A child dancing on the beach at dusk
Enjoy beautiful summer sunsets during special evening programs on the islands. NPS Photo

Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area

National Recreation Area · Massachusetts · National Park Service

. . . where you can walk a Civil War-era fort, view historic lighthouses, explore tide pools, hike lush trails, camp under the stars, or relax while fishing, picnicking, or swimming—all within reach of downtown Boston. Youth programs, visitor services, research, wildlife management, and more are coordinated on the park's 34 islands and peninsulas by the Boston Harbor Islands Partnership.

Plan your visit

Trails & hiking

Hiking

Camping

Camping · Backcountry Camping

Site types & reservations: see the official site.

Know before you go

Phone
6178193587
Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

Things to do

Highlights: American Revolution · Archeology · Burial, Cemetery and Gravesite · Colonization and Settlement · Enslavement · Forts · Incarceration · Industry · Maritime · Coastal Defenses · Maritime - Military · Lighthouses · Piracy and Privateering · Ships and Shipwrecks · Medicine · Hospital · Military · US Army · US Navy · US Coast Guard · Monuments and Memorials · Native American Heritage · Schools and Education · Social Movements · Abolition Movement · Wars and Conflicts · Colonial/European Contact Conflicts · American Revolutionary War · War of 1812 · Civil War · World War I · World War II · Animals · Birds · Fish · Coasts, Islands and Atolls · Forests and Woodlands · Geology · Oceans · Scenic Views · Unique Species · Wetlands · Marshes · Wilderness

Activities & features: Arts and Culture · Live Music · Boating · Canoe or Kayak Camping · Fishing · Saltwater Fishing · Food · Dining · Picnicking · Guided Tours · Self-Guided Tours - Walking · Living History · Paddling · Kayaking · Junior Ranger Program · Wildlife Watching · Birdwatching

Photos

  • A big arched door opens to the parade ground of Fort Warren.
    Arlan Fonseca
  • Group of children sit on a bench on a drumlin hill on Spectacle Island overlooking Boston Harbor
    NPS Photo
  • view from Spectacle Island overlooking the water with a public ferry and a sailboat
    NPS Photo/ M. Bozio
  • a white lighthouse and other buildings on Little Brewster Island at sunset. City in the distance.
    NPS Photo/ M. Bozio
  • A lighthouse lens to the left, and to the right is a window looking out over a rocky shoreline.
    NPS Photo/ K. Woods
  • Beach on Peddocks Island, with a white chapel and forested area in the background.
    Arlan Fonseca
  • Several seals resting on rocking outcropping
    NPS Photo/ E. Bernbaum
  • Salt marshes during fall. The tall grass and surrounding forest have orange and yellow coloring.
    NPS Photo / E. Bernbaum

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125 parks mapped in Massachusetts

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Guides for the trip

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Sources: National Park Service · updated 2026-08-12