There are some places that just have a touch of magic to them. You can feel it as soon as you arrive, and the feeling sticks with you long after your departure. Massachusetts is full of places that have that special tinge of enchantment, and there’s probably one closer than you think. Here are a few places across the state that deliver an absolutely magical experience.
1. Lovells Island, Hull
Lovell Island is a small island that is accessible from Boston Harbor. The island is notable for its lush natural beauty and gorgeous sunsets. It's also the site of Lover's Rock, where two colonial-era shipwreck victims clung to each other and perished during a snowstorm. That's definitely a love story fit for a fairytale.
2. Northhampton Meadows, Northampton
With the Holyoke mountain range framed in the distance, the meadows of Northampton make for a magical hiking or picnic destination. In the cooler months, a sparkling fog often settles across the open fields. The publicly accessible meadows are off of Hockanum and Cross Path roads, Fair Street Extension and part of Old Ferry Road.
3. Red Maple Swamp Trail, Eastham
This Cape Cod National Seashore boardwalk is a meandering and magical path through a red maple forest. It will take you 0.5 miles from the Hemenway Landing through shady groves and unusual landscapes.
4. Natural Bridge State Park, North Adams
This lovely park features a surreal maze of aboveground caves and gurgling waterfalls with cool, crystal waters. This park also features the only natural white marble arch in North America. To reach the park, you'll travel over a charming, wooden footbridge that's the perfect vantage point for some pretty photography. (1 McCauley Road, North Adam)
5. Gray’s Beach Boardwalk, Dennis
Also called the Bass Hole Boardwalk, this breathtaking beach boardwalk borders Chapin Beach. You'll walk amidst shimmering beach grass, spy osprey nests and breathe in the salty sea air. Be sure to stay long enough to catch the sun setting over the glimmering dunes. (400 Center Street, Yarmouthport)
6. Forest Hills Cemetery, Boston
This 275-acre cemetery is more than just crypts. It's also a designated arboretum and sculpture garden. Wandering through this unique cemetery feels like taking a trip through a wonderland of dramatic Victorian architecture and picturesque greenery.
7. Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Boylston
Tower Hill Botanic Garden is best known for its stunning greenhouses and manicured gardens, but this spot also offers an absolutely enchanting system of woodland trails and secret forest shelters. With Greco-Roman colonnades and unexpected meadows of flowers, this is one of the loveliest places to wander in the state. You might even catch a fairy or two poking out from behind a tree.
8. Chestnut Hill Brook, Montague
Chestnut Hill Brook is a stream in Franklin County about three miles from the town of Montague. It's the perfect place to escape into nature, and is just enough off the beaten path that you're guaranteed some perfectly peaceful moments to relish the beauty of the quiet forest and babbling water.
9. Pilgrim Monument, Provincetown
This tower looks like something out of a fantasy film. It soars over the beachy community of Provincetown, and scaling its heights will reward you with surreally beautiful, panoramic views of Cape Cod. Climbing this monolith is best done on clear days, but a touch of fog can add some extra magic to the experience.
10. Purgatory Chasm State Park, Sutton
Enter a surreal landscape of dramatic boulders and sheer cliffs at this majestic state park. It's easy to imagine that you've wandered into another realm when you first enter the stunning chasm. The hike to the chasm itself and back is about a mile, though you can take a more roundabout route and make it a 2-mile loop trail if you prefer.
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