. Past the water tower, trails connect to the Western Greenway. [map]

Western Greenway (Belmont/Lexington/Waltham, MA) – open space and trails connecting Lone Tree Hill, Beaver Brook, and beyond. [map and more info]

Beaver Brook Reservation (Belmont/Waltham, MA) – 59 acres of varied scenery and several trails, divided into North ad South sections by Trapelo Road. [map and more info]

Arlington’s Great Meadows (Lexington, MA) – 183 acres of wetland surrounded by less wet land, owned by Arlington but in Lexington. The most popular trail is the ~2-mile loop. [map and more info]

Menotomy Minuteman Historical Trail (Arlington, MA) – A 3-mile trail on sidewalks and the Minuteman Bikeway, connecting many sites of historical significance. Most Cub Scouts do best doing just half of it at a time. [more info and link to trail guide]

Cycling

Minuteman Bikeway (Arlington/Bedford/Cambridge/Lexington, MA) – the most well-known bike trail in Arlington, but not ideal for Cub Scouts due to the high walking and biking traffic. [more info] [map and sites of interest]

Fitchburg Cut-Off (Belmont/Cambridge, MA) – a 1.5-mile scenic paved trail (for biking or walking) connecting Alewife and Belmont’s Brighton Street. The highlight is the boardwalk (and gravel) detour over and around wetlands, with lots of wildlife. If you time it right, you can also watch the commuter rail go through (near the far end). Park at the Thorndike lot and connect via the Minuteman Bikeway [map and more info]

Watertown-Cambridge Greenway (Cambridge/Watertown, MA) – a new 2-mile rail trail connecting Fresh Pond and Watertown’s Arsenal Street. One place to start is at the Fresh Pond Mall (and connect via the road-side trail). [map 1] [map 2]

Alewife Greenway (Arlington/Cambridge/Somerville, MA) – a fun and varied (paved, gravel, and boardwalk) trail along the Alewife Brook, connecting Alewife and the Mystic River. Part of the way, there are trails on both sides of the Brook. [map]

Mystic River Greenway (Arlington/Everett/Medford/Somerville, MA) – varied trails following the Mystic River downstream from Arlington, connecting to Assembly Row and the Encore Boston Harbor Casino. The entire route requires a couple of tricky road crossings and one stretch on the road, but smaller segments are fine for children, with lots of river scenery. [map and sites]

Cambridge Linear Park (Cambridge, MA) – a 1-mile multi-use trail connecting Alewife with Davis Square. It can get crowded, but Davis Square has lots of options for snacks and drinks. Beyond Davis Square, the path connects with the Green Line Extension (GLX) Community Path and continues to Cambridge Crossing. [map]

Northern Strand Community Trail (Everett/Malden/Revere/Saugus/Lynn, MA) – a recent 11.5-mile-long trail almost connecting the Mystic River to Lynn. One highlight is passing through the Rumney salt marsh. For Cub Scouts, a small segment is recommended. The Mystic River end of the trail starts between the Encore Boston Casino and Costco (in Everett), and the Lynn end stops abruptly by 87 Bennett St. [map]

Mountain biking

Lone Tree Hill and the Western Greenway (Belmont, MA) – Lone Tree Hill is a small wilderness area next to McLean, with access across Pleasant St. from the Belmont Star Market. The gravel trail up the hill passes the colorful water tower and connects to Beaver Brook Reservation, where you can hopefully find small metal signs indicating the Western Greenway. Following these, the bike trail gets a bit more technical and also goes through Lexington and Waltham. The trail network is a great nearby mountain biking oasis, although it’s challenging enough that it’s probably better for adults than for Cub Scouts.

Outings

New England Base Camp (Milton, MA) – This is the Spirit of Adventure’s flagship resource, with outdoor activity areas, campsites, and the Egan Center (with a wonderful pool and indoor activity areas). Most of the activities are free for registered Cub Scouts (with their Adventure Card — just mention that your child is a Cub Scout) and generally available as part of the Saturday Open Program. The Open Program has activities such as archery, rock climbing, outdoor cooking, and lots more. [more info] [map]

Minute Man National Historical Park (Lincoln, MA) – The best place to learn about what happened on the original Patriots Day (April 19, 1775). A fun half-day trip to learn some history from the multimedia “The Road to Revolution” and then bike or walk down the dirt Battle Road Trail to the Hartwell Tavern for their “Minute Men: Neighbors in Arms” program, which includes musket firing. The Battle Road Trail continues past the Tavern, for those who would like more, generally easy, mountain biking. [more info]

Mass Audubon’s Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary (Belmont, MA)

Mass Audubon’s Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary (Natick, MA)

BSA Camping

Spirit of Adventure Council

• New England Base Camp (Milton, MA) – cabins and tent sites; can get crowded
• T.L. Storer Scout Reservation (Barnstead, NH)
• Parker Mountain (Strafford, NH)

Mayflower Council

• Camp Resolute (Bolton, MA)
• Nobscot Scout Reservation (Sudbury, MA)
• Camp Squanto (Plymouth, MA)

Narragansett Council

• Camp Norse (Kingston, MA) – our favorite place for summer Family Camp
• Yawgoog Scout Reservation (Hopkinton, RI)  

Heart of New England Council

• Treasure Valley Scout Reservation (Rutland, MA) – a great place for Pack camping
• Camp Wanocksett (Dublin, NH)

Daniel Webster Council

• Hidden Valley Scout Camp (Gilmanton Iron Works, NH) – Troop 313’s favorite summer camp

Den meeting sites in Arlington

Outdoors

• St. Camillus field – our usual outdoor meeting area
• Poet’s Corner Park & Playground – our favorite model rocket launch site
• Magnolia Park & Playground – grassy areas to play and a playground
• Menotomy Rocks Park – fields and woods to explore
• Robbins Farm Park – lots of space and great views of Boston
• Robbins Memorial Garden – a beautiful park between Robbins Library and Arlington Town Hall

Indoors

• St. Camillus Parish basement – check with the Cubmaster first!
• Robbins and Fox libraries – two rooms at Robbins and one in Fox
  • reservation form: https://www.robbinslibrary.org/assets/Meeting-Room-Policy-Application-Nov-13-2018-fillable.pdf

Sleepovers

• Battleship Cove (Fall River, MA)
• Worcester EcoTarium (Worcester, MA)
• Boston Museum of Science (Boston, MA)