The Boston Harbor And Castle Island Loop In Massachusetts Takes You From The Beach To A Fort And Back
By Melissa Mahoney|Published September 09, 2021
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Melissa Mahoney
Author
I'm an east coast girl living in a west coast world. I grew up in New England before moving to SoCal for several years. I then lived in NYC or a year before moving to AZ in 2009. I worked in the entertainment industry for many years of my adult life and have a deep love for photography, writing, and traveling around the U.S. as well as to far-flung locations around the world. Travel is my life and writing about it is a dream!
On the outskirts of the urban jungle of Boston lies a peninsula that, while still within city limits, seems worlds away. Visitors can take a scenic loop hike to Castle Island from Pleasure Bay Beach and back along a one-of-a-kind trail that can only be found in Massachusetts.
Pleasure Bay Beach is found along the shores of the enclosed Pleasure Bay. This is the starting point to the easy 2.2-mile Boston Harbor and Castle Island Loop Trail. You'll be led to Castle Island, which is home to the historic Fort Independence, then around the bay via a causeway until you end up back where you started.
Along the trek, you'll pass a WWII memorial on your way to Castle Island. Now a peninsula, Castle Island was once an island but was connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land back in 1928.
Located on the 22-acre Castle Island, Fort Independence is a pentagonal fort built between 1834-1851. It was used by the military during WWI and WWII and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Eventually, you'll come back to where you started - at the beach! Feel free to grab your beach gear out of the car and spend some time on the sand and, if it's warm enough, go for a swim.
Have you ever walked to Castle Island on this loop trail? Let us know in the comments! For more information on the Boston Harbor and Castle Island loop trail, head to AllTrails.
For another fascinating loop trail, read our coverage on Charley’s Loop Trail located at Purgatory Chasm State Reservation in Sutton.
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