Boston Harbor Islands National & State Park

If you are a national and state park aficionado, you will love this one. It consists of 4 islands that you can visit. You do have to take a fari to get to them. We only had time to visit George's Island, which is the one that's is also a national historic site. It truly is an amazing place. I did see that they had a little store where they sell hot dogs, but there are a bunch of places that you can picnic at. You need a good 2 full days to explore this park. we will be visiting again soon so we can visit the other island. There are almost no trashcans in the islands, so you do have to carry your trash with you.

This is a great place to visit. You really need one or two days to do it justice, as you have to visit the islands by boat. Its worth doing Spectacle Island and also going across to Pemberton Point. If you can get one that goes out to Boston Light and the smaller islands they are worth a visit.There are various boat trips out of Boston harbor from near the Aquarium. The visitor center is also here, though this is quite small and there is a lot more info available at Faneuil Hall Visitor Center. Some of the islands also have visitor centers. Makes a good weekend trip.

We visited George's Island. They have Fort Warren there. It was very interesting. They have a few runs during the day, as well as guided tours. You can also amble around on your own if you want. There is a visitors center where you can see information on the history of the fort, and a brief video. There are restrooms there as well. There is a rule that whatever you bring to the island, you take when you leave. There are no garbage barrels there. You also should bring food and beverages, as there are none on the island. You may purchase beverages and snacks on the boat going there. Definitely worth going. There are a bunch of islands but you would have to start early to see more than one. Check them out!

We visited Spectacle Island. I was a little disappointed, was expecting more based on the reviews. Read that this is one of the cleanest beaches in the area but I was not impressed. There is a trail around the island which is a nice walk, but there was not much that is varied in the nature there. Mostly grass and we didn't see any wildlife, not even birds. It was tempting to take some sea glass as a souvenir but we did not per park rules. Lunch offerings were great. Good hot dogs!

Spectacle was a good day trip for picnicking, going for a light hike and dip in the harbor. Be careful with how much you bring, as the park is carry on, carry off. And do not swim on the boat side of the dock. Otherwise it’s a nice escape from the city. Hard to believe that people lived here year round!