Best hiking trail

Though hardly blue, the humongous granite domes at the Blue Hills State Reservation afford some of the most scenic views in the state. Rising just over 635 feet, the hills have an extensive network of blazed trails that cut through a variety of habitats: woodlands, grassy meadows, swamps, and bogs. The largest pond in the area is Ponkapoag, a good place to hike and throw back a handful of nuts and carob chips. Find your way to the boardwalk that goes over a peat bog bordering the pond, and watch as your steps create a trembling motion in the congealed mat of moss and vegetation floating on the water. At the windy summits of the monadnocks (which were created by subterranean volcanic activity and later uncovered by erosion), you'll find scrub pitch pine and red cedar; farther down are sumac, ash, elm, hickory, poplar, white pine, and red maple trees at varying elevations. Often crowded during warm weather, the trails are a favorite outdoor getaway place for those with Everest aspirations who can't afford the plane ticket, the Sherpa guide, or the IMAX crew.

If the Blue Hills seem like small potatoes to you, then farther north is the White Mountain National Forest, which is the best place to go hiking outside Massachusetts. At least that's what you told us, and it isn't hard to see why. Taking up more than 11 percent of the land area in New Hampshire, the forest nurtures a veritable Noah's ark of mammals, birds, and other wildlife. Demanding mountain hikes are rewarded by natural attractions such as waterfalls and high-altitude ponds, scenic views of the valleys below, and bracing winds that can invigorate even the gloomiest goth, provided you get 'em up there.

Blue Hills State Reservation Trailside Museum, 1905 Milton Avenue, Milton, (617) 333-0690; White Mountain National Forest, 719 Main Street, Laconia, New Hampshire, (603) 524-6450.